Choosing the right material for your kitchen and bathroom worktops can be fascinating and perplexing. Besides the visual charm, the material should be highly durable, easy to clean/maintain, and resistant to wear and tear. Owing to their incredible functionality, versatility, and stylish aesthetics, interior designers across the UK recommend Silestone Quartz worktops.
With Silestone trending massively, how it differs from quartz is often a common query. Homeowners should have access to all the necessary information before they invest in kitchen/bathroom worktops. Knowing the difference between Silestone and quartz should be a part of their quest for the right worktop material.
What are Silestone Quartz Worktops?
The terms ‘Silestone’ and ‘quartz’ are often used interchangeably. Quartz is a naturally occurring mineral that is the prime constituent of engineered quartz worktops. Multiple brands of engineered quartz worktops are available online and in brick-and-mortar stores today. You will find local or generic quartz worktop variants if you approach a stone worktop supplier. Amongst the hundreds of brands and variants of quartz worktops available in the market, Silestone quartz worktops are amongst the most premium. Cosentino, a renowned Spanish company producing other quartz worktops brands like Dekton and Sensa, is known to manufacture them.
What is the Difference between Silestone and Quartz?
All Silestone worktops are engineered quartz, but the reverse is not true. All engineered quartz worktops are not Silestone because multiple brands and variants of quartz worktops are available from any leading stone worktop supplier. What makes Silestone different from other quartz worktops? Why is it considered superior and priced higher? The points mentioned below highlight the key difference:
1. Percentage and Purity of Mineral Quartz: Manufacturers combine pulverised mineral quartz with suitable resin binders and pigments to manufacture engineered quartz worktops. The percentage of mineral quartz can vary from 75 to 85% on average. The higher the percentage and purity of quartz, the greater the quartz worktop’s durability, resistance, and overall functionality. Silestone quartz worktops are composed of 93% ultra-pure quartz, making them highly resilient and long-lasting.
2. Presence of Aluminium Oxide: Generic quartz worktops only contain quartz crystals, resins, and pigments. Apart from these three constituents, Silestone quartz worktops contain a small percentage of Aluminium oxide, significantly increasing its hardness and scratch resistance. Silestone has a hardness quotient of 7 on the Mohs scale, compared to other engineered quartz worktops that vary from 6 to 7.
3. Porosity, Hygiene, and Resistance to Stains: One of the biggest reasons for the immense popularity of engineered quartz surfaces is their imperviousness to moisture, odours, and spills. Natural stones like marble and granite are highly porous and require continual sealing. Quartz worktops don’t incur any such maintenance hassles, ensuring utmost hygiene and no scope of microbial growth. With the minimal use of resin fillers and the patented Breton process that facilitates tighter interlocking of quartz particles, the stain resistance of Silestone quartz worktops is phenomenally higher.
4. Higher Visual Customisation: From impressive solid colours to enticing abstract patterns and ornate designs, there are multiple aesthetic choices available for Silestone quartz worktops. As opposed to regular quartz worktops, manufacturers add colour pigments during the manufacturing cycle of Silestone quartz for higher visual customisation. Marble-effect Silestone variants like Eternal Calacatta, Nero Zimbabwe, Blanco Norte, Onyx White, and Marlena Silestone Quartz are particularly popular across the UK. Overall, more than 100 patterns and colours exist to complement an infinite range of kitchen décor and lighting choices.
5. Durable and Long-Lasting: Owing to the superior composition and patented Breton manufacturing process, Silestone quartz worktops offer a much higher resistance to dents, chipping, scratches, and cracks. Any reputed stone worktop supplier would vouch for their outstanding durability. Silestone quartz surfaces easily last for a lifetime reflected via its manufacturer’s warranty of 25 years. The only other quartz brand that offers a similar warranty is Caesarstone. All other engineered quartz worktop brands provide a limited warranty of 10 to 15 years. Silestone quartz can be a fantastic investment for your home interiors in the long run. As a premium and globally renowned brand, it can uplift property resale value by spiking buyer interest.
Conclusion
With the huge carbon impact of mining and transportation of natural stone worktop materials like marble and granite, homeowners have been looking for a more sustainable option. The time and resources required to maintain and keep natural stones are not everybody’s cup of tea.
Engineered quartz surfaces provide homeowners with eco-friendly, robust, aesthetically pleasing, customisable, and maintenance-free worktops. Be it for the kitchen, bathroom, vanity room, or laundry, Silestone quartz worktops offer a wide range of benefits. Assess your kitchen specifications and personal requirements before investing in Silestone quartz. Lastly and most importantly, always hire a professional and well-experienced installation team for quartz worktop installation.
