About Lido – 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 Lido. Quartz materials such as Lido 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 Lido, 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 Lido might have a mix that varies from that guideline. The best way to determine the exact mix for Lido is to check out the information on the website for Lido. And keep in mind, companies are constantly adjusting their recipes and protocols to tune the product.
Quartz Popularity & Lido
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 Lido) 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 Lido 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 Lido highlights in its material. On the website LIDO
Made with the one of the hardest materials on earth, Lido Quartz uses state-of-the-art technology to combine the world’s finest crushed quartz with an advanced polymer resin to produce the highest performing solid surface. Lido Quartz is virtually non-porous making it extremely resistant to scratching, staining, impacts and heat. The superior strength of Lido Quartz makes it versatile for any application; from quartz countertops for your kitchen tops and bathroom vanities, to shower walls and bar tops.
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. Lido 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, Lido no doubt offers variations of the benefits listed above. Additionally, the maintenance and care procedures for Lido 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.
Lido Color Selection
The colors in which Lido 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. Lido has put together the following color selection for the product they offer:
- Tuscany – LQ510
- Santorelli – LQ501
- Carrara – LQ500
- Matisse – LQ502
- Bianco Venatino – LQ504
- Dolce Vita – LQ505
- Calacatta – LQ508
- Calacatta Borghini – LQ507
- Milano – LQ506
- Aspen – LQ509
- Valencia – LQ503
- Vienna – LQ603
- Absolute White – LQ910
- Alpine – LQ911
- Pearl White – LQ912
- Santorini – LQ915
- Rio – LQ802
- Athens – LQ710
- Cement – LQ701
- Argento – LQ718
- Stone Grey – 703
- Graphite – LQ702
- Carbon – LQ705
- Costa Rica – LQ808
- Charcoal – LQ719
- Tofino – LQ800
- Comox Grey – LQ715
- Montana – LQ714
- Champagne – LQ601
- Madrid – LQ602
- Lexington – LQ600
Fabricating Lido Surfaces
Fabricating Lido 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 Lido – or another brand of quartz for that matter.
Dust Collection Equipment for Lido 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 Lido, 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.
Lido Fabrication Water Treatment
Even after the quartz dust is removed, the potential hazard is real. For example, some Lido fabricators use wet tools that produce a slurry. The 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, fabricators re-use this water the fabrication process.
Proper Tools for Lido 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 Lido, 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 Lido.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not all materials have the same hardness. Because Lido 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 Lido but they are too numerous to mention here. The thing to take away form this post regarding Lido 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 Lido
How to Care for Lido
Caring for Lido is likewise a matter for consideration. Maintenance and cleaning processes are fairly standard for virtually all kinds of quartz, including Lido. So what is involved?
Although, Lido 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 Lido should they come to need sealing due to improper care.
How to Clean Lido
Cleaning Lido can be very simple. Since Lido 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 Lido or whichever quartz surface you are considering to see which kinds of cleaners are approved.
In conclusion, Lido is an appealing material for use in homes and businesses. We have seen what some of the benefits are to selecting Lido 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 Lido as well as why some quartz surfaces may need to be sealed even though they do not need to be sealed initially.