Material Finishes

Most people tend to think polished counter tops when it comes to stone finishes, and those are usually limited to the polished, honed or brushed finishes. However modern technology has produced many innovative ways of producing different textures. For advice on choosing a material, check out our material and stone guide.

 

Polished

Shiny, smooth and with a high gloss is typical of a polished finish. The polished finish brings out the rich colours of the stone and enhances natural patterning and veining. The polishing process usually reduces the porosity of the material improving the resistance to chemical and biological attack. It is slippery when wet and should be avoided on the flooring.

Honed

The stone is ground to a smooth and flat surface but is left with a matte finish. This leaves the material more porous than a polished finish however it reflects little to no light. This finish is typical of external cladding for Next stores throughout the country. Has average slip resistance and will appear lighter than a polished finish.

Flamed

Only applicable to granite, hard limestone and hard marble. Using oxyacetylene flames at over 2000 degrees and promptly cooled with water, the temperature shock causes the material to release small chips and crystals. This process brings out the crystals adding to its sparkle. Note this finish can affect the overall strength of the material and an increase in thickness is suggested to account for this. Very good slip resistance.

Leather / Brush / Satin

This finish has many names but ultimately mean the same thing. Brushing is achieved through brushing the stone with steel or hard nylon brushes. Since natural stone has different crystals throughout some are more resistant to brushing than others, which produces its textured or ridged finish, Has good slip resistance but does increase the porosity of the material.

Scored / Grooved

Through using saw blades each slab is post processed to include a grove throughout. Any material can be scored, so you can combine various stone finishes together to produce a unique effect. Saw blades can have different grades of diamond coating to produce different degrees of polish also. Check out our Next project as an example.

Textile

Using very fine metallic scrapers, they are scored over the material to produce a very fine textile effect. This is appealing to indoor applications as an interesting alternative to wallpaper or textile wall finishes. Very good slip resistance.

Sandblasted

As the name suggests, the surface of the material is blasted with fine particles of sand at high speed. Combinations of pressure and sand particle sizes produce different levels of sandblasting. With a uniform application you can achieve a flat but textured finish which isn't as coarse as other textures. Average to good slip resistance.

Bush Hammered

Using a bush hammer, the stone face is repeatedly bashed to produce a textured finish. This produces quite a random finish with a high degree of coarseness. Material colour typically comes out lighter than polished. Very good slip resistance.

Wood

Using a uni-directional textile finish combined with brushing produces a unique wood like appearance. Satin enough as to not reflect light yet smooth to touch. Average slip resistance.

Laser / Waterjet

Through the use of lasers or waterjet, detailed patterns can be engraved into the surface. Varying degrees of engraving are possible which produce different shades of stone. The slip resistance can be high depending on the design of the engraving.