Month: March 2020

Sintered Stone Vs. Porcelain Vs. Granite

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Sintered stone

Investing in a new kitchen or starting a new remodeling project isn’t something to rush. It is a series of steps and decisions. One of the most important decisions you have to make is what kind of material, color, and pattern your countertops will consist of. Sintered stone, porcelain, and granite are just a few options.

A wide variety of stone and slab options are available, and it can be challenging knowing where to start. Information is key. The more you learn, the more you realize that each type of countertop is very different and comes with its own set of advantages and pitfalls. 

Our NeolithⓇ experts will help you examine the main differences between some of the most popular countertop options. There are three major contenders here: granite, porcelain, and sintered stone. At NeolithⓇ, we produce superior countertop slabs using cutting-edge materials and processing methods that guarantee a beautiful and pristine countertop for years to come. 

What is a Granite Countertop?

Granite is a 100% natural stone that serves as a common and popular countertop option for many diverse kitchens. Granite is quarried from stone and cut into slabs. It is then polished and coated with a sealer, giving it that smooth, shiny look. According to The Spruce, granite is usually slightly preferred over quartz since each time a slab is cut, the result is entirely unique. 

Pros and Cons of Granite

The Pros:

  • You can customize your pattern, color, and edging style however you want. 
  • It is entirely natural, giving you the most significant “natural stone” look out of all of your countertop options. 
  • Granite is a premium and highly sought-after material that is made to last, and it can be extremely scratch and stain-resistant. 

The Cons:

  • A costly option as it is cut from natural stone. 
  • Granite must be sealed, or else it is too porous and keeps liquid stains easily.

Granite is undoubtedly a high-quality option for your kitchen needs, and if you have the budget for it, it is well worth the consideration. 

What is a Porcelain Countertop?

Porcelain is another countertop material that has been popular across Europe and North America for several years. This material is made from a natural substance known as China clay. The clay is mixed with kaolinite and fired in a kiln. The resulting slabs are incredibly dense, making them a durable material to work with. 

Pros and Cons of Porcelain

The Pros:

  • Porcelain is extremely resistant to scratching, chipping, staining, and UV light damage. 
  • You can add pigmented glazes or patterns to your porcelain slab to make it unique to you. 
  • This material is very resistant to chemicals as well, making it easy to clean your countertop with whatever products you want. 

The Cons:

  • It can be more challenging to find a high-quality porcelain fabricator. Porcelain suppliers are specialists, so it isn’t as widespread as granite or quartz for countertop material. 
  • Breaks are obvious. If the countertop breaks or chips, there will be a different color underneath the surface.

To the untrained eye, porcelain and sintered stone may seem like the same thing. And, they even seem to share many similarities with granite. Let’s look at the sintered stone process and the cutting-edge technology that our experts use to achieve superior sintered stone products. Knowing why it stands out can help you decide what kind of material will be perfect for your kitchen. 

What is Sintered Stone? 

Sintered stone is our specialty material made from all-natural stone products and raw materials found in the Earth. The sintered stone process subjects all of these natural materials to high heat and pressure, compressing them into an ultra-durable and long-lasting slab. The final product shows unmistakable qualities that resemble natural stone. 

Our specialized Sintering Technology makes sintered stone products the best in the construction business, adding both quality and value to your kitchen. 

Pros and Cons of Sintered Stone

The Pros:

  • This material is incredibly resistant to everything. Stains, spills, scratches, and heat. 
  • You can decorate the full body of the slab with custom patterns, edging, and functional features. 
  • This material is also 100% recyclable and environmentally sustainable. 

The Cons:

  • Sintered stone is not as affordable as other materials such as quartz or marble, but it mostly depends on your customization needs. 
  • Personalized manufacturing is usually required, so there may be a wait time to receive your products. 

Most of our customers cannot tell the difference between our sintered stone and real natural stone, proving the superior quality and utility of the material. 

Get Smooth Countertops for Your New Kitchen

Ultimately, the choice for your new countertop material rests with you. But, it may depend on your budget and customization needs, but whatever your preference is, our NeolithⓇ experts are here to help you every step of the way. To learn more about your countertop options, contact us online, or give us a call at +34 964-652-233. 

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Best Seating Arrangements for Your Kitchen

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How much time do you spend in your kitchen? Do you love to prepare dinners for your family or entertain guests on a weekly basis? Do you gather with your loved ones to talk about daily plans? If you think about it, the kitchen is one of the most communal and familial places in the entire home.

It’s a place of gathering, comfort, and care. It’s where food and drinks are prepared, giving you nourishment and sustaining you comfortably.

But it can be very difficult to gather in the kitchen when there’s no place to sit.

Transform your cooking space into a full eat-in kitchen with these best kitchen seating arrangement ideas and help from LEICHT modern kitchens!

