| Silestone Difference | 10 Reasons to use Silestone | Silestone Myths vs Facts | | Silestone FAQ | | Silestone Warranty | Silestone Fact Sheet | Microban FAQs |

Silestone Frequently Asked Questions

Why Silestone?
Silestone is the superior choice for myriad interior surfacing applications offering the perfect combination of beauty, durability and versatility. Natural quartz is the fastest growing category in the surfacing industry, and Silestone is the leader in that category.

What are Silestone’s superior properties?
Beyond beauty, Silestone natural quartz adds strength to its applications, making it remarkably scratch-resistant. Because quartz is one of the hardest elements found in nature — almost as hard as diamond — common use of knives, scissors or other sharp metal objects will not score the Silestone surface.

Silestone’s polished surface is non-porous, thus it is extremely stain-resistant. Everyday spills of wine, lemon juice, body lotions and even food colorants stay above the surface and are easy to clean off with soapy water or mild household cleaners.

And Silestone is virtually maintenance-free, keeping its beauty and shine without ever needing to be sealed. Plus, starting in mid-2005, Silestone will be the only countertop with built-in Microban® antimicrobial protection.

Where can I use Silestone in my home?
Silestone can be used in any indoor surfacing application in your kitchen, bathroom, personal and family living areas. Silestone is ideal for high-traffic areas, surfaces exposed to everyday use and rooms where you entertain.

Most common uses of Silestone include kitchen countertops and backsplashes, vanity tops, shower walls and fireplace surrounds. Silestone also is ideal for use as flooring, tabletops and skirts, staircase steps, kitchen desks, shelving, wet bars and many other applications.

In what shapes/sizes is Silestone available?
Silestone is available in large slabs of 54” x 120” to minimize the need for seams. Slabs come in various thickness — ½”, ¾” and 1¼” — and edges can be laminated to achieve an even wider appearance, making it possible to select from the most fragile-looking to the boldest-shaped edge finish.

How is Silestone® fabricated?
Silestone is fabricated with diamond tooling by expert craftsmen and is available in standard-size tiles or can be customized to fit your needs.

The density and consistency of Silestone allows for precise cuts, enabling Cosentino to integrate stainless steel sinks with Silestone kitchen countertops — an innovation that merges two highly desirable materials: stainless steel and natural quartz.

Can Silestone colors be customized?
Cosentino is always working on new products to develop and introduces new colors every year. To customize a color for a customer, purchases must exceed 10,000 square feet, since even with the largest manufacturing capacity of natural quartz in the world, changing colors imposes a large investment of time and resources.

Cosentino offers the largest color palette available in quartz surfacing, with over 45 colors to choose from, including multi-colored textures that may be randomly found in nature, to the solid, more homogenous and unique colors possible only with Silestone natural quartz.

How new is Silestone?
Cosentino began production of Silestone in 1989, and since then, it has grown to become the leading brand of quartz surfaces in the world. Silestone was introduced into North America in 1998.

Where can I find Silestone?
Silestone is available throughout North America —in the United States, Canada, and even Mexico and Puerto Rico — through a network of dedicated distributors that bring the product close to your home. Over 3,500 retailers carry Silestone, including Home Depot®, EXPO Design Center®, kitchen and bath dealers, designer’s showrooms, builders, tile/flooring outlets, and many more.

To find the nearest Silestone distributor, visit us at www.silestone.com.

How consistent are Silestone colors?
Silestone delivers more color consistency than any other natural stone (i.e., granite or marble), making it possible for customers to select their Silestone colors from small samples without having to travel to a fabricator’s site.

Keep in mind, however, that every piece of Silestone is unique, and slight shade and tone variations are common because Silestone is composed of natural minerals — quartz — that contribute to interesting and random patterns within each slab.

How visible are the seams with Silestone?
Because Silestone is available in large slabs (54” x 120”), there is little need for seams in most bathroom and kitchen projects. Plus, the color consistency of Silestone has allowed us to design grout colors that closely match the Silestone hues, making the seams almost imperceptible.