About Hanstone Quartz – 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 Hanstone. Quartz materials such as Hanstone 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 Hanstone, 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
To make quartz slabs, manufacturers blend raw materials into a composite substance by means of special mixers. This composite substance is then molded and heated at high temperatures to form a solid sheet (or slab) that can be used for hard surfaces. The resulting “slab” though, has properties that differ from natural stone.
As mentioned, most of the engineered quartz falls within those parameters, but Hanstone might have a mix that varies from that guideline. The best way to determine the exact mix for Hanstone is to check out the information on the website for Hanstone. And keep in mind, companies are constantly adjusting their recipes and protocols to tune the product.
Quartz Popularity & Hanstone
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 Hanstone) is an appealing choice.
In fact, engineered quartz offers some very desirable features. Notice the following quote from hgtv.com
One of the main reasons quartz has exploded in popularity is due to appearance. Quartz has the look of stone while also allowing homeowners to customize the design. While granite offers many options in terms of appearance, you may have to search for the right piece that matches your color scheme. With quartz, the selection process is much easier.
Quartz in general is really a desirable material and that helps Hanstone 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 Hanstone highlights in its material. On the website Hanstone
HanStone Quartz is a stone surface made from pure, natural quartz. HanStone Quartz offers the natural beauty of quartz with up to six times the strength and durability of granite. Approximately 93 percent of HanStone Quartz is mined quartz crystals, one of nature’s hardest materials. The quartz is combined with high-quality polyester resins and pigment to produce a natural stone without the high-maintenance.
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. Hanstone 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, Hanstone no doubt offers variations of the benefits listed above. Additionally, the maintenance and care procedures for Hanstone 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.
Hanstone Color Selection
The colors in which Hanstone 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. Hanstone has put together the following color selection for the product they offer:
- COAST – MV514
- STORM – MV513
- TERRA – MV515
- OCEANA – MV529
- SEDONA – MV530
- AURA – MV531
- SHANGRI-LA – ON783
- CHANTILLY – BG873
- YORKVILLE – BG874
- SOHO – BG872
- MONTEREY – BG870
- MONTAUK – BG871
- MERCER – MV528
- WHISTLER – BA252
- UPTOWN GREY – RU609
- METROPOLITAN – RU611
- ROYALE BLANC – BA205
- STRATO – CA701
- TRANQUILITY – RU613
- BRAVA MARFIL – RU706
- CLASSIC STATUE – RU702
- CAMPINA – LO711
- ITALIAN WAVES – RU701
- EMPRESS – LO713
- ASPEN – RU601
- PEWTER – RC101
- ARTISAN GREY – RC104
- ARAMIS – RU607
- BIANCO CANVAS – BA201
- AURORA SNOW – CL101
- SWAN COTTON – RS301
- TOFINO – CL119
- SPECCHIO WHITE – CT402
- ROCKY SHORES – RS463
- KINDRED – MO623
- SMOKE – CS401
- FUSION – MV623
- SERENITY – MV624
- INDIAN PEARL – MV607
- WALNUT LUSTER – MV616
- IVORY WAVE – MV620
- TIFFANY GREY – CL105
- SERENGETI – BT327
- VICTORIAN SANDS – RS308
- ROLLING STONE – MV618
- BAVARIA – BT351
- BLACKBURN – RS401
- AJANTA – RM504
- TAKODA – BT354
- ODYSSEY – RM501
- AUBURN ABYSS – BT355
- SILHOUETTE – MV628
- Leaden – CC104
- BLACK CORAL – RS306
Fabricating Hanstone Surfaces
Fabricating Hanstone 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 Hanstone – or another brand of quartz for that matter.
Dust Collection Equipment for Hanstone 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 Hanstone, 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.
Hanstone Fabrication Water Treatment
Even after the quartz dust is removed, it could still be a potential hazard. For example, some Hanstone 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 Hanstone surfaces.
Proper Tools for Hanstone 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 Hanstone, 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 Hanstone.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not all materials have the same hardness. Because Hanstone 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 Hanstone but they are too numerous to mention here. The thing to take away form this post regarding Hanstone 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 Hanstone
How to Care for Hanstone
Caring for Hanstone is likewise a matter for consideration. Maintenance and cleaning processes are fairly standard for virtually all kinds of quartz, including Hanstone. So what is involved?
Although, Hanstone 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 Hanstone should they come to need sealing due to improper care.
How to Clean Hanstone
Cleaning Hanstone can be very simple. Since Hanstone 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 Hanstone or whichever quartz surface you are considering to see which kinds of cleaners are approved.
In conclusion, Hanstone is an appealing material for use in homes and businesses. We have seen what some of the benefits are to selecting Hanstone and what it is made of. Additionally, we looked at some important fabrication practices that need to be considered. And we looked at what kinds of cleaner to use for maintaining Hanstone as well as why some quartz surfaces may need to be sealed even though they do not need to be sealed initially.