Engineered Stone Countertops
Engineered stone countertops are remarkable products, offering the 'best of both worlds' regarding durability and aesthetics. They're made to look and feel like stone yet they possess enhancements that nature couldn't provide - namely, the durability and cleanliness that comes with a non-porous surface.
One of the most popular and widely used forms of engineered stone is quartz countertops. Brands like Silestone and Cambria use quartz as the primary ingredient in their engineered stone countertops and other surfacing products.
Quartz isn't the only form of stone that's used however. Granite, marble and semi-precious stones can be found in various engineered stone countertops, each with their own decorative and functional appeal.
Page Sections At A Glance
What Is "Engineered Stone"?
What Do I Need To Consider?
What Are The Differences Among Brand Choices?
Editor's Picks In A Surface That's Hard To Beat
What Is "Engineered Stone"?
The term “engineered stone” is just a technical term that describes the combination of crushed natural stone and a resin binder. The binder holds the stone aggregate together. Through this combination the stone has been "engineered" to enhance it's properties, and form it into a product more workable and usable.
Engineered stone countertops are made in relatively thin slabs. The marriage between stone and resin is completed under intense heat and pressure. Pigments are added during the process to give the product its color. The resulting slab is then polished to a high gloss or honed to a more matte finish.
If this all sounds too technical, think of it as crushed stone that’s combined with a ‘glue’ and baked in a pan. That may be an oversimplification but it may help in understanding the basic concepts of what it is and how it’s made.
The key take-away from this bit-o-science is that the end result is a non-porous material, a very nice attribute for a countertop surface.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some manufacturers, particularly those that make quartz countertops, advertise their products as "natural quartz". And natural quartz it is - but it's not purely a slab of quartz that's been quarried and cut to size. Quartz is the key ingredient (usually about 93%), but the product you're getting is still the combination of quartz and other materials.
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What Do I Need To Consider?
To be honest, there's a lot of upside and not a lot of drawbacks with engineered stone countertops.
Let's take a look at the positives...
And the downsides....
- Some Products Can Be Expensive - Some, not all, engineered stone products can be costly. Cost per square foot will vary based on manufacturer, color and edge treatment.
- It's Still Not Real Stone - This is one of those considerations that's dependent on your personal taste. Engineered stone can come pretty close to looking like real stone but it's not the real McCoy and doesn't have the natural variation of real stone.
But on that note, you be the judge. Which sample in the picture below is the engineered stone and which is real granite? Even if you can distinguish between real and not, you have to agree that the engineered stone does a pretty good impersonation.
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| Answer: The Sample On The Left Is The Imposter |
From a functionality and durability perspective, there’s really not many negatives associated with engineered stone. That's why it carries the name it does – it’s been “engineered” to offer the benefits of stone while eliminating the weak points.
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What Are The Differences Among Brand Choices?
Similar to solid surface countertops there are sufficient manufacturers of engineered stone countertops from which to choose. The benefit here is that competition among them spurs new styles, colors and other innovations that ultimately make for better choices and cost control.
What Are The Differences Between The Various Brands?
For a given classification of engineered stone, particularly the crowded class of quartz-based products, there aren’t any significant differentiation points on a basic level. In other words, they’re made up of similar materials and made in similar ways.
What does differentiate them is the quantity of color and pattern offerings. Some manufacturers offer more than others which offers you more in the way of choices to match your particular needs.
Availability in any particular geographic area is another determining factor when choosing among the various makers of engineered stone. Some brands have a wider distribution and a corresponding larger quantity of certified installers.
So What Should I Consider When Making My Decision?
First, decide upon the type of engineered stone surfacing you want, be it quartz-based or one of the other varieties. Then look for the color or pattern that suits you best. Since most other factors are roughly equal, it comes down to which manufacturer provides exactly what you’re looking for.
Tip: if more than one maker offers a particular color you’re interested in, obtain price quotes for all of them. In some cases, the same or a very similar color option has different prices between manufacturers. You may be able to get the color you want at a lower price if you shop around and investigate the offerings of each manufacturer.
Here are the details on the particular types and brands of engineered stone. Click on one of the brand names to learn more about their highlights.
