Dekton is one of the many new manufactured stone lines that Italian Marble & Granite is proud to carry. Dekton is made by the same company that makes Silestone, Cosentino. Dekton requires special certifications to work with the materials. Italian Marble & Granite has been trained and certified to work with Dekton.
Dekton is made up of a complicated blend of glass, porcelain, and raw materials. These materials go though a high tech process that mimics the metamorphic change that natural stone undergoes over thousands of years. The result is a durable product that can be used in a multitude of applications.
Dekton Trillium vanity
There are a number of advantages to using Dekton:
UV resistant – this makes Dekton ideal for indoor and outdoor use
Scratch resistant
Resistant to stains, including household chemicals such as bleach and drain cleaner
Resistant to heat and fire – Dekton can be used for outdoor fireplaces and hot pans can be placed directly on the surface
Resistant to ice and thawing – perfect for our cold Western New York winters
Comes in multiple sizes, even tiles
There are some disadvantages to working with Dekton. The material can be harder to work with for the fabricator. It also can be difficult to repair. The material itself most often come in 2 cm thickness. For a thicker look, the material would need to be built up, adding additional cost in both labor and materials. Cosentino has just started producing slabs of Dekton that are 3 cm thick, but there is a very limited selection available at this time. Dekton slabs are also not “full bodied.” What that mean is that the design on the slab is only on the surface. For example, a slab with veining on it that replicates the look of marble will only have that veining on the surface. The sides of the slab will just appear white.
Kitchen with waterfall panels featuring Dekton. Spectra was used for the island and Halo was used on the perimeter.
Close up of Halo Dekton.
Though there are a few drawbacks to working with Dekton, we think that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. We have enjoyed working with this material so far, and are looking forward to many more projects that feature Dekton.
Everyone is loving quartz right now, with colors that resemble natural stone particularly on trend. But when it comes to replicating a marble look, quartz cannot compare to porcelain slabs. Porcelain slabs have been breaking into the market the last couple of years and the resemblance to marble is remarkable.
Porcelain slabs have a number of distinct characteristics:
UV resistant
Heat Resistant
Scratch Resistant
Chemical resistant
12mm thick (approximately 1/2″)
Some brands are full bodied – which means the color is not just on the surface, but in the edges as well
Since porcelain is 12mm thick it is ideal for vertical applications. Porcelain is great for use on a fireplace, shower, or full height backsplash. Porelain can be used for kitchen counter tops, though it is only 12mm thick. In order to replicate the look of a thicker counter top, a mitered edge can be applied to the procelain.
One of the great porcelain brands that we carry is Sapienstone. Check out their website to see some of the amazing colors that they carry! https://www.sapienstone.com/
In light of the current uncertainty in the market regarding the price and availability of quartz, we decided we should reach out with a statement that shares our thoughts and feelings with you.
As many of you already know, there are tariffs set to take effect that will greatly increase the cost of any quartz imported from China. Cambria has argued that the import of Chinese quartz has been unfair for American businesses. Cambria’s president says that he is merely seeking to level the playing field for his company. We feel that rather than leveling the playing field, this will deal a huge blow to the industry as a whole.
In the past, we reached out to Cambria’s headquarters and expressed an interest in fabricating their product. We were told that they already worked with someone else in our area and they weren’t interested in working with us. Luckily we are able to carry a variety of other quartz lines because it seems Cambria isn’t interested in us or our clients. We do our best to accommodate all of our clients, but we fear we will not be able to do so if quartz prices continue to increase.
We are not talking about a small increase in prices. In case you have not already heard, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced on Wednesday the preliminary antidumping (AD) determination on quartz surface products from China. The AD preliminary duty rates are very high, ranging from 242%‑ 342% depending on the supplier. The AD duty will be imposed on quartz surface products from China in addition to (1) the 34.4% countervailing duty (CVD) rate (or higher for certain exporters), and (2) the 10% Section 301 tariff (scheduled to increase to 25% at the end of 2018)—both of these taxes were imposed back in September.
