What is resined natural stone?

Resined natural stone is stone that is treated to improve minor naturally occurring flaws. Resining is achieved by drying unpolished slabs, spraying them with polyester, and placing the slabs in a vacuum chamber that sucks the resin deep into the stone. Once the stone has cured, it can be polished to any type of finish, from soft matte to a highly reflective polish.

What are the pros and cons of resining natural stone?

Natural stone has inherent imperfections, such as porosity, fissures, pitting, and the like. Resin fills, reinforces, and strengthens the durability of natural stone. According to Fred Hueston, Chief Technical Director for Stone and Tile PROS, some granites probably would not make it into the United States if it were not for the resining process, because the stone is so brittle, it would break during shipping. However, Hueston warns, "Resin strengthens the stone temporarily, but any time we introduce a man-made process into a natural material, things can go wrong. It might not be cured properly. It might not be dried properly. Polyester can become discolored when exposed to UV light."

Reputable Fabricators Avoid Resin Problems

Reputable fabricators are very cautious when it comes to the quality of slabs they get from suppliers. While it is perfectly normal and acceptable for slabs to be resined to resolve simple, common problems, it is certainly not acceptable for resining to be used as a way of making a fundamentally bad slab appear to be a quality one. Highly trained and experienced fabricators will recognize the difference and refuse to purchase doctored slabs.

This is one of a series of articles written and published on behalf of surpHaces Partners.