Definition

Sintered Stones are defined as engineered stones formed by using heat and pressure on a mix of materials to create a solid and aesthetically pleasing stone. This definition by Better Homes and Gardens more like sums up what sintered stone is, you can click here to read more, however here’s a direct view summary, Better Homes and Gardens explains Sintered Stones to be, Engineered stones in the building material category that is used for countertops, flooring, walls, and bathrooms.

Introduction

Sintered Stone also known by brand names like, Dexton, Neolith and Lapitech is made from a blend of natural minerals found in clay, glass and granite, each blend has its own unique process, the minerals are first pulverized/broken/crushed into fine particles and then compressed into slabs under intense heat, upto 25,000 tons of pressure, the slab is then baked to temperatures up to 1200 Degree Celsius. This combination of heat and Pressure fuses the materials together at a molecular level, this process is what we call sinterization. The result is what we call sintered stones, durable for flooring, walls and countertops amid many more interior design options.

The Three brands of Sintered Stone

Neolith: This brand of sintered Stone is made by a spanish company, “NEOLITH”. They manufacture Sintered stone slabs made up of the following minerals, clay, fieldspar, silica and mineral oxides. Neolith Surfaces are known for its durability, resistance to high temperatures, resistance to scratches and chemicals, as a result they are mostgly recommended for countertops, bathroom vanities, flooring and wall cladding and furniture surfaces.

About Neolith

The company was founded in 2009 by the Esteve family, with an extensive background in natural stone and is supported by a world-class management team. In a few short years, Neolith has established itself as a world leader with the highest growth in the high-end segment of the building materials industry.

How expensive are the Neoliths Sintered Stones

Sintered Stones are generally expenisve, however the good part of these stones being that they are for a life time and you need not worry about repainting or redesigning if you get the design right the first time. Per square foot would cost at least 75$ to 250$. They are a good alternatives to marbles and granite or porcelaine.

Here are picture samples of Neolith sintered stones

The Dedxton brand

Dexton is a product of a spanish company “Consentino” , This company employs the same process of sinterization to manufacture Sintered stones. The Dekton brand is highly resistant to scratches, stains, heat and UV rays, This makes it suitable for a vriety of indoor and outdoor applications, including countertops, cladding, flooring, and facades.

About the Company

Consentino is a spanish company that majors in the manufacture and installation of diverse aesthetic stones from sintered stones to granite, porcelain and the likes for flooring, Kitchen counter tops, wall cladding, and facades.

Sintered Stone vs Quartz

We have already defined Sintered stone in the begining part of thius article, letrs take a look at Quartz, What do we know as Quartz.

How Quartz goes from Rock to Counter top

Quartz also known as Silicon di Oxide is one of the most common minerals in the world, however quartz alone cannot be made into aesthetically pleasing counter tops or wall claddings, Quartz are mixed with resins or othe binders, the two are mixed in a mixer to form a mixttures and then the mixture is poured on to a mould, from where it is baked to form the beautiful counter tops and slabs used for both interior and exteriors.

What’s Better Sintered Stone or Quartz

The two are completely similar in a lot of ways, however the major difference between them is their resistance leves and hardness. The sintered stone is more resistant to scratches, and to heat when compared with Quartz, in the area of beauty or Aesthetics, Quartz is primarily behind sintered stone in beauty, this is a personal opinion tho, many persons or clients have gone with the quartz option when it comes to Aesthetics, a majority of them are sintered stone lovers.

A second distinct factor between the two options is the pricing, Sintered Stones are generally more costlier than Quartz, a square foot meter of Qaurtz could cost from 50$ to 100$ per slab.

Pros and Cons of Sintered Stones

The pros of Sintered Stone includes;

Sintered stones are highly durable, and resistant to scratches, stains, chemicals and heat, this means that it can withsatnd heavy use and can be suitable both indoors and outdoors.

Verstility with a wide range of colors, Sintered Stones have low porosity as well, this means they can be resistant to water absorption, their verstility in color and use implies that it can fit in any design type or construction option.

What are the cons of Sintered Stone, They Include the extremely high price of these slabs and Installation, The high technical intelligence required to be able to install them efficiently, Major installation challenges in the installation which includes the weight of the stones, these requires heavy machinery to lift and install them. The risk of damage during instllation a sa result of the brittle nature of these sintered stones.

Wall Cladding or Building paints

Unlike popular opinion, Sintered stones and Marbles are not edging out building paints, both are aesthetically amazing to there varying degrees, and choice is mostly dependent on budget, Aesthetic choice of the cleint or company handling the project, durability and maintainance requirements. Some type of projects may require wall insulations, in this type, granites and marbles , porcelain and sintered stone could be a much effective option in contrast to building paints. here’s all you need to know about building paints

Conclusion

Sintered stones are engineered stones formed under extreme heat and pressure, and polished to give an aesthetically pleasing surface. there are three known brands of these sintered stones, they include, Dexton, Neolithic and lapitech, These brands of sintyered stones are attached to different companies mostly in spain. there are other alternatives to sintered stones, such as Quartz, Granite and direct Marbles, however sintered stone is a more advanced type of these materials and gives a more outstanding result. When compared to Quartz its resistant to scratches and heat is way ahead, just like its aesthetic qualities.

Sintered stones does not cut off the need for building paints or reduce its demand, certain projects work hand in hand, sintered stones and building paints, other projects may choose to go with just sintered stones alone. This final part is for clients in Nigeria, who may need their projects experiencing the beauty of sintered stones, such clients can send a mail to Admin@Showerspaint.com to get started.

Also you can read up previous articles we have on different topics