If you are looking for a countertop material for your kitchen, it is important to check if the material is heat resistant. Besides, the kitchen is where most of the home’s heat-works happen, and you don’t want to destroy your expensive countertops, do you?
You need to fully understand what will happen if a hot pot is placed on the bare counter surface. Will it be okay, or would you need to replace the whole surface. Hence, in this article, we will analyze Silestone’s heat resistance level.
Can Silestone withstand heat?
Silestone is a brand name for a product that is 94% quartz, and the rest is resins and other bonding materials. In their making, quartz, resins, and other materials are added. Some of these materials (e.g., resin) do not do well with heat, and therefore they reduce the original pure quartz heat resistance.
Silestone countertops can handle temperatures of up to 150 degrees. They can withstand the heat from steam or hot taps, but anything hotter than this can damage the surface.
Therefore, it is important to use heat covers on the counter before placing anything hot on top to protect the counter from heat damage.
How to protect your Silestone countertops from heat damage
Although Silestone can withstand temperatures of up to 150 degrees, exposing it to this temperature will leave scars on the slab. And once there is a scar, the countertop will not be as beautiful as before. Therefore, carefully taking care of your Silestone surface is of utmost importance. Here are some of the ways to care for your countertops.
Don’t put pots and pans on a bare counter surface.
Instead of placing the pot or pans on a bare countertop, why not leave them on the stove? While it might be difficult to refrain from picking the pan from the hot stove and placing it on the counter, it will save you the cost of repairs and allow your counters to serve you for a long time.
Use hot pads or a metal trivet.
If you have to place your pans and pots on the counter, use trivets, and table pads. These will help block the heat from getting into the Silestone and melting the resins, therefore preserving your quartz countertop for a long time. All you have to do is place a few trivets around the counters for when you need them.
Use coasters
It is better to be safe than sorry. The heat from your cup of coffee might seem negligible enough when it comes to damaging the countertop. However, do not leave anything to chance. Always ensure to use coasters when you are pouring hot water into your cup.
Clean it frequently
Frequently cleaning the counter surface with cold water and cloth might help keep it cool and extend its lifespan. Also, using soap when cleaning will keep chemicals like alcohol from reacting with the resins and causing damage.
Signs of heat damage
A white bruise and a discoloration will be visible at the point of contact if the surface comes into contact with something hot. This kind of damage is not easy to repair. The whiteness results from melted resin inside the countertop, and any attempt to repair it could lead to more damage.
Therefore, the solution is to protect the countertop and be careful not to place hot appliances on top without any hot pads and other heat protection materials.
In summary
Silestone will not burn from the smallest amount of heat, but it is not heatproof either. To avoid having to undertake countertop replacement NC, you must protect your Silestone counters from too much exposure to heat so that it can serve you for a long time—besides, one of the main qualities of quartz is durability.