Acrylic solid surface. Review

Acrylic solid surface is a well-known material used for manufacturing tabletops, window sills, stairs, and other elements of furniture and indoor finishes. 

Resins, filling agent, and pigment dyes are used when producing acrylic solid surface. Acrylic resins act as a bonding agent. Mineral filler is responsible for the material’s hardness, and the pigment dyes ensure various decors and a wide color array of engineered quartz. Decor directly depends on the size and shape of the pigment particles, plus the larger the particles, the more expensive is the material.

Composition of acrylic solid surface is as follows: 60-70% of mineral filler, 40-30% of acrylic resins, less than 1% of pigment dyes.

Depending on the resins used in production, it is differentiated between acrylic solid surface and engineered polyester stone.

Content of certain types of resins in overall composition of engineered quartz directly affects its features. 

When exposed to high temperatures, acrylic solid surface can take the needed shape. Thermoforming allows creating items with round elements and swan-necks out of acrylic solid surface.

Engineered polyester stone does not bend, that is why it can only be used for producing items with straight forms.

Acrylic solid surface is a more expensive material. Some manufacturers strive to cut the cost of their products, replace part of acrylic resins with polyester resins. Even though it is possible to bend this type of engineered quartz after heating, its capabilities are severely limited.

Engineered polyester stone comprising only polyester resins does not bend.

In common terms all types of engineered quartz are called ‘acrylic solid surface’ with a remark of it bends or does not bend.

The growing popularity of using acrylic solid surface for manufacturing tabletops and other elements of furniture, as well as for interior designs is explained by its great consumer appeal.

1. Acrylic solid surface’s structure is dense and homogenous without pores, microcracks, and voids. Due to this fact, surface is impervious to dirt, grease, moisture, and bacteria. That is why items made of engineered quartz are so healthy.
2. It is easy to remove any pollutions and stains from the acrylic solid surface’s imporous surface, even if these are stubborn stains from tea, colored juices, coffee, ink, red wine, brilliant green.
3. Acrylic solid surface is a highly wear-resistant, robust, and durable material. 
4. Seams and joints in the products made of acrylic solid surface are invisible to the eye and indistinguishable to the touch. A large and complicated structure assembled from separate pieces of stone seems solid.
5. It is exactly the possibility to seamlessly join pieces of acrylic solid surface, which makes this material very cost-effective – it is possible to make good use of the small pieces and of what is left after material has been cut.
6. Items made of acrylic solid surface are easy to repair – occasional scratches are easy to remove by polishing the surface at home. 
7. A giant color array of acrylic solid surface provides vast selection for interior design.

Acrylic solid surface is delivered in sheets. Many brands offer several options of polish to the sheets: matt, semiglossy, and glossy.

Products of every manufacturer are divided into separate collections (lines). As a rule, one collection combines engineered quartz with similar decor and belonging to the same price tier.

Some manufacturers produce both pure acrylic solid surface and engineered quartz containing polyester resins. These products are brought to the market either with different trademarks or as separate collections of the same brand.

Market of acrylic solid surface in Lithuania is growing with every year. Engineered quartz is now replacing materials traditionally used for manufacturing furniture, for tabletops in ready-made kitchens and bar counters, sinks and kitchen wash basins, and for window sills and decorative wall panels as well. 

Field of use of acrylic solid surface covers residential premises and public buildings.

Excellent balance between the cost and rewarding performance of acrylic solid surface, huge color palette, decors imitating natural stone pattern, uncomplicated processing technology and limitless possibilities for design solutions – all these factors will contribute to further growth of the acrylic solid surface’s popularity.