We feel that we have finally reached a point where quartz products have become affordable for the average consumer. With these duty rates, quartz will once again be out of reach for many of our clients. A lot of the quartz that replicates marbles are going to be effected, which is unfortunate because this is the look many of our clients are looking for. Unfortunately many of the other lines do not carry quality marble imitations including Cambria. We strongly feel that Cambria’s insistence on these outrageous tariffs will be harmful not only for us but for our customers. This may be good for Cambria’s bottom line, but the industry as a whole is going to suffer. We do not want to see our clients and our fellow businesses harmed by increasing prices.
The following quartz lines that we carry will be effected: Q-Stone, Daltile, Corian Quartz, Aurea Stone, Zeal, Colorquartz.
The following quartz lines will NOT be effected: Caesarstone, Silestone,
To hear more about it check out this interview with MS International.
The holiday season really can be “the most wonderful time of the year,” with family and friends getting together to celebrate. However, with the holidays quickly approaching, it is easy to forget about the care and maintenance required for your countertops.
Here are five tips to protect your countertops, whether you have granite, marble or quartz, during the holidays:
1. Use Coasters. Adding a second layer of protection between liquids and your countertops is always a great way to ensure your countertops stay intact not only during the holiday season, but over the years as well. (Coasters can also be helpful in remembering whose drink is whose.)
2. Wipe Up Spills. When having family and friends over during the holiday season, spills are just about inevitable. When there is a spill, it’s important to wipe it up as soon as you can to make sure the liquid doesn’t penetrate the stone. Wiping spills up quickly is the best way to avoid staining, which can happen with any surface.
3. Use Trivets or Hot Pads. It is extremely important to be mindful of heat when placing pots and pans on your countertops. Although natural stones like granite and marble can absorb heat, we still recommend using trivets to create another level of protection. For those with quartz countertops, using a trivet is crucial to keeping your countertops intact because the heat from pots and pans can burn the surface.
4. Use a Cutting Board. This is another simple tip that can make a huge difference when followed during the holidays and beyond. Cutting boards protect your countertops by preventing scratches from your knives when preparing food for the holidays. Also, using a cutting board not only helps preserve your countertops, but also helps preserve your knives too.
5. Use Stone Cleaner. When all the gifts have been unwrapped and the celebrations are winding down, it is important to use a granite/stone cleaner to make sure you’re giving your countertops a deep clean. This is a great way to ensure that residue and liquids do not stay on your countertops. The cleaners that we recommend can be found at Miracle Sealant Company’s wesbite ( https://miraclesealants.com/ ).
We hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season with their friends and family!
When beginning the process of picking a stone for your home or business, it is important to factor in the different characteristics of the natural stones. Some natural stones are softer than others, which makes the stones more susceptible to etch. The process of etching takes place when there is a reaction between an acidic substance and the calcite and dolomite in a natural stone. There tends to be more calcite and dolomite in marble’s and quartzite’s, which makes those stones more susceptible to etching.
The pictures below show the testing we conducted using lemon juice, which is a commonly used acidic substance. The four samples shown here from left to right are Super White marble, White Carrera marble, Burlesque quartzite, and Taj Mahal quartzite. We sealed the left half with Miracle Sealants Company’s 511 Porous Plus sealer, and kept the right half unsealed.
After we sealed the left half of the samples, we placed a few drops of lemon juice on both sides. The following pictures show the results of leaving the lemon juice sit on the stone for 45 minutes. As you can see, there are etch marks on both sides of the samples. This shows that etching can occur even when the stone is sealed.
In the second picture below are the Super White marble and White Carrera marble with the etch marks on both the sealed and unsealed sides. Both of these stones are marble, which tends to be softer than granite’s and most quartzite’s.
In the third picture below are the Burlesque quartzite and the Taj Mahal quartzite. In the Burlesque, the etch marks can be clearly seen on both the sealed and unsealed sides of the sample. However, the Taj Mahal quartzite that does not have any etch marks. It is likely that the Taj Mahal is made up of different minerals than the Burlesque, which makes the stone harder than the others.
