Kitchen tables made of artificial stone have become quite justified. After all, this material is characterized by incredible decorative features, excellent performance properties and functionality.
Pros and cons of
The main advantages enjoyed by tables with stone worktops are:
- Beautiful appearance, choice from a variety of colors and structures - from white to black, interspersed or monochromatic, with patterns, with polished or matte surface. Artificial stone can be used to make worktops of almost any shape, especially if we are talking about its acrylic variety, which is easy to process.
- Even if the price of the product seems overpriced, it should be remembered about the very long operation of such products.
- Smooth and uniform countertops are very easy to clean - no water, no grease, no dirt penetrates them. Therefore, on such tables does not settle the mold and microorganisms.
- Stability of shape, even with sudden temperature changes.
- Possibility of local repair and grinding.
- Mechanical stability, scratch resistance.
- Increased flexural and compressive strength.
Certain disadvantages include a lot of weight( but it is lighter in relation to natural stone), inconvenient mounting of overall structures, and fear of high temperatures( tables made of acrylic polymer).
Staron, Corian, Silestone. .. What is the difference?
The artificial stone from which tabletops are made differs in:
- type of composite material;
- proportions of bonding resins and fillers;
- for the type of stone chips used;
- type of filler used( this function can perform quartz sand or limestone, marble or granite chips).
However, Corian, Staron and other types of artificial stone differ from each other not so much by their composition as by their origin - manufacturers patent their products and give it a name.
The main types of stone for making worktops
Tables made of artificial stone can be made of acrylic polymer or quartz agglomerate.
Acrylic successfully replaces the traditional laminated chipboard, as well as wood, while remaining a budget and practical solution. It easily takes any form - even the overall design, produced by technology, will remain seamless.
For acrylic stone, characteristic high wear resistance, and surface defects can be removed by polishing. To care for these tables do not require special chemicals. Their only drawback - susceptibility to high temperatures, so that under the hot frying pans will need to provide special coasters. On the photo is a table made of artificial stone in the interior( the work of designer Olga Valle).
Quartz agglomerate is widely used for kitchen countertops due to its strength and durability. In addition, it comes in a wide range of colors - much more variable than natural stone. There are also solutions with a matte or glossy surface. Such countertops do not absorb liquid at all, since there are no micropores here. In addition, they are immune to cuts, ultraviolet light and chemicals. Temperature extremes or humidity cannot harm this design. The material also refers to environmentally friendly and does not absorb water or odors at all. On the photo is a table made of quartz agglomerate in the interior of the kitchen, created by designers Feinstein Inna and Kalaeva Lena.
How to choose the right shape, size and color of the table
When choosing a stone table, you must take into account many nuances, including the configuration of the working area, and the overall dimensions of the room, and the number of family members who will use the table top every day, as well as matching the room design.
The basic guidelines for selection are:
- The most universal is considered to be a square or rectangle shape. Such a table can be put in the center of the room or moved to the wall.
Round and oval models are very beautiful, have no sharp corners and, as is known, have to communicate, but are more like for large kitchens, because they do not move to the wall.
For a small kitchen, a wall table in the shape of a semicircle or semi-perfect is perfect as in the photo below( project author Elena Tsybyrnak).
- Choosing a dark table, you should be prepared for the fact that on such a surface minor scratches are more noticeable. The least noticeable operational damage to the table tops with granular or patterned patches, with a pronounced texture.
- Additional details of the decor - for example, figure processing of the sides, will increase the cost of the product. Of great importance is the thickness of the tabletop - the thicker it is, the more expensive the structure will be.
- To determine the optimal area of the table, you need to take into account a constant number of consumers - for every person sitting at the table there must be 600 mm of free space. And in order to determine the diameter of a round model, this rule is taken into account - for 4 people 90 cm, for 8 - 140 cm, for five -120 cm. If there are more than 8 people sitting at the table, then the round design will be very large. It is better to replace such a table with an oval one, and even better to choose a folding round table.
See also:
- Dining group selection rules for the kitchen - designand practicality
- All the nuances of choosing kitchen tables from glass
- How to choose the size of the kitchen table
- Choosing a kitchen corner - we take into account the materials, design and construction type
- Reliable, beautiful, warm. .. wooden kitchen table