Kitchen Seating Arrangements

Bar Stools

Do you have an island or a counter with a bar? Is there an elevated space where you can enjoy a quick bite or a drink? Why not add a couple of bar stools to any space that fits. Not only does this provide you with a convenient place to sit, but it can actually really elevate the value and appeal of your kitchen. Adding a few bar stools can transform your kitchen into an aesthetically-pleasing space that people will want to sit in for some time.

Banquette

Houseopedia defines a banquette as a bench or window-seat booth that acts as the perfect seating space for small kitchens. And we couldn’t agree more; the banquette is a great solution for you if you don’t have a lot of space to work with. Plus, it proves that anything can be done no matter what size your kitchen is.

Make the most efficient use of your kitchen space by adding some seating in any nook or cranny you have available. This can be a bench under the windowsill or a small table and chairs in the corner of the kitchen. Most popular banquettes are L-shaped or rounded to fit whatever space is available.

Kitchen Booth

When you visit a restaurant and you’re asked for your preference between a table and a booth, it’s likely that you will pick a booth if it’s available. Most people prefer being seating in a comfy upholstered booth with just a pinch of privacy to make it an exclusive dining experience.

You can bring that same dining experience home to your kitchen with your very own kitchen booth! This is one of the most unique kitchen seating arrangements.

It’s an enclosed space that offers an intimate spot for dining and chatting, and you can build it to seat as many people as you want. This brings a leisurely touch to your kitchen, as well as a versatile one that can boost the value of your space.

Bench

If you have a large family or you just want to ditch the barriers, you can install a picnic-style bench in your kitchen. This will transform it into a fun and lively place to sit, eat, chat, and enjoy the company of others.

Plus, you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to designing a bench. For example, you can have a bench on one side of the table and some chairs on the other. Or, the bench can come attached to the table to be used indoors and outdoors. The fun part about benches is that you can really get creative.

Modern Kitchens with LEICHT

LEICHT is a leader in modern luxury cabinets and kitchen displays of all sorts. If you are looking to invest in a functional, stylish, and streamlined kitchen design, this is a great place to start.

Installing new seating arrangements can make your kitchen look and feel better, and can even increase its overall value. If you’re ready to elevate your kitchen to the next level, contact LEICHT online to speak with a representative or request a free design catalog.

Categories: High end homes Kitchen remodeling

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Take Advantage Of Winter Cleaning Your Home for the New Year

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We have all heard of spring cleaning, but deep cleaning a house only once a year just isn’t enough. With all the snow, rain, mud, dirt, and leaves you can track in during the fall and winter, it’s time that winter cleaning becomes popular as well. There is a multitude of things that can make your house dirty and dusty in the winter that we don’t deal with in the spring and summer. In fact, the feeling of clean can be beneficial to all homeowners any time of the year. Be sure to keep your house as clean as possible by using the steam cleaning professionals at Steam Pro.

Winter specific situations that are making the house dirty

You may notice that the house gets a bit dustier in the winter than in the spring. The main reason for this is two-fold. The culprits are the heater and the cold outside.

The heater most likely was not run for six months, so the dust has collected in the vents and ducts. Everyone knows the distinctive smell of the first time you turn on the heater for winter and the dust starts burning. Well, that smell also means that dust is being sent all over your house.

In conjunction with this, the cold weather means that you are keeping the doors and windows shut more than in the spring, which traps the dust. You may not be getting all the pollens from outside coming into the house, but you are also not allowing this trapped dust to escape either.

The fireplace is a big wintertime favorite in most houses, which creates a lot of ash and soot. The rain and snow in the winter create an environment outside for shoes to track in more dirt. Especially with kids or pets, this can become a huge problem if kept unchecked. 

Tips for keeping your house tidy all winter

There are preventative and maintenance measures you can take to keep the house clean during the winter. Replacing filters and cleaning the furnace once a quarter will stop the spreading of dust. This will also improve the air quality in your house, and the efficiency of these appliances.

Don’t forget to pay attention to the vents and intakes throughout the house, and dust them every few months as well. Enforce a no-shoes policy in the house to keep the dirt outside where it belongs. Along with this policy should be a no bare feet outside rule as well. It doesn’t do any good keeping the dirty shoes out of the house if you allow dirty feet to walk the carpets anyway.

Removing clutter and adopting a minimal aesthetic will decrease the amount of places that dust can settle. This makes the house much easier to clean too. Finally, be sure to keep your drains unclogged. The cold weather can create an environment where clogged drains could get worse, and even possibly burst.

Why winter cleaning is a good idea 

No matter how hard we try, the house will not stay clean forever. Dirt is a part of life that we all have learned to live with. But we don’t need to settle for living in a dirty house anymore. Since replacing carpet and rugs would be very costly and inefficient, use the alternative that is just as good.

Having your house deep cleaned would not be complete without the carpets, rugs, and couches getting steamed. These are places that trap dirt and bacteria the most, and now Steam Pro can make you feel like it is all brand new again. Call them today to schedule a winter cleaning, and bring in the New Year feeling fresh, clean, and revitalized. Especially after the holiday season, with many parties and fantastic events, your house will benefit from a deep clean now more than ever.

Categories: High end homes

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