Engineered stone has become a popular choice in Australia, particularly in modern construction and interior design, offering a blend of strength and attractiveness. Although it is not a single, polished piece, manufactured stone offers the strength and beauty of natural stone at a much lower cost. Here is complete guidance about what is engineered stone and its properties:

What is engineered stone?

Engineered stone is a composite material crafted by combining crushed natural stones, such as quartz or marble, with resins, pigments, and other binders. This mixture is molded into slabs and cured under heat and pressure to create a durable, non-porous surface commonly used for countertops, flooring, and wall cladding.

How is Engineered stone formed

Engineered stone is essentially a mixture of crushed stone. Here is the complete composition of the engineered stone:

A mixture of natural stones: About 90% of the material is finely crushed stone like marble and quartz. Quartz is for its shining surface and strength.

Adhesive: By making up the 10% of engineered stone polyester resin is used to bind the stone mixture together by creating a solid surface.

Pigments: Pigments are used to add colour to engineered stone, but they may fade over time. Therefore it is recommended to use engineered stone in indoor applications.

Forming: The mixture is highly compressed and molded into creating a slab.

Finishing: The last step is polishing the stone to make it shiny.

In this way, engineered stone is formed by mixing the crushed marble stone and adding polyester resin and also some amount of pigments for its presence.

Types of Engineered Stones

Quartz is the most popular type of engineered stone, but there are also many types of reuse materials like granite, marble, soapstone, and recycled engineered stone:

Quartz: Engineered quartz is most popular due to its strength and wide range of colors.

Granite: Engineered granite offers a wide range of benefits like easier maintenance and no need for sealing.

Marble: Engineered marble is made up of crushed marble with resin. It is typically used for indoor flooring and bathroom surfaces.

Soapstone: Engineered soapstone provides the look of natural soapstone and maintains its strength and protection from any stain.

Recycled stone: Some engineered options embrace recycled material such as glass, mirrors, etc., giving eco-friendly alternatives and also has various types of colors.

Benefits of Engineered Stone

The importance of engineered stone is evident in its high demand and growing popularity:

Strength: Engineered stone has strength because of its mixture and its unbreakable ability due to the addition of polyester resin and crushed stones.

Impermeable surface: It has a non-porous or impermeable surface due to its property of air or any other bacteria that can’t pass through from its surface.

Compatibility: It offers a wide range of colors for excellence in appearance.

Ease of cleaning: Engineered stone is easy to maintain with regular cleaning tools.

Popular applications of engineered stone

There are popular applications for engineered stones such as:

Countertops: On countertops, engineered stone is resistant to scratches and stains making it an ideal choice for everyone.

Bath cabinet: On bath cabinet, is mostly used due to its unstainable properties.

Flooring: Its strength and smooth finishing make it the best match for residential and commercial areas.

Concerns when choosing engineered stone

There are concerns and conditions to remember while choosing the engineered stone:

Heat resistance: Engineered stone should be heat resistant because it is mostly used on kitchen floors.

UV stability: It also gives stability from UV and protection from cracking. 

Environmental impact: Practicing using recycled elements for making engineered stone would be best for the environment and human beings because resin contains chemicals and the procedure of making it without any safety concerns will be a problem.

Cost: Engineered stone is more affordable than luxury natural stones, making it a worthwhile investment for its durability and quality.

Engineered vs Natural stone

While selecting the materials for countertops, floors, or any other place it is very important to acknowledge the difference between natural and engineered stone.

Engineered stone is stronger and more adhesive as compared to natural stone as well as engineered stone has more efficiency and is cheap compared to natural stone. The market price of natural stone is more than that of engineered stone. In contrast, engineered stone offers more advantages and is more affordable. Therefore, engineered stone is preferred over natural stone.

Conclusion

Due to its impressive qualities and cost-effectiveness, engineered stone continues to be a recommended choice for modern interiors. Its durability, ease of maintenance, and wide variety of colours and textures make it an ideal option for countertops, flooring, and other applications.