what is engineered stone
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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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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