You may have heard of sintered stone, but what is it actually?

In 2019, a revolutionary product had stepped into the arena of interior design and shook the benchtop industry to its core. After years of research and development (and crushing stones together), the final product was an absolute refinement of its former self, it was perfection in the form of Sintered Stone. 

The manufacturing process of sintered stone unearthed

You’d be surprised to know that the manufacturing process of sintered stone has actually been around for quite some time. Different minerals are extracted from various materials, including silica, quartz, feldspar, and clay.

Natural mineral pigments can also be used to create a variety of colours or chromatic properties in the final product.

Once the ingredients have been chosen, they are then grounded into powder form before they are then processed under immense heat, pressure, or both, to create a desired product — be it tiles, wall surfaces, or worktops.

What are the benefits of sintered stone?

• Highly durable. In case you were wondering, is sintered stone durable? It has one of the best compressive strengths of any comparable product (quartz, marble, granite, porcelain).
• Extremely resistant. It’s resistant to abrasions, scratches, thermal expansion, chemicals, UV and impact.
• Non-porous. Unlike its counterparts, sintered stone has a non-porous surface, making it resistant to stains.
• Strikingly versatile. Sintered stone comes in a wide array of textures and colours. 
• Easy to maintain. As a non-porous material, it’s super easy to clean and maintain, and does not require sealing.

What is Neolith Sintered Stone?

As mentioned above, sintered stone is processed by compacting materials in powdered form with intense heat and pressure.

Neolith sintered stone is a fine piece of engineered stone that is made from eco-friendly materials through a process involving intense heat and pressure to bond the elements together.

The final product is a lightweight and durable sintered surface that’s highly resistant and versatile.  

It’s made from all-natural materials including silica, feldspar, clay and other minerals, with natural pigments extracted to create a beautiful selection of up to 35 colours and patterns.

Available in both 5mm and 12mm thick, Neolith easily becomes the number one choice when it comes to worktops, bathroom benchtops and kitchen countertops. 

As a sintered stone, Neolith is a non-porous material, which means it does not stain. Unlike its counterparts marble, concrete, granite, among others.

A quick wipe down will do the job without staining.

How much does sintered stone cost?

On the hunt for a new kitchen or bathroom countertop? Before you blow your allocated budget here’s how much you can expect to fork out on your new sintered stone benchtop. 

How much does a sintered stone benchtop cost

We have compiled cost and prices for different types of stones commonly used for benchtops in Australia. Please keep in mind that these are meant to be indicative only, prices will vary depending on the location, availivity and additional work and services your supplier will sign you up for.

How does sintered stone compare with quartz countertops?

On the surface, the 2 materials share common characteristics but are actually different in many ways.

Composition wise, quartz is made up of 93% quartz crystals, the rest filled in with resin. Because these materials are so densely combined, quartz is unrecyclable. Whereas sintered stone is a man-made product made from 100% natural materials with no resin binders… This means the material can be broken down and reused later on. 

Sintered stone kitchen benchtops are more resistant to scratches, impact, heat, abrasions and as a non-porous material, impervious to stains. 

How does sintered stone compare with granite worktops?

The main difference between sintered stone and granite is what goes inside during the manufacturing process.

Because of this, granite is naturally porous, meaning it does not do well against stains.

These pores can also trap dirt and grime, eventually causing fading over time.

This makes engineered sintered stone far superior to granite in kitchens and bathrooms, where there is high moisture levels and prone to spills.

Looking Sintered Stone for your bathroom benchtops? View our sintered stone gallery to see what colours we can offer when you are buying a customisable vanity like our Inalco or Lamina vanity range or from us.