The Specialist's Corner

Worktop is an essential element in the kitchen, it is the place in which the most important things happen in this space and even in a house.
But, more than that, the worktop is the one that sets the tone of the room, but also that conveys a certain emotion, to your space.

The importance of the countertop in the decor of a kitchen or work space, consists, in, what kind of material, what finish and what design is chosen for this countertop.

Some trends this year help us to have an overview of what is worn in terms of countertops in interior design.

Quartz countertops are still in the foreground, they being introduced as a sophisticated alternative, top for granite countertops. This natural stone has long dominated the worktop scene, especially in residential spaces whose owners want something sustainable, strong and looking great.

But, the disadvantage of this type of material is that it is porous, which means liquids like water, wine and oils can seep into the surface, causing stains. More than that, encourages the existence of bacteria on the surface of the countertop. This issue, can be, but efficiently, by applying a porous surface sealing solution, at least once a year, turning it into a non-porous one.

On the other hand, quartz is completely non-porous and does not have to go through a sealing process. This means that it is extremely resistant to staining with liquids, being one of the most hygienic worktops.

Added to this is the fact that this material is incredibly durable, which makes it very durable and so we can understand why it is the preferred choice for personal homes, but also for hotel or even medical workspaces.

We can find quartz worktops in many colors and finishes, close even to those of natural rocks, and this trend seems to be a long one.

Mounting rules

The substrate must be perfectly flat, without cracks, internal cavities or cracks and cleaned carefully; any part that is not securely fastened must be replaced.

Some surfaces (cement, mortar and generally those with water absorption) requires the application of a primer (primer).

Leveling, when necessary, it will be done by applying a wet layer of mortar or self-leveling cement.

The humidity in the substrate must not exceed 2.5 – 3 %.

Before applying the adhesive, check the humidity in the substrate with a hygrometer. The substrate must never contain lime

Adhesives

Adhesives and mechanical fastening systems will be purchased with a certificate of quality and warranty. The application sheets and mixing technology of the adhesive supplier and the mechanical fastening system supplier must be observed..
Adhesive manufacturers support the field of natural rock cladding with products of different colors (white, Gray) using them both indoors and outdoors.

To protect product surfaces from abrasion, contamination with liquids and wear and tear due to traffic, Agricin recommends regular maintenance and cleaning of surfaces. This will ensure the aesthetics and stability of the finish of the product.

The way the maintenance is performed depends on the degree of finishing of the product, location, supported traffic etc. It is recommended to test them on a small area before using the chosen cleaning and protection products..

1. Cleaning after installation:
After installing the product, moisten the surface and joints with water and remove construction debris using a neutral agent.
Use a degreasing agent for oil stains. After applying these agents, the surface of the product must always be washed with water and liquid detergent, then rinsed thoroughly and allowed to dry.

2. Maintenance of areas with heavy traffic:
For the maintenance of surfaces with heavy traffic it is recommended to apply a layer of crystallization wax by means of a polishing machine., this leading to the creation of a permanent protective layer. Then apply a thin layer of wax to the surface gloss to increase the gloss..
For daily manual maintenance it is recommended to use water-repellent cleaning and polishing agents.. Before applying polishing agents, the surface of the product must be cleaned of dust and mechanical contamination factors.

In order to achieve a complete maintenance, agents that increase the gloss and form surfaces with a higher adhesion can be used.. The frequency of maintenance depends on the intensity of traffic to which the product is subjected.
Depending on the intensity of the traffic, the time interval after which a new layer of protection is required is determined. When applying it, the existing layer is removed first (with the polishing machine), then the surface is degreased. Cleaning is performed with neutral agents. Then apply a new layer of wax to the cleaned surface, defatted and dried.

3. Maintenance of low traffic areas:
Low traffic surfaces can be maintained, after removing construction materials, with gloss wax. For daily manual maintenance of surfaces is recommended (after removing dust and solid contaminants) use of washing and polishing agents. In the case of regular use for the maintenance of mechanical means, it is recommended to use products created for this purpose. Depending on the intensity of the traffic, the time interval at which a new application of the protective layer is required is established. The process is similar to the one described above.

