Sintered Stone
The most technically advanced surface in modern furniture.
Sintered stone — marketed under brand names including Dekton, Lapitec, and Neolith — represents the highest technical specification available in surface materials. It is scratch-proof, non-porous, fully UV-stable, heat-resistant to over 300°C, and requires no sealing. For outdoor furniture in Panama's tropical climate, it is the definitive choice.
Sintered stone is produced by applying extreme heat and pressure to a mixture of raw minerals — the same materials found in glass, quartz, and porcelain — in a process that replicates, at accelerated timescale, the geological forces that form natural stone. The result is a vitrified surface with near-zero porosity and exceptional hardness.
At Marcelina, we specify sintered stone as the standard surface material for outdoor furniture commissions — pool decks, terraces, and garden dining — and as a premium indoor specification for clients who want a surface that will outlast everything around it with essentially no maintenance.
Hoe gesinterd steen wordt gemaakt
Het sinterproces begint met een nauwkeurig gecontroleerd mengsel van natuurlijke mineralen: silica, klei, veldspaat en glas. Dit mengsel wordt onder vacuümdruk tot een plaat gevormd en vervolgens in een oven gebakken bij temperaturen van meer dan 1.200 °C, terwijl het gelijktijdig wordt blootgesteld aan 400 bar compressiedruk. Deze combinatie van extreme hitte en druk verglaast het materiaal - de deeltjes versmelten op moleculair niveau tot één enkel, niet-poreus geheel.
The result is a material with a hardness approaching that of natural diamond, a Mohs rating of 9+ on polished surfaces. The vitrification process eliminates porosity entirely — there are no pores, no capillary paths for water or staining agents. The colour and pattern are distributed through the full thickness of the slab, so the surface cannot be worn through to reveal a different substrate.
Hoe gesinterd steen eruitziet
Modern gesinterd steen bootst natuursteen met uitzonderlijke trouw na. Dekton's Liquid-collectie produceert overtuigende marmerlooks; hun Chromica-assortiment bootst metalen en beton na. Neolith biedt een reeks die hout, marmer en industriële betonlooks omvat. In tegenstelling tot tegelachtige producten van de vorige generatie, zijn de huidige grootformaat platen van gesinterd steen dimensionaal stabiel genoeg voor volledig geloofwaardige steennabootsing.
Sintered stone is available in thicknesses from 4mm (used for cladding and thin applications) to 20mm for table tops and 30mm for architectural uses. The large-format slabs — up to 3.2m x 1.4m — allow dining tables and surfaces to be produced without visible joins, something impossible with natural stone at large dimensions.
Marble-Look Sintered
The most popular category. Replicates Calacatta, Statuario, and Marquina with digital-print fidelity. UV-stable — usable outdoors unlike quartz.
Concrete & Industrial
Textured, contemporary, with industrial gravitas. Ideal for outdoor dining and terrace furniture.
Stone & Slate Looks
Replicates granite, slate, quartzite, and limestone surfaces with through-body colour. Excellent for both indoor and outdoor use.
Thinline (4–6 mm)
Ultra-thin format for cladding, wall panels, and lightweight applications. Requires a substrate but reduces weight significantly.
Why sintered stone is the definitive outdoor material for Panama
In Panama's tropical climate, sintered stone performs without limitation in every application — indoor, outdoor, covered, or uncovered. Unlike quartz, it does not degrade under UV. Unlike marble and travertine, it does not etch, absorb moisture, or require sealing. Unlike cast concrete, it does not weather or discolour in rain and sun. It is simply the highest-performance specification available.
For pool surrounds, terrace dining tables, and outdoor kitchen surfaces — common requirements in Panama's Costa del Este apartments, Santa María homes, and beach properties — sintered stone is what we specify as standard. Salt air, chlorine splash, tropical rain, and intense direct sun have no effect on the surface.
Indoors, the only consideration is that sintered stone's extreme hardness means that anything dropped on it is likely to damage the dropped object rather than the surface. Wine glasses and ceramic plates have less margin for error than they would on a softer surface. This is a minor practical note, not a performance limitation.
In essentie onderhoudsvrij
| Afdichten | None required, ever. Sintered stone is non-porous and vitrified. A sealer would simply sit on the surface and offer no benefit. |
| Daily cleaning | Any household cleaner — including bleach, acidic cleaners, and abrasive products — can be used without damage. A damp cloth is sufficient for everyday use. |
| Schoonmaak buiten | Pressure washing is entirely safe. No special outdoor maintenance required. Surface properties are identical indoors and outdoors. |
| Warmte | Fully heat-resistant to over 300°C. Pots, pans, and open flame from outdoor cooking cause no damage. The only outdoor surface we specify with unreserved confidence for built-in barbecue surrounds. |
| Scratching | Near scratch-proof. Rated Mohs 9+. Steel knife blades will not scratch sintered stone — though a steel blade dragged with significant force will eventually leave a mark on any surface. |
Sintered Stone — pros and cons
Advantages
- Volledig UV-bestendig — ideaal voor buitengebruik in Panama
- Niet-poreus — nooit kitten
- Hittebestendig tot 300°C+
- Kras- en slagvast
- Through-body colour — surface cannot be worn through
Limitations
- Hogere prijs dan kwarts en marmer
- Extreem hard — kwetsbare voorwerpen lopen risico
- Vereist gespecialiseerde fabricage- en snijgereedschappen
- Beperkt tot de maten en kleuren van de fabrikant
- Cannot be repaired — damaged sections must be replaced
Waar we opgeven
sintered stone.
Sintered stone is our standard specification for all outdoor dining tables, coffee tables, and terrace surfaces. In Panama's climate — salt air, intense UV, tropical rain, pool proximity — no other material delivers the same combination of visual quality and zero-maintenance performance.
For indoor applications, we specify sintered stone for clients who want absolute confidence in their investment: a dining table surface that will outlast the home it sits in, look identical in twenty years to the day it was delivered, and never require a sealer, a polish, or a moment of concern about an acid spill.
Bespreek een geperst steenstukWe work with Dekton (Cosentino), Neolith, and Lapitec through established Panamanian distributors. We assist clients in selecting from the current range, obtain physical samples, and can arrange showroom visits to compare options at scale. Fabrication is carried out by specialist waterjet and CNC cutting shops with experience in ultra-compact surfaces.
We specify sintered stone with particular confidence for beach home and resort commissions in Panama — Coronado, Pedasi, and the Pacific Coast — where outdoor furniture must perform for years without attention. Combined with our powder-coated aluminium or teak frames, sintered stone tops create outdoor pieces that are, practically speaking, indestructible.