The stone stood up to their tests, so like many other architects, Power quickly embraced the product’s winning combination of good looks at a good price.
Just a few decades on, the allure of the wonder product has been stymied. A direct link has been found between processing the quartz compound used to make engineered stone, and silicosis – the debilitating, incurable and sometimes fatal lung disease that has been associated with masonry work since antiquity, and is the world’s oldest recognised occupational disease. Its cause: breathing in too many fine silica dust particles for too long.Some engineered stone contains over 95% silica (while granite typically contains about 30%) and the risk to those processing it is significant. WorkSafe Australia has recommended a complete ban on its import and installation, and major retailers including Ikea and Bunnings have promised to phase out the product.
This means architects, builders and renovators have been left searching for safer options that won’t compromise the final result or blow out renovation budgets.
Power says compound wood options are the most affordable of any benchtop on the market. However, she cautions against using wooden benchtops around the sink. They can work for kitchen islands and around stovetops, though. Wood’s appeal lies in the ability to sand it back and change its colour on a whim.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/nov/16/engineered-stone-benchtops-alternatives-what-are-best-australia-ban-silicosis