About Belenco – Helpful Information
One of the most popular hard surface materials used in homes all over is engineered quartz. One of the brands of quartz available to consumers is Belenco. Quartz materials such as Belenco are very desirable and continually are selected to be the material used for all sorts of hard surfaces. In this post, we will consider some basic information about Belenco, including what it is, fabricating it, and how to care for it.
What Quartz Is Made Of
Engineered quartz is a combination of raw materials, polymer resins and coloring pigments mixed together into a composite material. This composite is then heated an formed into a slab. The mixture varies in percentage by weight for each of the above ingredients. The ranges generally used by the companies that produce engineered quartz are:
- +90% Crushed Raw Quartz and Other Raw Materials
- -10% Polymer Resins for Binding and Coloring Pigments
The process by which engineered quartz slabs are made consist of mixing certain ingredients together to form a composite. This composite is then formed and the air is removed from the mixutre. After that, the mixture is baked at a high temperature and then cooled. The ingredients that are mixed to produce the slab are:
- Polymer Resins
- Coloring Pigments
- Natural Stone Aggregate
The ingredients may vary to a degree, but the overall recipe is pretty consistent.
As mentioned, most of the engineered quartz falls within those parameters, but Belenco might have a mix that varies from that guideline. The best way to determine the exact mix for Belenco is to check out the information on the website for Belenco. And keep in mind, companies are constantly adjusting their recipes and protocols to tune the product.
Quartz Popularity & Belenco
There are many reasons that people choose quartz to be the material for their surfaces. Kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, and even shower walls are often times fashioned from quartz. In fact, many online resources make mention of the benefits and/or reasons that quartz (including Belenco) is an appealing choice.
The popularity of quartz cannot be denied and there are a number of ways to see this is true. Notice the following statement taken from an article on the Consumer Reports website:
According to a National Kitchen & Bath Association survey, the vast majority of folks installing counters these days choose quartz. So quartz may appeal to house hunters.
Quartz in general is really a desirable material and that helps Belenco as well. In general, the engineered quartz industry has a variety of benefits that get focused on. However, there are usually specific focus points talked about by each brand or manufacturer. For example, notice the point that Belenco highlights in its material. On the website Belenco
Requiring minimum maintenance, it is a surface material with outstanding performance thanks to technical and physical features which facilitates use in kitchen and bathroom counters, floors, walls and facade linings, benches and various special application areas.
Properties of Engineered Quartz
As we mentioned, quartz surfaces are generally produced following similar processes. The nuances of the process varies, but that doesn’t mean that all are necessarily created equal. There are different grades of quartz just as there are various grades of natural stone. Belenco and even other engineered quartz materials though, will promote the following appealing traits:
- Non-porosity
- Stain Resistance
- Resistant to Scratching
- Easy to Clean
Like other engineered quartz surfaces, Belenco no doubt offers variations of the benefits listed above. Additionally, the maintenance and care procedures for Belenco will be much the same as the other brands of engineered quartz. We will cover some of those care and maintenance practices shortly, be first, let’s take a look at the color selection.
Belenco Color Selection
The colors in which Belenco is available is another reason for its success. After all if a company offers a product and the color palette is not chosen carefully, it could mean another trip to the drawing board to create more colors needed by the consumer. Belenco has put together the following color selection for the product they offer:
- Teos (2214)
- Daphne Crack (3113)
- Marquina Lavagna (9719 )
- Parma (3555)
- Lumiere (3223)
- Lisbon (6656)
- Granada (7458)
- Aurora (2254)
- Pixie Wings (1227)
- Interstellar (8224)
- Laluna (4524)
- Minta (5113)
- Starlight (6523)
- Vega (4214)
- Calacatta Venatino (7119)
- Calacatta Verona (8119)
- Aizano (4043)
- Aizano Seta (4043)
- Alinda (9113)
- Anemon (8113)
- Angel White (2110)
- Antique White (4233)
- Antique White Seta (4233)
- Babilon (4558)
- Babilon Seta (4558)
- Boletus (3333)
- Boletus Seta (3333)
- Carola (5114)
- Chakra Beige (4458)
- Elixir White (5250)
- Fairy White (4227)
- Forza Füme (5050)
- Gala Black (5751)
- Iceberg (1110)
- Juliet White (5139)
- Kashmera White (4123)
- Kristella White (4262)
- Metropol Grey (7537)
- Metropol Grey Seta (7537)
- Mocca Mousse (5329)
- Montana (7543)
- Olympos (3618)
- Perla (1123)
- Polar White (4152)
- Sahara Beige (4444)
- Spa Black (8727)
- Spa Black Seta (8727)
- Teos Seta (2214)
- Volcano Black (8765)
- Volcano Black Seta (8765)
Fabricating Belenco Surfaces
Fabricating Belenco brings with it some of the challenges that are common to the quartz material. There are some key things that fabrication professionals need to be aware of if they choose to begin working with Belenco – or another brand of quartz for that matter.
Dust Collection Equipment for Belenco Fabrication
Nearly all hard surface materials used in construction projects contain at least some silica. When this material is cut, shaped, or polished, it creates dust. Those dust particles contain silica that can be dangerous if inhaled. So, when working with Belenco, it is recommended that quartz fabrication dust collection equipment be used. Having the proper dust collection equipment can keep your working environment as free of respirable silica as possible.
Belenco Fabrication Water Treatment
Even after the quartz dust is removed, it could still be a potential hazard. For example, some Belenco fabricators are running wet tools that produce a slurry. This slurry is produced when water traps the particles that would become air particulates. The slurry is then processed using a quartz water treatment plant to separate the particles from the water. Then, the water is sent back to the shop where it can be used again to fabricate more Belenco surfaces.
Proper Tools for Belenco Fabrication
When working with engineered stone, many of the tools are the same as they would be for cutting or fabricating natural stone. However, there are specific variations of these tools for use on quartz. Let’s look at just a couple of examples.
First, let’s look at diamond polishing pads. When working with Belenco, just like other quartz, you need to be aware of the need to keep the material from getting too hot. Excess heat during the polishing process can turn the material a different color. By using either wet polishing pads or polishing pads designed for quartz, you will likely get the best results when polishing Belenco.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not all materials have the same hardness. Because Belenco is among the harder materials (quartz is very hard), it requires a diamond bridge saw blade for cutting quartz.
Of course, there are other best practices to follow when fabricating Belenco but they are too numerous to mention here. The thing to take away form this post regarding Belenco fabrication is that there are specific practices and tooling to consider. There is also some equipment that can be used for both natural stone and Belenco
How to Care for Belenco
Caring for Belenco is likewise a matter for consideration. Maintenance and cleaning processes are fairly standard for virtually all kinds of quartz, including Belenco. So what is involved?
Although, Belenco does not require sealing after installation, there are occasions that can cause it to need to be sealed. There are quartz sealers that exist for treating materials like Belenco should they come to need sealing due to improper care.
How to Clean Belenco
Cleaning Belenco can be very simple. Since Belenco is stain resistant, cleaning it is as simple as using the appropriate quartz cleaning solution and not using harsh chemicals or abrasive scrubbing products. Cleaners designed for use on quartz are generally the correct cleaners to use. We do recommend reading the information provided by Belenco or whichever quartz surface you are considering to see which kinds of cleaners are approved.
In the end, Belenco is one of the brands of quartz available. It has properties that make it appealing as a hard surface material. It also offers its own color selection and it is best fabricated using recommended best practices for working with quartz. And one thing is for sure, there are plenty of reasons for choosing Belenco.