Scratch resistance: a comparison of kitchen surfaces
Recently, scratch-resistant surfaces have been increasingly talked about. In reality, no kitchen surface in existence is completely scratch-resistant.Any surface can be scratched with an object made of tougher materials, or with materials that have the same rigidity as the kitchen countertop.
To understand which material resists this effect better, the Italian company Valcucine, which has been a trendsetter in the world of kitchens for more than 35 years, has carried out special scratch and scuff resistance tests on different types of surfaces.
Samples of the following materials were selected for comparison:
- stainless steel
- artificial acrylic stone
- quartz conglomerate
- compact laminate (HPL)
- glass
- natural marble
- natural granite
- ceramic
Wood, in this case, was not considered, because this material is not quite suitable for the manufacture of a kitchen countertop, especially in areas of contact with the sink or hob.
To understand which surface resists scratching and scuffing better, all the samples were scratched with sharp objects of different hardness materials.
So, the best resistance showed a ceramic surface. Samples made of granite and marble were also rated "excellent".
Less resistant, with a rating of "good" were the surfaces made of HPL and tempered glass.
Marble showed moderate resistance to scratches. Stainless steel and artificial acrylic stone were the least resistant to scratches.
But analyzing the results, Valcucine says that scratches show up differently on different surfaces. Here much depends on the processing (scratches are not as noticeable on embossed surfaces as on smooth ones) and on the color (they are less noticeable on a light surface than on a dark one, and on a mottled one they are not as visible as on a solid-colored one).
That is why when choosing a kitchen surface, it should be understood that minor scratches can not be avoided, but by choosing, for example, mottled textured décor. And that is the most important thing, because the owners are not really worried about scratches, but about the fact that they somewhat spoil the perfect appearance of the surface.
