FAQ
About Silestone®
1. What is Silestone®?
Silestone® is the registered trademark of
a quartz surface manufactured by Cosentino®
in Spain. It is the leading natural quartz
agglomerate in the market and one of the
pioneering brands.
3. What is the composition of Silestone®?
What percentage of resin and quartz does
it contain?
Silestone® is composed of natural quartz
(crystalline/amorphous silica), high density
polyester resin and pigments. The percentage
of natural quartz is up to 94% and vary per
colour. Some colours contain recycled content
(ECO, HybriQ+ & Stellar Series). The remaining
% are polyester resins, which function as
binders and pigments to give the desired
colour. The percentage of natural quartz
marks the colour granulometry. The larger
the quartz grains are, the less resin you need
in the colour. (Important: these variations
in composition have no impact on the
properties of the product).
4. What differentiates a quartz
agglomerate from an acrylic resin?
They use either a mineral component (ATH,
derived from bauxite), and a different resin
(acrylic resin and not polyester or polyurethane).
It is important to know that the percentage
of resin containing products like Solid Surface
is around 35% being much higher than
Silestone®. An advantage of these type of
products is that they are thermoformable,
flexible and have a ''seamless'' appearance.
However, its resistance to scratching and
heat performs lower than a Silestone quartz
countertop. Solid surfaces can be repaired,
but it is expensive to do so and the result is
never the same.
There are many advantages which include:
demanding quality standards at the
production level, lifetime warranty, an
excellent distribution network accross
Canada, low level of back order colours, the
urban showrooms “City center,” and many
more.
In terms of specific product advantages,
the magnificent properties of our Suede
mae finish (very problematic for other
producers), extensive colour palee, and
jumbo extra-large format and thicknesses
(1/2", 3/4" and 1-1/4") would be some
examples.
5. What makes Silestone® different from
other quartz agglomerates?
At the corporate level, Silestone® is the
world’s leading manufacturer of quartz
agglomerates with more than 30 years of
experience behind them.
2. Where can Silestone® be used?
Due to the dierent thicknesses available
and its large format, Silestone® can be used
for the following projects: Kitchen and bath
countertops, backsplash and full height
backsplash, shower walls, bath podium and
custom sink, shower base, wall cladding, fire
mantle, stairs, furniture covering, table
plateau & custom furniture.
Contact your local store to confirm feasibility
once you get special requests as some
options may not be available in your area.
6. What are the advantages of
Silestone® against marble and / or
granite?
Certain exotic natural stones and marbles
can be more sensitive to scung / scratches
than the quartz compound. Another dierence
is the greater flexibility of the quartz compound,
which allows it to be beer suited to the
movements of the structure in large spaces.
It has greater resistance to punctual impact
without cracking and chipping. Silestone®
has a lower porosity (absorption of liquids)
so it is easier to clean, prevents stains and
is not aected by moisture (untreated natural
stone can change colour or stain from salt
residues). The marble, in particular, also
presents less resistance than granite and
Silestone® to abrasion, acids and chemical
agents. It is also important to emphasize the
consistency of Silestone® colours versus
variability of the appearance of the natural
stone, even though a certain variation in tone
and granulometry can be found in Silestone®
due to the fact that quartz is a natural product.
There is also the standardization of quality
in Silestone®. These two points help to assure
the client that what he or she is going to
install in his or her house in both properties
and aesthetics.
7. When was Silestone® created?
In 1990. It was recently celebrated its 30th
anniversary (in 2020) and launched at Home
Depot in 2000.
8. How is Silestone® made?
(fabrication process)
for 24 hours naturally. Then the slab passes
a calibration process to obtain the desired
thickness (which guarantees a constant
edge profile thickness and leveling) and
eliminates excess of material and impurities
with discs and diamond cuers. The last step
is polishing (abrasive) to obtain the polished
/ glossy finish and behind it, the slab passes
a final exhaustive quality control.
9. What makes one colour more
expensive than another? - Reasons for
various price groups.
The production cost. The ability to obtain the
desired colour or the cost of the necessary raw
materials. A good indicator is, again,
granulometry. The more discreet the grain
(more uniform and smooth), the more resin
content it contains and, therefore, the more
expensive its production. Example: White Zeus
VS White North.
10. What are the dierent price groups?
Depending on where you are located, there
are either 6 or 7 price groups available, from
AA to F. The group A/AA colours being the
entry level point.
11. How large is a slab of Silestone®?
There are two slab dimensions: standard and
jumbo. The standard format is about 53 x 119
inches and the jumbo is about 62 x 126 inches.
12. Are there both sizes in all colours?
No. The jumbo format is produced on a special
line and, therefore, not available for all colours.
The selection of colours is strategic. Ask your
Home Depot for more information.
13. And the thickness?
All Silestone® colours are available in 1/2'',
3/4'' and 1-1/4'' thicknesses. That being said,
the Home Depot program with set price for
each group is based on a 3/4'' thick oering
for the West and 1-1/4'' for the East side of the
country, exception made for the Group AA
which oers a limited number of 3/4'' thick
colours. Ask your designer for additionnal
information and availability.
14. Are the three thicknesses equally
strong and flexible?
No. The thicker the material the more resistant
to flexion and impacts. The difference between
the thicknesses of 3/4 and 1-1/4 is minimal.
15. How many colours are available?
Over 50 colours and finishes are available in
your core program. They represent the best
sellers actually available in Canada. Additional
colours are available. Contact your local store
for more information and availability.
Upon receiving the raw materials from our
suppliers a 1st quality control is performed
by the laboratory. Once approval is obtained
the arid crystalline/amorphous silica is
stored in silos. The resin and the pigments
pass to other special deposits. All these
materials are transported to the mixers
where they are homogenized according to
the formula introduced /desired colour,
obtaining the mass. The mass passes a
control of weights to assure good distribution.
Then there is a system of aspiration of
vacuum and simultaneous vibration which
extracts all the air to obtain the compaction
sought. From there it is pressed in a hydraulic
press of 100 tons. Then it is baked and cooled