4. Manual surface maintenance:
Gloss of smaller surfaces, in corners and hard to reach places, can be intensified using manual polishing equipment (ex. polishing disc grinding machine) or manually, with fine cloth and polishing agents. The surface to be cleaned must first be wiped off of dust and mechanical contaminants, then washed.

5. Cleaning and maintenance of furniture:
To protect surfaces from water, oils and detergents and to increase its luster, the use of wax is recommended, which will need to be applied with either a fine cloth, either with manual polishing machines. Some polishing agents are also produced in spray form. These agents can increase the gloss, color brightness and water resistance. They are always applied on clean surfaces, defatted and dried.

6. Surface disinfection:
Disinfection is performed mainly in hospitals and food establishments. Before using disinfectants, it is necessary to clean the surface of mechanical contaminants. These disinfectants have bactericidal properties, antiviral and funicidal. After using them, it is necessary to wash the surfaces with water to remove traces of these agents and then perform normal maintenance.

7. Impregnation of surfaces:
An impregnating agent shall be used to protect the surfaces against the action of external factors and solid and liquid contaminants.. prior to
its use, mechanical contaminants and dust are removed. Then clean the surface with water and neutral detergent. After a period of time determined by traffic intensity or other factors, the impregnation treatment is repeated, removing all mechanical contaminants. After using these agents, it is necessary to wash the surface. Apply the impregnation solution layer on the clean and dry surface.

8. Protect product surfaces from paint and varnish stains:
To protect surfaces from paint stains (grafitti) or varnish will use a protective wax. After applying it, any paint stain can be removed with a polishing pad or steam.

9. Protection of surfaces against mechanical abrasion:
In the case of surfaces with heavy traffic corroborated with the presence of abrasive or liquid contaminants, it is recommended to provide cleaning areas at the entrance on the respective surface, these areas having the role of capturing, especially in winter, a large part of these contaminants and to protect the surface of the product and the wax layer applied on it. It is recommended to install these cleaning areas especially in warehouses, magazine, hallways and corridors with direct entrance from the street.

Cutting natural stones

It is called cutting natural stone, in the specialized vocabulary, debiting. To perform this operation is used, depending on the nature of the debits, angle grinders or specific equipment. The processing possibilities of these objects are limited depending on the hardness of the material and the depth of the cut.. Saws are used for cutting, diamond wires and diamond discs.

Two cutting methods are used to process natural stone: dry cutting and wet cutting. There are specific disks for each method, marked accordingly, therefore they can only be used in the recommended range. Cutting machines mainly use wet cutting, while hand tools apply dry cutting. Cutting machines use large diameter diamond discs, from 350mm to 1000mm. For this reason, cutting machines can be used in natural stone processing plants, and hand-held machines can be used in manufacturing mode, special processing, or site adjustments.

Universal discs are not used in professional processing, but discs specific to the type of material to be cut, respectively borders, marbles, travertine, etc. Depending on the hardness of each stone, discs with a certain type of diamond coating are used.. After a certain time of use, diamond discs can be recovered by passing them through a high hardness material. Often, diamond particles stick due to overheating. Cleaning the disc has the effect of releasing used diamonds, too fine, and releasing new diamond particles from the diamond coating.

Professional serial, debit, is made with the help of cutting machines specially built for this purpose. Water is used to cool the contact area of diamond disks with natural stone. The main advantage of using mechanized cutting is the working speed, effectiveness and efficiency of the operation, as well as the quality level obtained. These results are guaranteed by the working method, respectively by the stability of the cutting assembly fixed on a movable bridge. The advantage of mechanized cutting also consists in the multitude of secondary operations that can be performed, respectively calibrated flows, cutting at variable angles, execution of the joining channels in the edge of the parts.

The cutting depth is adjusted automatically, so that finished parts can be cut to a minimum accepted thickness (7mm), to extreme thicknesses (20-30cm).