INSTALLATION OF STONE WORKS FOR DEKTON IN YOUR KITCHEN PART 2

It must be taken into account that to avoid damaging the material during its handling, continuous boards will be necessary on the easels, that these are aligned and protected at their base with wood or plastic protections, and avoid direct contact with the metal.

During transportation, the use of wide-amplitude gripping pliers is recommended, similar to those used when handling glassy materials, and never transporting more than two boards per plier. Rubber slings are highly used in the transportation of these boards as well.

Vertical transport is extremely important both when gripped with the gripper and manually by the operators, especially when the part already contains holes inside.

How should this material be installed?

For the installation of the material, the same procedures are followed as those used when installing a conventional material such as Natural stone or quartz. Therefore, correct leveling and a good base of support in the cabinet will be needed to avoid future problems.

The use of suction cups with high traction power is recommended to help in its placement. This substantially improves the comfort for the installers and at the same time, the placement of the part in its final place is safely protected. It is also possible to use metal profiles that form frames that are anchored to the worktop or piece that we are transporting and provide us with greater rigidity and safety.

Lastly, if the worktop is mitered and can hide reinforcements, it can be placed on a kitchen unit with modulated openings; however, if the worktop is straight-edged, it must have a completely continuous surface with full support.
The main cause of breakage and chipping in Dekton during processing can be caused by not working with the approved tool and the parameters that we must use for said tool. Being a material with a very high hardness property, impacts can cause small chips. On the other hand, bad practices can also cause problems.

Working with the traditional method of making materials such as quartz or granite can cause deficiencies in the production of Dekton; it is necessary to change concepts of cutting, handling, and installation to be successful with this material

The importance of having adequate equipment to cut dekton and porcelain

Dekton, among other alternative stone materials, continues to grow in popularity for applications such as countertops, flooring, and both interior and exterior wall cladding. Being a hard dense product, it is crucial to use appropriate tooling during the fabrication process. Carlos Sustaita, production director for STA Granite, provides several important tips of advice for those working with compact sintered stone.

Why do products such as Dekton need special/different tools than those that are used for cutting granite and marble?

Material hardness is the key to understanding why you need different tools to fabricate Dekton. The material has a

very high density (ultra-compact), which means that if you don’t use proper tools, you can either break the tool or the material or even worse, damage the machinery.

The cutting process requires trimming the edges to release tensions. Then you have to follow cutting recommendations, which include using plenty of water, the proper speed, feed rate, etc. Once you follow the rules, it’s a piece of cake.

When doing edging on Dekton, What is the difference in the process compared to a natural stone?

In this sense, Dekton’s edge is very easy to work with since the material is very homogeneous, and it is easy to get very good results. Any fabricator can do it well on the first attempt.

What are some common mistakes that fabricators are making when it comes to cutting this material? And, what are some common mistakes with doing edging or doing sinkholes or something?

The main mistake is trying to fabricate Dekton as if it was a granite or quartz composite. You will fail if you use the same tools, speed rates, and so on. Another common mistake is trying to cut Dekton in uneven support. It is a common source of problems too.

Sometimes people ask about what machine is best to cut Dekton. I believe the key is not the machine but the tools and proper maintenance. I have seen people with very modest equipment doing amazing things and the other way around.

7 Keys for Cutting Ultra-Compact and Sintered Dekton and Porcelain Materials

1. Water

It may seem too simple or too intuitive to matter, but less than adequate water AND hoses positioned incorrectly is the most common error causing headaches among cutting these materials.

2. Check your table level

One of the more overlooked aspects of successful cutting is, to the degree that your table is not level in the horizontal plane, vibrations will occur. This unevenness can result in chipping and likely breaking the edge of your slab.

3. Buy the right blade

As cliche, as it may sound, choosing the right blade for the material you are processing, is critical.

4. Removing tensioning strips

While each manufacturer of ultra-compact and sintered porcelain materials may, or may not have tensioning strips built into the perimeters of each slab, if they are not removed before cutting, the slab is at higher risk of cracking or breaking.

5. Feed rate and RPMs

Using the same feed rate and RPMs you may be accustomed to when cutting other materials can be a recipe for trouble. Unlike fabricating more common materials such as marble and granite, we’ve seen the most success cutting ultra-compact and sintered porcelain materials when following a systemized approach is used.

6. Avoiding Plunging

While plunge cutting tends to be of little concern for most sawyers when cutting ultra-compact and sintered porcelain materials it can pose big problems resulting in cracking or breaking your slab.

7. Cutting Sinks

Projects requiring a sink cut-out can be an obstacle many fabricators dread. Since we already know plunging is not the ideal way to go about this, what are your options? When preparing a sink cut-out, it is advised to drill each of the four corners with a 1/2” core bit before to start initiating cutting.