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Reliability and functionality are very important for furniture in the kitchen and in the bathroom. And you also need ease of cleaning – cleanliness must be monitored. Many of these criteria are met by an artificial stone countertop. But you need to choose the right material so that it does not turn out that an expensive thing did not live up to expectations.
Types of artificial stone
Recently, there has been a clearer trend towards the use of more natural materials in the decoration. The same countertop in the kitchen or bathroom. Let MDF be a good option, but I want something more reliable and solid. The best choice is natural stone. But this option is too expensive. A countertop made of artificial stone is more budgetary, although it is very difficult to call it natural. Only one of the species, and then with a stretch.
When getting acquainted with the topic, it turns out that an artificial stone can be different. Moreover, they are radically different – from different materials with different properties. Or they use different technologies, for example, injection molding. So seamless countertops of any shape are made. Or they stick sheet material on the base, but here you can’t do without seams.
But do not rush to conclusions. It seems that a countertop without seams is better. Maybe. But with injection technology, plastic is used, and it is prone to scratches. So well-finished seams are better. With a high quality of work, they do not affect the complexity of cleaning, but are noticeable only at close range. In general, we understand the technologies for the production of countertops made of artificial stone.
Acrylic countertops
Seamless countertops are made of acrylic stone. This is a plastic that is sold in liquid form. Natural stones or sand can be mixed into the composition, but the bulk is, after all, plastic with all its advantages and disadvantages. Such material can be called liquid stone, liquid marble, etc. The essence does not change. Unless under this name the agglomerate is hidden. But here it is necessary to specify the percentage of the mineral component. If it is less than 90%, and acrylic is used as a binder, then, whatever one may say, this is an acrylic countertop, not a stone one.
Advantages – a variety of colors, composition options, low price (this is if without crazy markups). Disadvantages – the surface is scratched, afraid of hot. After scratches appear, they can be polished, but this is not a cheap service. The view after restoration will be restored for a while. But for a while – this is before the appearance of new scratches.
The manufacturing technology of acrylic stone countertops is simple. Formwork is made according to the given size and shape. Acrylic is poured into it, waiting for time until the final hardening. The formwork is removed. Further, in theory, it is necessary to wait until the hardening processes are finally over. It’s about two weeks. During this time, all volatile components will evaporate from the plastic, it will gain maximum strength. But firms that produce cast countertops most often skip the curing stage. This is both time and costs – storage of finished products in warehouses, when you can already get the money.
This option is the most inexpensive, attractive in appearance, but also the most unreliable. A month later, scratches appear, which greatly spoil the appearance and mood of the owners.
Agglomerate
This is a stone crumb and a little binder (4-6%). Most of the stone chips (ideally 96%) are durable quartz or granite. Polyester is used as a binder. Various natural and not so stones / substances can be added to the composition “for color and variety”. It can be marble chips, colored glass, sparkles, etc.
Quartz or granite agglomerate is much stronger. In fact, it is a stone with a small addition of plastic. It is resistant to mechanical stress. You can scratch it, but it will take a lot of effort. If scratches still appear, they can be polished. This process is long and tedious. But the countertop looks great for a long time.
Acrylic sellers say that quartz and granite “glow”. This is true. Many natural stones – the same marble, quartz, granite – have a certain natural radiation background. But the main thing here is natural. It is not harmful and cannot affect health in such doses. The second “minus” attributed to natural stones is their fragility. Well, yes. They shatter if hit very hard. But the action must be applied pointwise and of such force that it is simply impossible to create it in the kitchen. In general, if possible, it is better to choose an agglomerate for the countertop.
Sheet artificial stone
This technology is used if a worktop of considerable thickness is needed. The same agglomerate of great thickness is very difficult and expensive. There is no point in using an array. A solid agglomerate is made with a thickness of no more than 2-3 cm. If you need a thicker slab on kitchen cabinets, it is cheaper to veneer the base.
On the base – moisture-resistant MDF, chipboard or plywood (plywood is the best option) – a layer of “stone” is glued. Glue the plane and ends. Use a special heavy-duty and fast-hardening adhesive. The glue is tinted to match the coated. After hardening, the seams, joints, differences are polished. When done well, these countertops are very durable and practical.
Sheet “stone” exists different. It can be one of the types of acrylic or agglomerate. Everything is clear with the agglomerate. It is really strong and reliable. It’s just that in this case, more expensive varieties are more often used, for example, with marble. Sheet acrylic is a cheaper option. Despite the fact that it is plastic, in terms of performance it is better than the molded counterpart.
Builds to say that the agglomerate can be “not very”. If crumbling aggregate is used in it, if the binder is of insufficient quality, there will be scratches, stains, and chips. If you decide to order from a company, it is better to find those who already use their products. And ask about guarantees. But keep in mind that in our realities, often one legal entity is closed, another is opened. And that’s it. All guarantees from the legal entity burned down. More reliable in this regard are guarantees from a private trader.
