For over a millennium, marble has been an expensive materials beloved by artists and royalty worldwide. Due to its excessive standing, marble is extraordinarily widespread as an aesthetic countertop possibility for these with cash to spare. It additionally has many benefits over different kitchen counter tops, together with pure temperature regulation that makes it excellent for baking and pastry prep.
Nonetheless, marble has a unclean secret: the quarrying course of has an enormous environmental impression. Accessing these stones requires deforestation, which destroys pure habitats, whereas eradicating the marble creates mud that pollutes the soil and groundwater. Slicing and refining the marble additional damages the surroundings as it is extremely energy-intensive.
Given these points, many are searching for to copy the feel and appear of marble with out its critical environmental impacts. One possibility shortly gaining momentum is engineered marble, which binds smaller items of marble collectively utilizing resin. This text will discover the environmental impression of engineered marble, together with its professionals and cons, in an effort to make an knowledgeable resolution about your sustainable residence transforming.
What Is Engineered Marble?
Engineered marble is fabricated from about 90% recycled marble chips with 10% resin. The marble chips are crushed into finer items for a smoother end after which blended with a liquid polyester resin. Engineers can even add tints and pigments at this stage to create a extra distinctive look that matches the client’s preferences.
Subsequent, the combination is poured right into a mildew that precisely matches the patron’s specs. In contrast to pure marble, there’s no want to chop off extra or form the perimeters: the mildew will come out of the curing oven able to go. The mildew is then positioned within the oven and heated till it hardens. As soon as cooled and faraway from the mildew, the engineered marble shall be sanded to take away any imperfections, then coated with a transparent end. This end will be shiny or satin, relying on the client’s preferences.
Cultured marble is a detailed cousin of engineered marble, nevertheless it makes use of much less precise marble and extra resin. This provides a extra uniform look and makes it cheaper. Nonetheless, these searching for customized counter tops with that elegant look could be greatest served by discovering an awesome engineered marble installer, as this feature makes use of extra pure supplies and extra carefully resembles pure marble.
Professionals of Engineered Marble
This versatile materials is a superb budget-friendly possibility for marble aficionados, particularly resulting from the truth that it makes use of supplies that will in any other case be wasted.
Engineered Marble Makes use of Waste Supplies
With pure marble, quite a bit have to be eliminated to seek out that excellent piece. One solely wants to think about a sculptor painstakingly chipping at a marble block to think about how a lot of this treasured useful resource could possibly be thrown away with out engineered marble. By reusing smaller marble fragments, these counter tops defend our pure surroundings with out sacrificing model.
These Counter tops Can Simply Be Repaired
The “cut back, reuse, recycle” mantra additionally considers extending the lifespan of our current possessions, which is simple with engineered marble. As a result of the countertop is fabricated from smaller marble items certain by resin, it’s a lot easier to repair cracking or chipping. You solely have to match the colour, create a brand new combination, add extra resin to fill the hole, after which refinish the floor.
Engineered Marble Saves Cash With out Skimping on Performance
Apart from sustainability, engineered marble presents benefits in your pockets, too. This countertop possibility is less expensive than pure marble and will be custom-made in response to your preferences, because of tinting and coloration components. Its uniform construction additionally makes it smoother than naturally mined marble.
Engineered marble is water and stain-resistant, making it simple to scrub. With correct upkeep, these counter tops can face up to the take a look at of time.
Cons of Engineered Marble
In fact, each materials has its downsides, and that features engineered marble. It isn’t 100% sustainable resulting from its use of artificial supplies, and these resins dampen a number of the advantages of pure marble.
Engineered Marble Makes use of Resins, Which Can Trigger Air pollution
Resin is ubiquitous within the engineering house as a binding agent and sealant. Nonetheless, producing resin causes some air pollution, together with unstable natural compounds (VOCs). These VOCs contribute to local weather change and can even pollute groundwater close to manufacturing vegetation.
It’s essential to notice that engineered marble makes use of much less resin than different engineered counter tops, together with cultured marble and laminate counter tops. Because of this, though it isn’t fairly as sustainable as one thing like 100% reclaimed wooden counter tops, it does reduce the environmental impression of your kitchen renovation.
The Manufacturing Course of Reduces A few of Marble’s Advantages
Marble is beloved as a countertop materials due to its temperature-regulating properties. Because of its densely packed molecules and excessive warmth conductivity, it stays chilly to the contact irrespective of the ambient temperature, making it excellent for pastry cooks who have to roll out dough.
Whereas engineered marble has comparatively excessive warmth conductivity, it’s not fairly as robust as unaltered marble. The resin additionally makes it much less sturdy, and it might be extra vulnerable to chips or stains.
Engineered Marble Strikes a Stability Between Affordability, Environmental-Consciousness, and Aesthetics
The downsides talked about, like warmth conductivity and sturdiness, are not often an issue for the common cook dinner who merely needs to make an awesome meal for his or her household. Engineered marble is rather more inexpensive than pure, unaltered marble, and it makes use of supplies that will in any other case be discarded, which improves its sustainability rating. As such, this countertop will be the excellent possibility for individuals who wish to be gentler on the surroundings whereas nonetheless creating an aesthetic kitchen.
