Can We Use Lightweight Stones In Furniture?

by Julia
Last updated February 9, 2023

Did you know that besides wall claddings, floorings, and ceilings, we can also use lightweight stones to create furniture?

We can use laminated stone for stylish tables with the thin stone sheets and backing of choice. When traditional stones are not in the budget or preference, lightweight ones may fit.

This article will tell you how we use lightweight stones in furniture. We also included their benefits such as in commercial buildings or residential spaces.

Building Furniture With Lightweight Stone Panels

We often supply stores or projects with stone composite panels. But they usually use it for purposes such as wall cladding, ceilings, elevator cabs, or floorings.

When it comes to furniture, laminated stones are a great alternative. Contrary to the misconception, they are not the same as the commonly engineered ones.

An engineered marble table will usually be 90% composed of crushed stones like quartz. The other 10% are a variety of materials that can be metal, colored glass, and the like. Polymer adhesive is what binds these compositions together.

On the other hand, a lightweight marble table will have a thin sheet of natural marble stone and backing. We usually use an aluminum honeycomb as the base.

The stone sheet can be as thin as 5 mm, depending on the project specifications. The backing can be 10 to 15 mm.

How Are Lightweight Furniture and Fixtures Built?

This section will explain how Sinodec creates lightweight furniture. Some examples of the latter are tabletops, countertops, sinks, and even vanities.

Choosing the Laminated Stone

The first step is when our clients choose the type of laminated stone that they want us to use for the furniture. Our factory’s showroom has a variety of lightweight stones to choose from, and you can check it by doing any of the following:

visiting the showroom in person;
asking us to send pictures of the collection;
asking us to send you a sample of the stone laminate (this comes at a cost) and;
having a sourcing or buying agent check the collection for you.

We personalize our lightweight stones and we accept designs from the client as well. The latter can also communicate with our company’s designers.

Once the client has selected a stone, we will now proceed to arrange the stock of the available lightweight slabs. We can manufacture the stone composites if personalized.

Creating the Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

Our designers use computer software to create precise product layouts. At this stage, Sinodec’s designers do their best to apply client specifications.

We provide both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) layouts containing the following:

the target finished product and;
the product or parts template with specific measurements and dimensions.

The second layout is essential because these are the precise drawing of each part. For example, the tabletop and the four legs.

Later on, we will use the detailed drawing of the parts together with the digital saw for accurate cutting and measurements. For us not to be confused, we also number each piece of furniture.

Design Checking By the Client

This is a crucial part of the production process. Always have the client check the layout of the finished product. We also include the specifications such as height, width, length, and weight.

Our factory often performs bulk productions of laminated furniture. Before we start with the manufacturing, we have to ensure that the client agrees with the proposed output. The layout also has to match their design expectations.

Cutting Using the Digital Saw

Once we get the approval, we can now proceed to cut the parts. Some factories still cut manually, but we prefer using the digital saw. It gives us speed and precision, especially with bulk orders.

A digital saw is an automatic cutting machine. All we have to do is program it to match the template or parts layout of the lightweight stone furniture and it will cut at the exact size.

Digital saws have a feature where you scan the barcode from the printed template layout. The machine will immediately receive the copy and cut the lightweight stone accordingly.

Honing the Edge With the Pro-Edge Machine

After we cut the lightweight stone according to the furniture parts template, we will perfect it by putting it on the Pro-Edge machine. The latter can do all the work when it comes to shaping the edges of the furniture.

For example, we want our lightweight marble tabletop to have a bullnose edge. We can also have it in a half bullnose or eased edge, along with other types of honing depending on your choice.

Performing Product Quality Check

After we finish the production of the furniture, we have to perform a quality check on the products. This is to ensure that not even the slightest damage is present.

We always encourage our clients to see the finished results by themselves for transparency. If they cannot be physically present, they may also send their buying agent.

Packing and Arranging the Lightweight Furniture for Shipment

This is the last but fundamental stage. We have to take care of the shipping, especially when we are going to export lightweight furniture to another country.

Bubble-wrapping the tabletop or any other stone laminate furniture or fixture is crucial. We always perform this before placing them in crates with styrofoam.

Securing the crates with screws or staples is also essential, together with their position in transit.

Lightweight Furniture vs. Traditional Stone Furniture

At Sinodec, we promote both types of furniture. Choosing either one of them will provide the space with elegance and value. Of course, they also keep the necessary functionality.

However, some of the traits of lightweight stone furniture will stand out to some customers which we will briefly list in this section.

We will not include that laminated stone has less weight because…well, that is why we call it lightweight stone.

Increased Water Resistance

Kitchen fixtures or any furniture that will be exposed to liquid will benefit from this quality because we can save the worries from water seeping through and creating hairline cracks afterward.

This quality of lightweight furniture will also help us easily clean spills, keeping it free from stains.

While traditional stones also have strong water resistance, it is not at par with lightweight ones. Reinforced by its aluminum honeycomb backing and aerospace epoxy, water is almost not a problem.

Flexibility in Designs

While Sinodec has complete equipment to hone a traditional stone into a kitchen countertop or sink, lightweight stones are easier to shape to fit furniture expectations.

It saves us time and leaves us room for designs that are out of the ordinary.

Cost-Effectiveness

Traditional stones can be expensive because of their natural beauty and durability, which is why they are not in everyone’s budget. So when we get asked for alternatives, we suggest lightweight stones for furniture.

While lightweight stones are not exactly low-priced either, the cost may be lower than the traditional ones and we get a stronger quality for our fixtures.

But if you have the budget for a pure white marble slab, we also support this choice; nothing could go wrong with natural stones.

Conclusion

Using lightweight stones in furniture is an unpopular yet innovative way to decorate our spaces. The benefits of using the material lie in the strengthened resistance to water damage and the flexibility in the aesthetic designs.

Manufacturing stone composite furniture requires advanced equipment such as: