Tips to prevent cracking of quartz stone countertops
Sep 22, 2020
Quartz stone is a new type of stone made of 92% quartz sand powder as the main aggregate, 8% resin, pigments and other auxiliary materials as the main binding material. After mixing, it is formed by vacuum pressure vibration molding, curing and polishing.
Because of its high density and strong hardness, quartz stone has excellent scratch and stain resistance, scratch-free, impermeable, stain-resistant, corrosion-resistant, high-temperature resistant, environmentally friendly, and can be in direct contact with food.
However, from a physical point of view, quartz stone has fine thermal expansion and contraction properties, and has certain mechanical properties such as shrinkage stress, impact toughness, and elongation at break. When the material cannot withstand the internal stress caused by thermal expansion and contraction And cracking occurs when subjected to severe external impact.
Countertop cracking of quartz stone and its causes
1. The center of the countertop is cracked, etc.: high temperature, external impact, uneven cabinets or pads, internal damage to the board, etc.;
2. Cracks in the corners: Leaning against the wall too tightly without leaving shrinkage joints, the height between the two cabinets is uneven or not leveled, and the table surface is cracked due to uneven shrinkage due to external impact or temperature changes;
3. Cracking around the above counter basin: There is no gap between the above counter basin and the basin hole, the basin hole is not polished and smooth, and the table surface is cracked due to uneven contraction due to external impact or temperature changes;
4. Cracking around the furnace hole: there is no gap between the gas stove and the furnace hole, the furnace hole is not polished and smooth, the table surface is affected by external force or the temperature changes unevenly and cracks;
5. Cracking of rear water barrier: the cabinet is uneven or the backing board is not leveled;
6. Cracks on the connecting surface of the rear water retaining edge: the glue is not firmly bonded;
7. Cracking at the seam of the countertop: When the installation worker is splicing the seam, the seam is not aligned, the glue is not evenly applied, or the curing agent is added to the glue or the excessive amount of the agent is added to make the seam brittle. It will crack when it is slightly impacted during use.
In order to prevent quartz stone fracture, you should pay attention to:
In order to ensure the installation quality of the countertop, the following points need to be paid attention to before installation:
1. When designing plane splicing, the physical properties of quartz stone should be considered to avoid the consequences of joint cracking due to thermal expansion and contraction or stress concentration. When selecting the connection position, the force of the plate must be fully considered. Avoid connecting at corners or furnace openings.
2. When designing the corners of the table, full consideration should be given to stress concentration, which will cause cracks at the corners of the table. Therefore, all corners should be processed with a radius of more than 25mm.
3. When designing the hole position, the hole position should be greater than or equal to 80mm from the edge of the table to prevent the hole position from cracking, and the corner of the hole should be rounded with a radius of 25mm or more.
4. When installing the countertop, there should be a 2-4mm expansion gap between the countertop and the wall to effectively ensure that the countertop does not crack due to thermal expansion and contraction. The table top should keep a maximum distance of no more than 600 mm from the support frame or support plate to reduce deformation or even breakage of the table;
5. In daily use, avoid cracking caused by external factors, such as: don't hit the quartz stone countertop by gravity, don't directly touch the pot or utensils with extremely high temperature to the countertop, etc., you can put a layer of insulation.