Quartz-Based
Granite-Based
Marble-Based
Semi-Precious Stones
| Highlights |
Avanza engineered stone is characterized by a small number of colors, primarily in the earth-tone family. Patterns have the look of natural stone and countertops are offered in a wide variety of edge profiles. |
| Website |
www.avanzausa.com |
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| Highlights |
Caesarstone engineered stone countertops are made in Israel and have GREENGUARD® and NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certification. Products are offered in a moderate number of colors that includes a honed look. Their Soft Blend textures offer several nice colors that emulate a richer, softer look, that's less 'granulated' than typical engineered stone. |
| Website |
www.caesarstoneus.com |
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| Highlights |
Cambria engineered stone is the only quartz-based stone product manufactured in the U.S. and comes with a lifetime warranty. Cambria is GREENGUARD® certified with products offered in several collections that comprise a moderate quantity of colors and patterns. The Quarry collection has a rich blend of stone-like colors. |
| Website |
www.cambriausa.com |
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| Highlights |
Legacy quartz counters are made by the Verona Marble Company. Products are offered in over 30 colors in several collections. The Signature Collection is characterized by earth tone colors and small to medium sized grain particulates. The Designer Collection contains some bolder colors. |
| Website |
www.veronamarblecompany.com |
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| Highlights |
LG Viatera is a quartz-based engineered stone made in Italy and by a subsidiary of the LG Group, makers of LG HI-MACS acrylic solid surface. Viatera is offered in over 20 colors ranging from earth tones to more vibrant and bold choices like Aqua Granite and Black Granite. |
| Website |
www.lgviatera.com |
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| Highlights |
Silestone has one of the largest color selections among the various makers of quartz countertops. Countertops include Microban antimicrobial protection and they're certified by GREENGUARD® and the National Sanitation Foundation. Silestone features include the Leather™ texture that resembles a honed (matte) finish. The River series has non-directional veining which offers a different approach to the traditional particulate look of engineered stone. Silestone also offers quartz sinks allowing the ability to match a quartz-based countertop with a matching sink in the same material. |
| Website |
www.silestoneusa.com |
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| Highlights |
Technistone quartz surfaces are available in over 20 colors with variable sized quartz crystal patterns. Besides their earth-tone colors, Technistone offers some brighter colors including red and green. |
| Website |
www.technistoneusa.com |
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| Highlights |
Zodiaq countertops made by DuPont™ are quartz-based products available in a moderate quantity of colors. Part of the Zodiaq collection includes the OKITE collection made by Seieffe Industries in Italy. OKITE surfacing is characterized by variable veining that mimics the look of marble. Zodiaq's Terra Collection contains 50% pre-consumer recycled glass. |
| Website |
www.zodiaq.com |
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| Highlights |
Granite Transformations uses crushed granite as one of the main constituents in its Trend Stone line of countertop products. The innovation here is that Granite Transformations countertops are made to fit over your existing countertops like a slip cover. No demo work is required. They can also be installed in new applications over a substrate. They also offer a Trend Glass product, made with glass and stone fragments. There are over 30 colors combined in both of these product lines. |
| Website |
www.granitetransformations.com |
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| Highlights |
Marghestone is a marble-based engineered stone made by Verona Marble Company. These countertops include marble aggregate along with other materials like glass chips and mother of pearl. Marghestone is slightly less scratch resistant than a granite or quartz engineered stone and are intended for bathroom rather than kitchen countertops. |
| Website |
www.veronamarblecompany.com |
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| Highlights |
Agglosimplex is another marble-based engineered stone countertop product made by Verona Marble Company. Like Marghestone, it's meant for bathroom applications rather than as a kitchen countertop. Agglosimplex is offered in a small range of colors including some darker shades not found in the Marghestone line. |
| Website |
www.veronamarblecompany.com |
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| Highlights |
Concetto by Caesarstone is a truly unique product among the engineered stone offerings. Rather than crushed stone aggregate, Concetto uses "slices" and larger pieces of semi-precious stones to make up the finished slabs of material. These stone pieces are individually hand-set in the manufacturing process to achieve the unique look. Some stones are translucent and can be backlit for added impact. These products are costly however. |
| Website |
www.caesarstoneus.com/catalog/concetto-overview.cfm |
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Editor's Picks In A Surface That's Hard To Beat
I find a lot of similarities between engineered stone and solid surface. Not in the material sense mind you, but in the way that each product is dominated to a large degree by the granulated 'particulate' look. From that standpoint, there's a lot of sameness among various engineered stones just as there is with solid surface.
Despite this sameness however, there are a few standouts. The honed look is a nice departure from the standard look of engineered stone. It has that velvety appearance that's muted but can display a real richness in the right color. It requires more maintenance than the polished surfaces however and will show fingerprints and the effects of daily living more.
The veined look of Silestone's River Series and Caesarstone's Soft Blend textures are also nice alternatives to the granulated look. The OKITE Collection in the DuPont™ Zodiaq® line is also very different and unique and another favorite of mine. It has a marbled look that's a change from the more typical granulated nature of engineered stone.
I recommend taking a closer look at these brands if you're considering engineered stone countertops and want a color/pattern that provides a different look.
Regardless of which brand or color you go with however, I don't think you can go wrong. I do like the look of natural stone but the durability, ease of maintenance and sharp look of engineered stone ranks as a top choice in my book for any countertop surface.
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