Engineered Stone FAQs
What exactly is Engineered Stone?
Engineered stone is a composite material made of crushed stone bound together by an adhesive, (most commonly polymer resin, with some newer versions using a cement mix).
The two common stones used in producing these products are marbles and quartz, the application of this product depends on the original stone used, for engineered marbles the most common application is indoor flooring and walls, while the quartz based product is used primarily for kitchen countertops. Related materials include geopolymers and cast stone. Unlike terrazzo, the material is factory made in either blocks or slabs, cut and polished by fabricators, and assembled at the worksite.
Engineered stone (US name) is also commonly referred to as, agglomerate or agglomerated stone, the last term being that recognised by European Standards (EN 14618), although to add to the terminological confusion, this standard also includes materials manufactured with a cementitious binder. The Quartz version (which end consumers are much more likely to directly deal with) are commonly known as 'quartz surface' or just 'quartz'
Engineered vs. Natural Stone
Engineered stone products are gaining in popularity. many shopping malls and department stores around the world uses engineered stone for floors. Research reported in Consumer Reports (2010) magazine reveals virtually no difference in performance between quartz based products and sealed granite.
Is Engineered Stone better for the environment?
Generally any engineered stone uses a less invasive mining technique to procure the material which it uses. As a result of these more envirmentally friendly practices engineered stone is a more sustainable product than granite or marble.
Testing has shown that they retain much of the toughness of quartz but display increased ductility due to the resin, improving impact resistance. Countertops are custom made and more scratch resistant as well as less porous than natural quartz surfaces, and don't need to be sealed like other stone surfaces.
Due to the presence of the resins, quartz counters are less prone to staining. Thicknesses may be 6mm, 1.2 cm (1/2 inch), 2 cm (3/4 inch), 3 cm (1¼ inch) or 4 cm (1½ inch). Brands include CMMA Solid Surface by World BMC, Hanstone, NaturaStone, Silestone, Q, Caesarstone, Vicostone, Technistone, Cambria, Zodiaq and Lottare. (source Wikipedia)