Which technology is easier to learn on your own
If we talk about self-production, then the easiest way is to make a countertop from cast acrylic. True, if you use ready-made mixtures, the price will be almost the same as when ordering from a company. The next most difficult process for making countertops is from agglomerate. Since there is little binder, it is not so easy to achieve a smooth front surface. If you are not afraid of long grinding to get a normal result, you can try to master this technology as well. Agglomerate-based artificial stone countertop is the best choice in terms of durability and appearance.
The latest “lightness” technology for manufacturing countertops is from sheet stone. Lots of precision cutting, gluing and sanding. Professional tools are needed – a circular saw with guides, a jigsaw, a disc grinder with a set of polishing discs. You also need a lot of clamps to attract and fix the glued fragments.
Do-it-yourself molded acrylic table top
It seems to many that a one-piece tabletop without seams is the best possible option. Easier to maintain, no leaks. This is true, but the material itself (acrylic) is not always good in operation. Acrylic itself is a great material. For a bathroom, a countertop made of artificial stone is a good choice. There are very few opportunities to scratch the surface, there are no high temperatures. And moisture, steam, soap and other detergents are not terrible for plastic. If you decide to master the technology of casting an acrylic countertop, you can try to make it for the bathroom.
Prepare
To fill acrylic, make a mold. For its manufacture, laminated chipboard or MDF is used. If the surface of the worktop must be smooth, the formwork material must also be smooth. If you need an invoice, it must be on the form. After being removed from the mold, the acrylic stone will repeat all the notches and bumps. Therefore, we treat the selection of material for the form scrupulously.
The sides are made from the same material. The edges of the slats are ground first with a coarser cloth, then with an increasingly thin emery disc. Increasingly decreasing grit size is used. Remember that all defects will then be cast in acrylic. And they are very noticeable if the stone is chosen to be monochromatic, without inclusions. The seams are sealed and aligned. The design is thoroughly cleaned, dried, then covered with wax from the inside.
Manufacturing of countertops
Fillers are added to acrylic – stone or marble chips, pigment, decorative components. Everything is mixed up. Lastly, the hardener is poured. Acrylic is poured in several layers, so the hardener is added only to part of the composition.
Acrylic composition is poured into the finished formwork. Distribute it evenly over all areas. It should spread over all elements of the form. In this case, the appearance of bubbles should not be allowed – the air must be removed. After the composition has been distributed, a chipboard sheet is laid on top, which is also smeared with wax. A load is placed on the chipboard. It must be carefully selected so that the composition does not squeeze out on the sides. The load is left for half an hour. Then they remove it, raise the chipboard. The second portion of plastic is poured into the mold and left for a day. During this time, the acrylic will harden. You can remove the formwork.
Frame mounting and polishing
After the plastic slab has been removed from the formwork, it is attached to the frame. Acrylic is an elastic material. Even with a thickness of 20-30 mm, it bends. To ensure the stability of the form and collect the frame. It is made of wood (beam 50 mm thick or more) or moisture-resistant plywood (27 mm thick). The frame is the slats along the front and rear pillars, transverse jumpers installed in increments of 40-50 cm. The slats are also placed in places of support on the furniture frame. More reinforcements are needed in places of greatest load. This is where the hob or sink will be installed.
The frame is made with an acrylic thickness of more than 10 mm. A thinner layer requires a solid base. That is, from the same plywood, you need to cut out a repetition of your countertop and glue these two sheets together. The plywood thickness is 27mm or so. You can glue two thinner sheets. It turns out cheaper. For normal gluing, the sheets are fixed with clamps.
The final finish is sanding. First, discs with fine grain – from 320 and above, in the final – a polishing nozzle. This stage is important for appearance. You can remove most of the errors. But it can also hurt.
From sheet stone
It would seem that from sheet plastic or, as it is called, artificial stone, doing something is not a problem. So it is. Details of the desired shape and size are cut from the sheet, they are glued together. The seams are polished, removing at the same time possible differences in height.
The assembled structure is either glued onto a solid base (with a stone thickness of up to 10 mm), or a frame is made of wood or plywood. Everything seems to be easy. Except that:
- A sheet of material weighs a lot, turning it around is still a pleasure.
- The cuts must be perfect, the fit of the parts too. This requires professional equipment and the ability to handle it.
- The joints are glued and fixed with clamps. They are placed approximately every 20-30 cm. Even for gradual, unhurried work, the number of clamps is about ten.
- You need a good grinder to sand the joints. You can get by with grinding discs on the grinder. But the tool must be with the ability to adjust the speed.
And so yes. You can make a tabletop from sheet artificial stone with your own hands. To get an idea of how and what it is about, watch the video. There are practically no explanations, but the technology of work can be traced. But for a better connection of parts (when gluing the edges), it is better to choose a quarter in the main sheet. So the seam will not be so noticeable, and the connection is more reliable.