Ever wonder what the advantages of stone and the types that exist?
1. Aesthetics
Stone conveys a sense of luxury as it’s known for its beauty and elegance. At our sister company, Stone with Character, we process an extensive range of stone products including reconstituted stone, granite, marble, Caesarstone, Quantum Quartz, and Q-Stone. At our showroom, you will find an extensive range of beautiful, imported and local stone in a huge range of colours, textures, shades, and finishes. Come and visit our showroom today and speak to one of our design specialists to find out which stone best suits your needs.
2. Quality
Kitchens are the hub and the centrepiece of the home. It is the most used room in the house so you want to ensure you invest in your kitchen. Although it can be a costly investment, our sister company, Stone with Character provides high-quality workmanship combined with the latest manufacturing techniques will guarantee our clients the best possible product and finish.
3. Low Maintenance
Stone is one of the strongest materials featuring low porous properties, thus making it simple to clean and perfect for families on the go or avid lovers of cooking! Resilient to scratches, stains and scuffs, you can easily clean it by giving it a wipe down with a damp cloth.
4. Longevity
Stone is very long lasting (and will essentially last forever if properly looked after), waterproof and able to withstand high temperatures due to its heat resistance properties. Although it can be quite expensive, it provides great value and quality investment to your home. Stone will also not degrade over time in comparison to Laminex, where it is not as durable and once chipped, it cannot be repaired. It is also ill protected from scratches, cuts and heat, which is not ideal if you are wanting to place hot food directly on your benchtop.
(Source: Character Cabinets Gallery)
What types of stone does Stone with Character offer?
Natural Stone
- Naturally forming stone that has developed over thousands of years.
- This group includes granite (commonly used in Alfresco areas due to its resistance to heat and UV), marbles plus more exotic stones such as travertine and quartzite.
- It is unique with no two pieces alike and is stain, scratch and chip resistant.
- Due to its nature, natural stone has a large spectrum in terms of colour, type, style, structure, porosity and price.
(Source: Character Cabinets Showroom Gallery)
Engineered Stone
- Most popular product due to its practicality and great value for money
- Advantages include strength and extremely low porosity (making it resistant to scratches, chips and stains, giving it an added hygiene factor when used in a kitchen setting.)
- The product is made primarily from a natural mineral, a difference of up to two shade tones can be viewed between sample and slab (this is an important consideration if choosing engineered stone!)
(Source: Champion Lakes Gallery)
Porcelain
- Defined as a ceramic product that has been baked at high temperatures to achieve a glass-like, permanently hardened texture to form virtually non-porous material.
- Manufactured from a sophisticated blend of natural raw materials using intense temperatures and extreme pressure (much like an accelerated version of the processes that natural stone undergoes in the ground over thousands of years.)
- Porcelain slabs can come as thin as 3mm, and as large as 3m x 1m making them ideal for splashbacks, with few or no joins.
- Brands we use include Laminam and Bella.
Ultra-Compact
- A high tech process which represents an accelerated version of the metamorphic change that natural stone undergoes when subjected to high temperatures and pressure over thousands of years.
- It is extremely hard-wearing, ideal for high traffic areas and resistant to low and high temperatures.
- Zero porosity and lack of the micro-defects that cause tension or weak spots mark the difference between ultra compact and other surfaces.
- Our suppliers include Neolith and Dekton.
