Neolith is a type of sintered stone made from three types of natural materials: Glass, Porcelain, and Quartz. The stone puts together the best features of these raw materials, creating a stone that is highly durable, waterproof, scratch resistant, and resistant to UV rays.
The stone was created as an almost indestructible material that has a vast range of use cases from floors to countertops. Neolith has gained popularity over the years in commercial settings due to its high resistance to pressure, as well as low maintenance costs. However, residential home designers are integrating this sintered stone into their interior designs as well.
Overview
Neolith is a relatively new type of stone, and was first introduced into the interior design world through the company of its namesake. The company first established in 2009, offering an initial variety of sintered stone for architectural use.
Neolith is labeled as a quartz, and its use in multiple applications have gained the attention of architects and designers everywhere. Today, the stone is highly prized for its durability, and has become a staple option in home and office design all over the world.
Appearance
Neolith stone comes in two types of finishes called silk and satin. The silk finish shows off the stone in a subtle gloss that is shiny and easy to clean, while the commercial-friendly satin finish is a classic matte that is highly resistant to wear and tear. Both finishes are applicable to the 50+ color varieties of Neolith.
Neolith tends to keep a more neutral tone in its color variety, ranging from muted white to beige, and shades of brown to dark gray. Majority of the tones, like the Neolith Aspen Grey and the Neolith Arctic White take inspiration from the snow-capped mountains found in nature, while the Neolith Calacatta, Neolith Carerra, and the Neolith Cement variety mimic other stones.
Beneficial Features of Neolith
Neolith stone was engineered specifically for its durability and high resistance to wear and tear, making it a natural stone that is perfect for use in high traffic areas, commercial buildings, and designer homes without the high maintenance of marble or granite slabs.
As Neolith is a sintered stone, it can be made to present different colors, depending on the architectural and design requirements of the client. The stone is manufactured with natural tones, but can be customized to match the color scheme of any interior and exterior design.
Despite being a sintered stone, Neolith is still 100% natural. The processes used to create the stone do not emit any harmful chemicals to the environment, nor do they add artificial fillers like cheap resin. The result is a quartz-like stone that has the same look and feel as natural marble, but without the high maintenance cleaning and upkeep!
Uses of Neolith
Neolith is a highly versatile stone, with uses ranging from floors, walls, and countertops, to exterior accents and marble bathroom fixtures. In small-scale applications, the stone is also great for home accents like coasters, art and hobby materials, and as serving slabs for cold cuts and sushi.
Overall, the uses of Neolith go as far as the client finds use in the material. Neolith is often used in commercial settings for its fair price value, low maintenance features, and its low tendency to suffer from high traffic wear and tear.
Neolith is perfect for use in elite offices, as well as high-end malls for a feel of sophistication without the heavy burden of sensitive marble materials. The stone is made sustainably as well, and can be used alongside other natural materials with no problems or issues.
Care Instructions
Some of the prime features of Neolith stone include its heat resistance, water resistance, and acid resistance. Marble and other natural stone materials etch due to corrosion with acidic cleaning chemicals, but Neolith is resistant to the effects of mildly acidic solutions like vinegar, lemon juice, and commercial cleaning products.
Caring for Neolith floors, walls, and countertops was made to be easy. The stone is stain resistant as well, so cleaning up is a snap with just some warm water on a soft piece of cloth. As the stone is scratch resistant, light scrubbing would not alter the surface of the stone, but keep in mind that its scratch resistant properties are limited to 7 mohs.
One should still consider that the natural stone can still corrode with harsh chemicals, and break with a great enough force or impact. As such, take proper precautions when installing Neolith in areas with cars, mechanical equipment, or heavy furniture to prevent scratching the surface.
