Caesarstone – What it is and How it’s Made
Whether you’re building a new home or you’re thinking about a kitchen renovation, choosing the right benchtops is extremely important. When it comes to stone benchtops in Melbourne, there’s a huge range to choose from.
Natural stone materials include marble, granite, travertine and bluestone.There’s also a large range of engineered stone options including Caesarstone benchtops, RHF Quartz Stone, Quantum Quartz, YDL Stone and Essa Stone.
While all types of natural and engineered stone are tough, durable and look great, each one will have slightly different properties and will vary in price. Before making your choice, you should make sure you understand what each material is, what its properties are and how much maintenance it requires, and which material is best suited to your specific requirements.
To help you make the most informed choice, we’re going to talk about Caesarstone, what it is and how it’s made.
What is Caesarstone?
Caesarstone is an engineered stone product manufactured by Caesarstone Ltd. Founded near the ancient Roman city of Caesarea (now in Israel), the company has been manufacturing quartz surfaces since 1987 and distributes products across more than 50 countries worldwide.
Caesarstone is an engineered stone product. It’s made from about 90% natural quartz aggregates, organic pigments and enhanced polymer resins. Since it’s made from predominantly natural quartz, each slab features natural variations in colour and aggregate, which means it retains its natural stone patterning.
The end product is a non-porous engineered quartz surface that provides an affordable and low-maintenance alternative to natural stone. Unlike most natural stone products, it doesn’t require regular sealing and is less prone to staining, cracking and chipping that materials like granite or marble.
Caesarstone products include Caesarstone benchtops, vanity tops, flooring, wall cladding and other interior design products.
How is Caesarstone Made?
Caesarstone is made using a state-of-the-art manufacturing process and a series of rigorous quality control checks. Here’s how it’s done:
Raw material inspection
Once the materials are procured, they are thoroughly inspected to ensure quality and minimal impurities.
Feeding and mixing
The raw materials are then fed into mixers and blended together.
Moulding and pressing
The blended mixture is then poured into a mould and formed into slabs. These slabs are compacted using a vacuum and vibration process at a pressure of 100 tonnes. This process removes any inconsistencies or air pockets in the slabs and ensures ultimate strength and solidity.
Curing
The pressed slabs are moved to a kiln where they’re heated to 90°C for 45 minutes.
Polishing
Once cured, the slabs are gauged, calibrated and polished according to the desired finish, colour and design.
Quality control
Each slab goes through a rigorous inspection process to ensure a quality product.
Labelling
Finally, each slab is labelled with all relevant manufacturing information.
Caesarstone Benchtops – The Final Product
If you’re looking for stone benchtops in Melbourne, there are plenty of options to choose from. Your choice will largely depend on your aesthetic requirements and design concept, practical specifications (like maintenance, durability, heat resistance etc.) and budget.
Caesarstone benchtops are available in a wide range of colours and finishes. Because of the manufacturing process, they retain the look of natural stone while requiring very little maintenance. Since quartz is one of the hardest naturally occurring stones in the world, the finished product is highly durable and long-lasting, and resistant to heat, water, stains, chips and cracks.