Cosentino, manufacturer of the popular quartz benchtop Silestone, has wowed the design world once again with its latest innovation, Dekton – a sophisticated mixture of the raw materials used to make glass, porcelain tiles and quartz surfaces. Read on to learn more about this amazing material.
What is Dekton & where can it be used?
Dekton is a unique product that can be used for anything from indoor/outdoor kitchen worktops, bathroom vanities, interior/exterior cladding, flooring, etc. It is created using a mixture of the raw materials used in glassmaking, porcelain tiles and quartz surfaces, making it as close to indestructible as a benchtop can get!
What are the benefits of Dekton?
The key advantage of Dekton is it’s extraordinary durability and temperature resistance. The surface is highly UV resistant, scratch resistant, stain resistant (with almost 0% porosity), and has a maximum resistance to fire and heat (meaning that yes, you can place those blazing hot pots directly onto the surface without it marking, warping or burning).
On that note, Dekton can also be used directly behind a gas cooktop; the material does meet Australian Standards in terms of clearances between gas cooktop flames and combustible surfaces, as mentioned on the company’s website.
These traits allow Dekton to be used just about anywhere, in whatever temperature; even as a benchtop for an outdoor bbq!
Aside from Dekton’s already impressive qualities, the product has been rigorously tested, as seen in the short clip below.
A product such as this is a fantastic investment; as you can see, it is most definitely one of the most durable and hard wearing surfaces available on the market today!
There have been cases of chips occurring on the finished edges of the product, such as on benchtop ends and also on the edges around an undermount sink. As these edges are exposed to knocks, they are more susceptible to chipping and you will this with any porcelain or even stone benchtop. We do recommend that a minimum Dekton slab thickness of 20mm is used for any horizontal application and that mitering the product be avoided.
What slab sizes and thicknesses are available in Dekton?
Dekton slabs are available in 1440 x 3200mm sizes with 3 thicknesses to choose from: 8, 12 and 20mm. For vertical applications (eg: bathroom walls, wall cladding), we would recommend the thinner 8 and 12mm slabs. For horizontal (eg: benchtop) applications, we would recommend the 20mm thickness.
How does Dekton compare in terms of pricing?
You will find most of Dekton’s colours are equivalent in price to mid to high range engineered stone. We recommend sticking to the available slab thicknesses rather than mitering your Dekton benchtop as this process will add a significant amount to the cost of installation and will also weaken the edges.
For further information on Dekton, click here to visit their website.