Choosing Stone
CHOOSING NATURAL OR ENGINEERED STONE
Qualities of natural stone
Natural Stone slabs are cut from quarried blocks and gang sawn into large format solid slabs in many various sizes. The average size range of natural stone slabs varies from 2200 x 1200mm to 3300 x 1950mm. This can vary depending on the type of stone been quarried. Standard slab thicknesses are 20mm and 30mm (+/-2mm).
Qualities of engineered stone
Quartz / Engineered stone are actually man-made. It contains approximately 93% crushed natural stone e.g. Quartz crystals, and combined with resin to bind it all together along with added pigments to make the desired colour. It is then pressed into a mould under very high pressure, cured and then polished making a solid, dense slab of stone that is very uniform in colour and pattern. As well as dark shades, Engineered stones offer a range of plain, finely grained whites and creams that are not available in granite.
TrendStone™ Quartz slabs are available in both 20 & 30mm thickness, slab sizes of 3200 x 1600mm. Offering the largest slab dimensions available on the market offering better yield per slab meaning less wastage and cost savings for the end user.
Selecting stone
Selecting natural or engineered stone is like selecting an artwork. Slabs of natural stone are made up of an ever-changing array of colours and patterns that a small sample or image can never capture in full. This is why we recommend that you visit our showroom and warehouse where you can peruse over 130 varieties of Natural Stone and TrendStone™ Quartz as full-size stone slabs.
Be guided by experts
Our friendly and informative staff will guide you through our range of stone products giving you guidance and advice on the characteristics of the various stones and what will suit your design requirements. It is also helpful to bring with you samples of other products that you may be using in your project, i.e. paint colours, tiles, timber etc. This will assist in making sure you make the best choice.
The process
Our staff will provide you with a completed customer enquiry form, which will have all the necessary information about your selections. Based on this information your chosen Stone Fabricator, Kitchen/Cabinetmaker or Builder will provide you with a finished and installed quotation which will include the cost of the stone slabs required for your project.
Once you have accepted the quotation, your provider will normally ask for a deposit as confirmation of order. Once the cabinets are in place the stone fabricator contracted to do your project will first conduct a site visit to collect the templates provided by your cabinetmaker and/or conduct a site measure/check if necessary.
The most suitable slabs of stone from the batch/block you have selected is then collected by the stone fabricator from our warehouse and transported to their factory for processing. The stone fabricator uses precise machinery at their factory to cut the slabs to the requested dimensions, along with all the edge work and required cut outs so that your counter tops are ready for installation.
If you have any questions in regard to the above process or you would like more information about our products then please do not hesitate to contact us.