Do you plan on adding a brand new benchtop? Have you decided on the material for the benchtop? The most popular choice is stone, but there has been a raging war between the natural kind and the engineered kind. The war continues to grow bigger day by day.
There are numerous agencies offering beautiful stone benchtops in Melbourne. They offer both kinds, so which one is better? Is there a clear winner? The answer to this question might help you choose a good benchtop material.
- THE ETERNAL QUESTION: NATURAL OR ENGINEERED?
It is a crucial task of selecting the appropriate material for your beautiful property. Other priorities that must be in your brain include durability and practicality. Would you want to invest in an option that is expensive and good looking, but is neither durable nor practical? With the following, you can take your decision easily:
1. Natural Stone
o Natural Stone is what has been around for thousands of years. The texture and colour will vary according to the area, from which the stone was quarried. Natural Stone has formed naturally, so finding two similar pieces of stone is highly unlikely.
o Natural Stone is resistant to staining, scratches and chipping. Natural Stone is by nature resilient and durable. These factors make it resistant to scratching and chipping, under normal conditions.
o The large variety of colours, style and type is quite common to the natural stone. This is one of the major points that differentiate natural stone from the engineered kind. The options are so varied and huge, that you are bound to find something of your liking.
o Natural stone can be cost-effective. This is because the more expensive kind of natural stone is more porous and thus softer, which basically means that it becomes prone to scratches. So, it does not mean that the expensive kind of stone is better. The price should not be the lone factor deciding whether the quality of the natural stone is good or not.
2. Engineered Stone
o Engineered stone is a type of man-made product, which is denser than natural stone and offers a consistency among all the products. In most kinds of engineered stone, the main component is quartz, which is a highly strong mineral.
o Engineered stone offers consistency among all its products. The consistency can be seen in both style and colour. This consistency is because of the same recipe that is used for every product batch.
o Engineered stone has no porosity, making it resistant to scratches, chips and stains. This makes it a hygienic option for bathroom and kitchen benchtops as well as other surfaces.
o The sample that you view might not be an exact copy of the slab that is laid on the benchtops. The recipe might ensure consistency but remember just in a single batch. If the sample and slab are from different batches, then there might be a difference of shade tones. This is because of the fact that the major component of engineered stone is natural forming quartz, which might differ in shade from time to time.
o Just like a natural stone, the price might vary according to the quality of the engineered stone.
- DOES ENGINEER STONE WIN THE BATTLE OR IS IT NATURAL STONE?
Stone is a material that is popular among most homeowners as a choice for their benchtop. Each kind of stone engineered and natural, comes with its own entourage of pros and cons. So, no one clearly wins the battle. It ultimately boils down to personal preference. Would you like an even tone or would you want each benchtop to be unique?
Similar questions and their answers will help you decide, which stone would improve the aesthetic value of your home while maintaining important factors like practicality and durability.
