Hi Again Everyone,

Is Silestone a good durable surface for a kitchen thats gets alot of wear
and tear on its countertops?

What are Silestones pros and cons? Does it scratch easy? Does it stain
easy?

Is it worth the money?

Thanks,

Jeff

I looked counters and went with granite. Silestone is man made, not
much cheaper not as nice looking and not as durable. Granite looks alive
compared to man made products.

"jeff mattison" wrote in
:

Is Silestone a good durable surface for a kitchen thats gets alot of wear
and tear on its countertops?

This month's consumer reports covers countertop materials -- they liked
Silestone (and equivalents) the most.

What are Silestones pros and cons? Does it scratch easy? Does it stain
easy?

Pros:
Doesn't need to be sealed (like granite)
Impervious to heat (unlike Corian or laminate)
Cons:
Will chip if hit hard enough

To date, I have had counters made from Corian (love the integrated sink,
melts under heat), Formica (cheap looking, knife will leave scratches),
granite (sealer required, and stains are "forever"). My next counter will
be Silestone; maybe it will live up to its promises.

"jeff mattison" wrote in message
...
Hi Again Everyone,

Is Silestone a good durable surface for a kitchen thats gets alot of wear
and tear on its countertops?

What are Silestones pros and cons? Does it scratch easy? Does it stain
easy?

Is it worth the money?

Thanks,

Jeff


Silestone is of course, a brand name for quartz. Like Levi's is to jeans.
I darn near went with quartz for my about-to-begin kitchen remodel. Quartz
has several advantages over granite, but in the end, I preferred the look of
granite. It's going to require a little more maintenance than quartz but I
was willing to go with it because of the look. I am spending so much money
on my kitchen that I wanted the look I wanted and was willing to put in a
little more effort down the road to get it. If I could find quartz in the
look I was after, I would have gone with it over granite. In the end, it
might be a personal thing for buyers interested in one or the other. I
suggest doing a search on the net for quartz vs. granite to read up on the
two. Quartz is very durable and will hold up, but like any stone surface,
if you drop something heavy on it at the right angle, it could chip and
repair won't be pretty. Still, personally, I'll take that over Corian and
those types of surfaces anyday. I think I would put something hot on the
counter (melting Corian) before I would drop something heavy. For others,
Corian type surfaces are the way to go. They like the look and are
disciplined enough not to put a hot pan on it.

Research up a storm and then make the decision based on your peferences and
lifestyle. The right choice is the one you like best and that fits your
needs and desires.

Granite stain ? depends on the color, I have a medium color, unsealed I
couldnt stain test pieces, I tried, coffee , grape , orange , tomatoe
juice, nothing stained it. Drop a heavy enough pot on anything it
will dent or break. but granite is rock.

Sixeye wrote:
Silestone is of course, a brand name for quartz.

It is not a brand name for quartz. You make it sound like it is a solid (as
you get when you have granite tops) stone surface. In fact, like several
other companies that offer 'quartz' countertops, it is a blend of quartz
chips and what amounts to some very tough plastic.

Below is one comment I found after searching:

"Silestone by Cosentino is an engineered quartz surface that looks and feels
like natural granite or marble. The manufacturer claims the surface,
composed of 93 percent quartz aggregates mixed with binders, is stronger and
more durable than natural stone.

Silestone is manufactured by a computerized process which mixes binders and
pigments with natural quartz particles, vibrates them, compacts them and
then heat processes them to produce a dense, hard non porous material with
the luster and depth of natural stone."

"jeff mattison" wrote in message
...
Hi Again Everyone,

Is Silestone a good durable surface for a kitchen thats gets alot of wear
and tear on its countertops?

What are Silestones pros and cons? Does it scratch easy? Does it stain
easy?

Is it worth the money?

Thanks,

Jeff

We are on our second year of Silestone countertops and building a new house,
which also will have silestone...Silestone is very hard, does not burn or
stain, has the solid feel of granite without the maintainance..Now, it also
depends on the look your after..It does not look like granite really, as
granite being a natural substance will have natural grain to it..Granite too
will chip if you drop something heavy on it and it's not easy to repair if
that happens..With Silestone they make resin that matches the color you have
and they can fix it..They have come out with some really neat colors..It
really looks great if you have the edges double thick and bevelled..The
product less than 1" thick..We had a double bullnose edge put on our which
makes it look really substantial..We also had a stainless undermount sink
put in..Very nice...So comparitivly speaking between granite and silestone
it really depends on the look you want, and if you don't mind the upkeep on
the granite which I hear is not really that big of a deal...
Hope this helps!
John