PRODUCT FEATURE | Surface special
Caesarstone quartz in Rugged Concrete from the Metropolitan collection –hygienic, non-porous and durable
The choice of surface materials has never been wider. Linda Parker analyses the market and looks at how manufacturers are helping retailers make the best choices for their clients’ projects …
projects, or deciding what to offer within the showroom, retailers and designers need to know their surfaces inside-out, or at least know where to gain the knowledge to be able to answer clients’ queries effectively. At a time when a replicated ‘marble’
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surface can look as good as the real thing, it’s incredibly important for retailers to be able to guide and advise clients to reach the right decision – helping them to consider looks, practicality, ease of installation and, of course, costs. It’s vital that retailers obtain as much information as they can, from the manufacturers of the products they’re selling, and also to use the expertise and knowledge of relevant trade organisations.
Andy Noble, MD of CDUK, adds:
“At CDUK, we support our customers through a journey, from sourcing the best products and materials to helping them unlock their full potential through expert advice and technical know- ledge. We continuously strive to build a strong relationship with fabricators and designers, training and supporting them while passing on our material
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hen helping clients, choose the right surface materials
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knowledge, to give retailers reassurance that they can set realistic expectations for consumers.” Naomi and Andrew King, owners of Affordable Granite, point out: “Occasionally, we have to re-educate clients as they have been ‘over-sold’ materials by kitchen showrooms, or have unrealistic expectations of what can be manufactured and installed in one piece.” The Worktop Fabricators Federation (WFF) is the UK industry body for professional fabricators of stone worktops and is a rich mine of information that independent retailers can call upon.
Engineered and real stone With many surface materials, there are differences in quality, particularly when the word ‘quartz’ is mentioned – individual
There’s a mountain of misinformation around surfaces. It can be confusing for
designers to unpick Jonathan Stanley, vice-president marketing, Caesarstone UK and EMEA
raw materials in each of these surface options can also be specified to varying levels of cost. “Most retailers – and certainly most customers – are not geologists or clay technologists,” explains Chris Pate- man, general secretary at the Worktop Fabricators Federation. “As far as showroom conversations are concerned, the description ‘quartz’ has become a convenient shorthand for engineered stone materials that have been made in factories to combine the solid, through-coloured benefits of natural stone with the consistency and design-flair of man-made products.” Jonathan Stanley, Caesarstone vice-president of marketing, UK and EMEA, says: “There is a mountain of misinformation around kitchen work surfaces in the market. It stems from many different sources, and it can be confusing for kitchen designers, architects, or specifiers to unpick. For end consumers, it can be a nightmare.” He adds: “Quartzite is a naturally occurring metamorphic rock that comes in a range of soft to hard types. Softer quartzites need to be treated like marble and will require sealing. Quartz surfaces are often referred to as ‘engineered stone’. They’re made from natural materials, typically quartz
· August 2022
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