The Essential Guide to Sintered Stone in 2024
Sintered Stone - The Future of Stone Benchtops in Sydney & Perth?
The world of kitchen benchtop and stone surface design is Australia is rapidly changing and so do the boundaries that designers and architects love to step out of.
When it comes to creating stunning, durable, and sustainable surfaces, sintered stone is revolutionising the game. With its exceptional performance and versatility, sintered stone offers a truly innovative solution for modern architectural and design projects.
For those specifiers who like to think outside the box, sintered stone offers the ideal solution to make your mark on the design world, where the only limits are your imagination.
What sets sintered stone apart?
One is its is government approved around Australia and is not part of the complete band on engineered stone and quartz benchtop materials by worksafe Australia.
What sets sintered stone apart is its unique composition and manufacturing process. Made from a combination of natural minerals, pigments, and binders, sintered stone is created through a high-pressure and high-temperature process called sintering. The result is a dense, non-porous surface that is resistant to scratches, stains, heat, and UV rays.
With its vast range of colors, patterns, and textures, sintered stone offers endless design possibilities. From kitchen benchtops and flooring to wall claddings and furniture, this material can be seamlessly integrated into any project, whether it's a residential space or a commercial project.
Throughout Perth and Sydney, people everywhere are beginning to see the emerging trend for this truly unique and ultra-tough kitchen benchtop material, leading the way in the charge against high crystalline silica, non-sustainable surface options of old.
The obvious benefit is sintered stone's eco-friendly nature. Its production process minimizes waste, conserves energy, and reduces the need for maintenance and replacement, making it a sustainable choice for environmentally-conscious projects.
Our European production partners Techlam by Levantina are changing the game with
- 100% natural ingredients used in every slab
- 95% recycled ingredients used in production
- 100% renewable energy via an electric kiln
- 0% toxic emissions in production
- 100% recycled packaging from facility to showroom
- Ethically sourced materials from global suppliers.
- Greengaurd certified
- Perfect for interior and exterior products with UV resistance
Advantages of using sintered stone in architecture and design
Sintered stone offers a world of advantages that make it a preferred choice in architecture and design.
- Firstly, its unique manufacturing process results in a dense, non-porous surface. This means that sintered stone is highly resistant to scratches, stains, heat, and even UV rays. This durability ensures that surfaces made from sintered stone can withstand the test of time, making them ideal for high-traffic areas and spaces that require minimal maintenance.
- Secondly sintered stone offers a incredible range of design possibilities. With its wide variety of colors, patterns, and textures, it can be seamlessly integrated into any project, whether it's a residential space or a commercial establishment. From kitchen benchtops and splashbacks, flooring to wall claddings and furniture, sintered stone allows architects and designers to unleash their creativity and create visually stunning spaces.
How is sintered stone is made?
What sets sintered stone apart is its unique composition and manufacturing process. Made from a combination of natural minerals, pigments, and binders, this engineered material is created through a high-pressure and high-temperature process called sintering. During this process, the raw materials are compacted and heated to extreme temperatures, causing the particles to fuse together. This fusion results in a compact and homogeneous material with exceptional physical properties.
Sintered stone's manufacturing process also allows for precise control over its composition, resulting in consistent color and pattern throughout the material. This ensures that every slab or tile of sintered stone is of the highest quality and provides a uniform appearance when installed in a project.
Applications of sintered stone in architecture and design
The versatility of sintered stone makes it suitable for a wide range of applications in architecture and design. Most commonly you'll find sintered stone used in kitchen becnhtop, splashbacks and bathrooms around the country. With its resistance to heat, stains, and scratches, sintered stone provides a hygienic and durable surface for food preparation and daily use.
However for those in the know, you'll find sintered stone used in a massive scope of installations like hotel lobbies, airport flooring, wall lining and external building cladding.
How can this be possible? Well, due to the unique production process and it's high temperature firing, it's completely weather and UV stable, meaning it's suitable for a range of application indoors and outdoors.
- Kitchen benchtops
- Kitchen splashbacks
- Bathroom vanities
- Bathroom wall lining
- Pool coping
- Outdoor Alfresco dining area
- Outdoor BBQ surrounds
- External building cladding
- Commercial flooring
- + a whole lot more.
Pictured: Supergrey
Comparing sintered stone with other materials
When it comes to choosing materials for architectural and design projects, there are various options available. However, sintered stone stands out for its exceptional performance and durability. In comparison to natural stones such as marble and granite, sintered stone offers a more consistent and uniform appearance. This is due to its manufacturing process, which ensures that every slab or tile has the same color and pattern.
Unlike porcelain or ceramic tiles, sintered stone is not prone to chipping or cracking. Its dense composition makes it highly resistant to impact, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications. Additionally, sintered stone does not require sealing or special maintenance, unlike natural stones that need regular cleaning and sealing to maintain their appearance every couple of years or depending on the amount of use it gets.
Sustainability aspects of sintered stone
In today's environmentally-conscious world, sustainability is a key consideration in architecture and design. Sintered stone offers several sustainability advantages that make it an eco-friendly choice. Firstly, its manufacturing process minimizes waste by using recycled materials and reducing water consumption.
Moreover, sintered stone is a highly durable material, which means it has a longer lifespan compared to other materials. This reduces the need for maintenance and replacement, resulting in less waste generation over time. Additionally, sintered stone's non-porous surface prevents the growth of bacteria and mould, contributing to a healthier indoor environment.
Maintenance and care of sintered stone surfaces
One of the benefits of sintered stone is its low maintenance requirements. Its non-porous surface makes it easy to clean and resistant to staining. For daily maintenance, simply wipe the surface with a damp cloth and mild detergent. Avoid using abrasive cleaners or scouring pads, as they may scratch the surface.
In the case of stubborn stains, a non-abrasive cleaner specifically formulated for sintered stone can be used. Regularly sealing is not necessary, as sintered stone is inherently resistant to staining. However, for added protection, a topical sealer can be applied to enhance the surface's stain resistance.
Commercial applications of sintered stone
As mentioned above, the commercial applications of sintered stone for architects and designers is near endless. Choosing the right material for commercial projects can make it break the outcome and with its ultra-strong design, durability and suitability for almost any space you can imagine, sintered stone really is a game change for the Australian design landscape.
Pictured: Marvel Gold
So it's not hard to see why sintered stone projects are growing faster than ever as more savvy specifiers learn more about this future focused stone surfaces.
Ready to get started? Speak with our friendly team today who can assist with sample requests and sharing your exclusive first look at our entire Asetica Techlam sintered stone collection.