Natural stone work-surface.
Lapitec - sintered stone – Marble & Granite Center.
THE FIGHT FOR MARKET SHARE
– MAN-MADE OR NATURAL!
There is a debate raging in the stone industry.
With the increase of market share by man-made materials,
in areas traditionally occupied by natural stone, the choice
for the consumer has increased. But not always in the full
knowledge of what the choices contain and how they
perform. What are the true ecological credentials of either
and should we be using them at all?
The main battlefield is kitchen work surfaces. Traditionally
made from natural marble, and in more recent years granite,
limestone and slate - man-made quartz (or engineered
quartz) has taken a large chunk of the market.
Is the natural stone industry just bleating about a successful
rival, when they have long neglected to promote natural
stone in any meaningful way themselves?
And if man-made quartz is the all singing, all dancing
alternative to natural stone, why does it have to assume the
names of natural stone, claim it is a version of stone and try
to look like stone?
Man-made quartz (not to be confused with quartzite, which
is a natural stone): a composite made from quartz mineral
(approx. 75% by volume), bound together with a binder resin,
(approx. 24% by volume), and then coloured with pigments,
(1 to 2%). Heated, calibrated and polished. The finished
product tends to come in singular colours, some with
sparkles. Manufacturer’s claim it is chip resistant, moisture
and stain resistance and hygienic. There are warnings about
placing hot pans directly on the surface as they may crack
the material or leave burn marks.
The market is becoming saturated with choices and there
is an unhealthy market for unbranded material, without
the manufacturer’s mark printed on the back, appearing
as a cheaper alternative, and therefore without the
manufacturer’s guarantee. There is also another man-made
product on the market called Lapitec which is a “sintered
stone”, available from the Marble and Granite Centre in
Rickmansworth, which uses 100% natural products, is inert,
recyclable and has excellent ecological credentials.
Natural granite is igneous rock, formed at high temperatures
in the earth’s crust, made up of varying quantities of feldspar,
quartz, and mica. The name is applied to a variety of igneous
rock, similar in structure, but not all the same. Generally, it
is hard wearing, heat resistant and can be sealed to resist
liquid ingress, which makes maintenance simple. It can be
highly polished or honed. Colours can be uniform pinks and
creams - salt and pepper or wild and unique.
Marble and limestone are increasingly specified for high
end luxury apartment work-tops. These look beautiful, but
the materials are calcium carbonate based and can be
susceptible to acid etching from citreous fruit, wine and
household cleaners. Though some prefer the natural patina
that develops on the surface of these stones with age and use.
What can you do with all those the old worksurfaces once
you decide to replace them in 10 or 20 years’ time? Will
an indestructible pile of inorganic resin bonded material
pile-up somewhere, like the fridge mountains of earlier
this century? What is contained in the resin that binds the
man-made quartz together? Certainly Lapitec and all natural
stones can be crushed and returned to the earth, naturally.
More questions than answers? Ultimately, the beauty is in
the eye of the beholder. Perhaps, like imitations gone before,
natural stone will shrug off the competition in time. After all,
its been around for millions of years and will probably be
around for a few more. Will its rivals?
WHAT’S YOUR CHOICE?
Robert Merry is a Director of the Stone Consultants. A
member of the Stone federation of Great Britain, Chartered
Institute of Building and the British Standards Institute. The
Stone Consultants offer specialist advice and guidance on all
aspects of using stone, both natural and “unnatural”, as well
as expert witness services.
Contact: [email protected] or visit
www.stoneconsultants.co.uk
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