Zero Crystalline Silica

A New Era in Stone Surfaces

The stone industry is evolving, driven by the Federal Government’s ban on crystalline silica in engineered stone benchtops.

At Granite Transformations, innovation is in our DNA. With 28 years of experience transforming kitchens and bathrooms with our thin, durable stone, we’ve ensured alignment with these new regulations.

A Seamless Transition To Zero Crystalline Silica

As of 1st July 2024, our existing stone surfaces will undergo a transformation to a new formulation, proudly containing zero crystalline silica.

Our new range maintains the same colours our customers love, and the unmatched durability that has made our stone a staple in over a million homes.

Rest assured, if you have our existing stone in your home, it remains completely safe, and your 10-year warranty still stands.

Key Features of Zero Crystalline Silica Surfaces

Safety: Manufactured with materials containing less than 1% crystalline silica, these surfaces significantly reduce health risks associated with silica dust.

Durability: Maintaining the renowned quality of Granite Transformations, the new surfaces offer heat, stain, and scratch resistance, ensuring longevity.

Aesthetic: Available in a wide range of colours and patterns, including popular options like white kitchen benchtops, these surfaces cater to diverse design preferences.

Applications of Zero Crystalline Silica Surfaces

These innovative surfaces are versatile and suitable for various applications:

Granite Benchtops: Upgrade your kitchen with stylish and safe granite benchtops that enhance both functionality and aesthetics.

Composite Stone Benchtops: Experience the perfect blend of beauty and resilience with composite stone options ideal for modern kitchens.

Granite Kitchen Benches: Transform your cooking space with elegant granite kitchen benches that offer a timeless appeal.

Resurfacing Kitchen Benchtops: Give your existing benchtops a fresh look with resurfacing solutions that are both cost-effective and compliant with safety standards.

Granite Transformations’ Zero Crystalline Silica surfaces offer a safe, durable, and aesthetically pleasing solution for homeowners looking to upgrade their spaces in compliance with new health regulations. With a focus on innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction, these surfaces are an excellent choice for modern kitchen and bathroom transformations.

To explore the range of Zero Crystalline Silica surfaces and learn more about how Granite Transformations can enhance your home contact us for a quote today.

FAQs

Got questions? We’ve got answers. Check out our FAQ section below for more information.

How does Granite Transformations ensure its surfaces comply with new government regulations on engineered stone?

Government regulations require engineered stone to contain less than 1% crystalline silica to meet the latest standards for safety. Granite Transformations adheres to these regulations by testing our surfaces in an accredited Australian laboratory, using X-Ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD) to verify compliance. This testing certifies that our materials meet regulatory requirements and maintain the highest quality standards. Test results are made available and are regularly updated here, offering transparency and assurance of compliance.

What is the difference between the Zero Crystalline Silica surfaces and the banned engineered stone?

The new Zero Crystalline Silica range is manufactured in the same way as traditional engineered stone, but with a key difference in the raw materials used. The banned engineered stone contains natural stone materials like quartz that include crystalline silica. In contrast, our Zero Crystalline Silica surfaces are made from recycled glass, offering a safer product for fabricators when proper safety practices are followed.

Do the new Zero Crystalline Silica surfaces offer the same durability?

Despite the change in composition, the new surfaces maintain the same renowned durability, including heat, stain and scratch resistance.

When will the Zero Crystalline Silica range be available?

We are working to transition our full range by the end of 2024. Many of our colours are already available in the new formulation, and we will continue to add colours in the months ahead.

What does the * mean?

* Contains less than 1% crystalline silica, aligning with the Minister’s exception for engineered stone products with trace levels of crystalline silica (under 1%).

If I have Granite Transformations’ engineered stone benchtops in my home, am I at risk?

Once installed in homes, our surfaces pose no harm to consumers. The potential health risk is in the unsafe practices during the fabrication process.

Can my existing Granite Transformations benchtop be repaired after 1 July 2024?

Yes. Our 10-year warranty applies to all of our surfaces, regardless of any Government changes. Ministers have agreed to appropriate exceptions on the ban for activities such as repair, removal, minor modification, and disposal of engineered stone products installed prior to the prohibition (legacy products).

How does Granite Transformations ensure the safety of workers in the stone industry?

Due to the thickness of our slabs, combined with the use of H class vacuums and appropriate PPE, Granite Transformations boasts one of the safest methods when it comes to cutting and fabricating engineered stone. Following our Safe Operating Practices also allows us to be able to cut on-site without risk to the customer.

Our workshops have conducted air monitoring testing, resulting in well below industry standard levels of respirable crystalline silica workplace exposure.

Granite Transformations are proud to report that in the 28 years of operation no tradesmen have been affected by Silicosis.

What are Silica and Quartz?

Quartz is the most common mineral on earth, and can take on many forms. It’s most commonly found as sand on our beaches, other examples are sandstone, marble and granite. These materials contain a number of things including Crystalline Silica, which is a compound of silicon and oxygen.

Crystalline Silica is a component of many manufactured products in daily use, such as glass, pottery and sintered stone surfaces. Silica is very commonly used in construction and at various concentrations in bricks, blocks, tiles, slabs, cement and concrete.

What is Silicosis?

Silicosis is an occupational lung disease that has been known about for more than a century and associated with many industries, with engineered stone being one of them. It may affect workers who are exposed to crystalline silica (quartz) when not using the correct safety measures.

The disease forms when silica dust particles become trapped in lung tissues, causing inflammation and scarring, and reducing the lung’s ability to take in oxygen.

Silicosis and other diseases associated with respirable crystalline silica (RCS) are 100% preventable with the correct safety measures.

Zero Crystalline Silica

A New Era in Stone Surfaces