You likely know that there are a wide number of popular materials that can be integrated into your kitchen design plans, such as natural stone, quartz, natural wood, and laminate materials. However, you should not overlook one lesser-known material called porcelain slab that is becoming popular within the American interior design market.
While this engineered stone has been available in tile form for many years, manufacturers have recently begun producing porcelain slabs that offer an attractive and affordable alternative to more traditional slabs of natural stone.
Read on to learn about the unique benefits of porcelain slab when compared to other kitchen materials and the advantages of incorporating it into your kitchen design plans.
Versatile Design and Function
Porcelain slab is a versatile material that can be incorporated into many components of your kitchen design. This engineered stone is strong, hard, heat-resistant, and UVray resistant. In addition, porcelain slabs are available in an array of thicknesses, with 6 mm- and 12 mm-thick slabs being popular options. They are also lightweight.
Additionally, porcelain slabs are available in a wide array of colors and designs, including some that are meant to mimic the appearance of natural stone and other more traditional kitchen materials.
While porcelain slab is a great countertop material due to its water- and heat-resistant qualities, this engineered stone can also be used to create kitchen backsplashes, cabinet and drawer faces, and even kitchen flooring.
The material's UV-ray resistance and resistance to extreme temperatures make it a great option for use in outdoor kitchens as well as traditional indoor ones.
Seamless Appearance
Many homeowners love the appearance of natural stone and the various natural patterns featured on the stone faces. However, when incorporating natural stone into large projects, several stone slabs often must be joined together with seams that break up the flow of these natural patterns.
Porcelain slabs are typically available in much larger sizes than natural stone slabs are and often feature patterns similar to those that appear naturally on natural stone. For this reason, a homeowner can often install one large porcelain slab that mimics the appearance of natural stone instead of several smaller natural stone slabs. This creates a seamless final result to countertops, flooring, backsplash, or other kitchen surfaces.
Environmentally Friendly
Porcelain slab is a very environmentally friendly form of engineered stone. This material is composed of natural kaolinite clay, silica, feldspar, and other minerals that are mixed and shaped into slab form before they are fired in a kiln at up to 2500 degrees F. This process produces a tough, durable engineered stone material that is so naturally water-resistant that it does not need to be coated with a chemical sealant, as some naturally porous stones do.
In addition, unlike some kitchen countertop materials, porcelain does not emit potentially harmful gasses when exposed to high heat. Finally, when a porcelain slab product has reached the end of its lifespan, the slab can easily be recycled, since this material is 100% recyclable.
Durable Material
Many homeowners integrate porcelain slab into their kitchen designs because of its extreme durability. This engineered stone is harder than marble and granite. It is also chip-resistant and scratch-resistant. Porcelain is so strong that it is often used as a flooring material for high-traffic businesses, such as shopping malls, hotels, and restaurants.
In addition, since porcelain stone has a naturally shiny and waterproof surface and does not need to be topped with a special sealant or glaze to obtain these properties, you never have to worry about resealing or reglazing this material as you do when the sealant on natural stone has begun to wear away.
When considering all of your kitchen countertop, cabinet facing, flooring, and backsplash options during the design phase of your kitchen remodeling project, be sure to consider porcelain slab due to its many benefits. Contact the interior design experts at AKL Architectural Services to begin your kitchen remodeling project today.