Engineered stone

Stone in its natural state has many imperfections, some of which we prize for aesthetic reasons, such as the veining in white marble which gives it a unique look. The problem with these characteristics is that it makes a stone element unpredictable when used in any construction application. For this reason, natural stone has been traditionally used with very thick components, such as the very deep beams in an Ancient Greek temple. When the stone bends under its self-weight or because of weight placed upon it, such as roof timbers, it develops stresses, which, if they follow the same line as the grain of the stone (the veins in the marble), the beam will crack and come crashing to the ground. The thicker the beam, the better it can withstand the forces acting on it.

So what is engineered stone? Any material used in engineering needs to be predictable to be able to optimise the use of material and make each element as lightweight as possible. This is arguably even more important than the actual strength of the material, as an engineer can work with relatively weak materials, providing she can calculate the stresses and the capacity to resist them. This is where engineered materials come in, the most common being stone and timber. The natural material is broken down into very small particles and reconstituted using a binder, a type of adhesive that itself has very good structural properties, such as the ability to resist weight  or the forces that result from bending or buckling.

Engineered stone can be very thin and much lighter weight than natural stone.

As you can see in the photo, a kitchen counter can be as thin as 2cm and still span easily over an opening big enough for one or two large appliances. This is even thinner than the other popular engineered material, chipboard with a formica finish, which is usually 4 to 5 cm thick for a counter-top. The engineered stone has two advantages - the one is aesthetic, in that it looks very graceful and elegant, but also by being quite lightweight, puts less of a load on the supports, such as the cupboards underneath the counter.

This counter-top spans 1.2m for a washing machine and dishwasher.

In the photo above, the sink partly overlaps the area of the counter that is creating the opening for the machines, being very narrow behind and in front of the sink, which would be impossible to achieve with natural stone. This is so strong that it can even support a large microwave oven above the washing machine space.

Engineered stone is very pleasing aesthetically, whether used in a minimalist design or for a more traditional look. It can either form a striking contrast with the other colours in the room, with a smooth, uninterrupted line, or can blend in and almost disappear visually. In my own kitchen, because it is very small, I opted for countertops that matched the white of the cupboards and wall paint.

Counter-tops blend with cupboards in a very small kitchen

By contrast, the photo below shows a kitchen that is part of an open-plan layout, so the striking black tops serve to distinguish the kitchen area from the rest of the space. 

The black counters here define the kitchen area in an open-plan arrangement

Another advantage in engineered stone in a kitchen is that it is very easy to clean - a quick wipe-down daily leaves it looking great and once a week I give mine a wash with granite cleaner that also polishes it, giving a gleaming result.

I have also made it easier to clean my kitchen by having an up-stand along the walls so that I do not leave streaks of dirt on the paintwork. This works well in my kitchen as walls and counters are the same colour, but if you use a contrasting colour scheme, you may prefer the sleek lines of a simple junction between the tops and walls, as you can see with the black stone above.

Detail of the up-stand where counter meets wall

I cannot sing the praises of engineered stone enough - not only is it versatile, elegant and easy to clean, but it also has a timeless aesthetic and is very durable, so an investment into this material has lasting value, both to yourself and to a future owner.