What Are the Pros and Cons of Sintered Stone?
Sintered stone is making appealing impressions within the world market due to its strength and its adaptability, but, within the Australian market, porcelain slabs can be rather offering more adequate value in terms of price, supply, and durability. Having thoroughly examined both choices, we have determined that porcelain and natural stone slabs fit best into most local applications, providing homeowners and designers with solutions that are more dependable to perform over time, as well as provide good flexibility in creating a durable housing design.
Our Stone Slabs Range
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Verde Patagonia Quartzite
Verde Patagonia Quartzite is a captivating natural stone, blending rich jade greens, earthy burgundy, and deep charcoal tones. Striking white crystallisation veining sweeps across the surface, adding brilliance and contrast while enhancing its sense of movement and depth. A bold yet sophisticated choice, this quartzite brings a powerful presence to interiors, making it ideal for statement kitchens, feature walls, or fireplace surrounds in both contemporary and classic settings.
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Toscano Marble
Toscano Marble is an elegant natural stone defined by its warm beige base enriched with delicate red undertones. Unique veining weaves through the surface, layering soft hues of brown and beige that create depth and subtle movement. Striking the perfect balance between understated refinement and natural character, Toscano Marble offers timeless versatility, lending sophistication and warmth to both contemporary and traditional interiors.
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Machia Vechia Marble
Macchia Vecchia Marble is a luxurious white marble distinguished by its refined grey veining and striking gold-copper accents. The interplay of cool and warm tones creates a sophisticated contrast, adding both depth and vibrancy to the stone’s surface. With its elegant balance of subtlety and bold detail, Macchia Vecchia serves as a refined statement piece.
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Rosado Quartzite
Rich, expressive, and full of movement, Rosado Quartzite captures the essence of sculpted earth. Striking ribbons of deep red, soft mauve, and smoky grey fold into one another, creating a fluid topography that feels both powerful and organic. Crystallisation shimmers across the stone, amplifying its depth and natural beauty.
Our Stone Slabs Range
Our Porcelain Slabs For Benchtops
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Cumulus Grey Porcelain
Cumulus Grey is a stylish Porcelain with the effect of concrete. Cumulus Grey Porcelain is a great go to if you are seeking a concrete appearance without the maintenance and cost! Cumulus Grey is heat resistant, chemical resistant and scratch-resistant large format porcelain slabs. These are the ideal contemporary surface for a range of interior and exterior applications.
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Calacatta Nuvolo Porcelain
Calacatta Nuvolo Porcelain captures the essence of luxury with its pristine white base, delicate grey veining, and subtle gold accents. Its understated elegance offers a perfect balance of modern and classic design, suitable for a variety of applications. Loved for its marble-like aesthetic, this porcelain transforms interiors into spaces of timeless sophistication.
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Calacatta Luxe Porcelain
Calacatta Luxe is a porcelain slab inspired by the luxurious patterns of Calacatta Vagli and Calacatta Oro marble. Known by its hues of warm gold and grey fine vein. As a porcelain Panel Calacatta Luxe is heat resistant, chemical resistant and scratch resistant, available as a large format porcelain slabs in satin finish. Calacatta Luxe is perfect for contemporary surfaces for a range of interior and exterior applications.
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Bianco Assoluto Porcelain
Bianco Assoluto is our full-bodied, almost white porcelain in a Matte finish. SinTerra Porcelain Panels are engineered slabs. Many objects from powders, metals, and other minerals combine to create a solid surface. Porcelain Slabs are heat resistant, chemical resistant, and scratch-resistant large format porcelain slabs. These are the ideal contemporary surface for a range of interior and exterior applications.
Our Porcelain Slabs For Benchtops
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Cumulus Grey Porcelain
Cumulus Grey is a stylish Porcelain with the effect of concrete. Cumulus Grey Porcelain is a great go to if you are seeking a concrete appearance without the maintenance and cost! Cumulus Grey is heat resistant, chemical resistant and scratch-resistant large format porcelain slabs. These are the ideal contemporary surface for a range of interior and exterior applications.
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Calacatta Nuvolo Porcelain
Calacatta Nuvolo Porcelain captures the essence of luxury with its pristine white base, delicate grey veining, and subtle gold accents. Its understated elegance offers a perfect balance of modern and classic design, suitable for a variety of applications. Loved for its marble-like aesthetic, this porcelain transforms interiors into spaces of timeless sophistication.
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Calacatta Luxe Porcelain
Calacatta Luxe is a porcelain slab inspired by the luxurious patterns of Calacatta Vagli and Calacatta Oro marble. Known by its hues of warm gold and grey fine vein. As a porcelain Panel Calacatta Luxe is heat resistant, chemical resistant and scratch resistant, available as a large format porcelain slabs in satin finish. Calacatta Luxe is perfect for contemporary surfaces for a range of interior and exterior applications.
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Bianco Assoluto Porcelain
Bianco Assoluto is our full-bodied, almost white porcelain in a Matte finish. SinTerra Porcelain Panels are engineered slabs. Many objects from powders, metals, and other minerals combine to create a solid surface. Porcelain Slabs are heat resistant, chemical resistant, and scratch-resistant large format porcelain slabs. These are the ideal contemporary surface for a range of interior and exterior applications.
Find the Perfect Stone for
Your Project
Pros of Using Sintered Stone
Sintered stone is often praised for its durability, heat resistance, and versatility, making it attractive for modern residential and commercial designs. While these strengths are acknowledged globally, in Australia porcelain slabs offer the same benefits at a more affordable price point, with wider local availability, making them the more practical choice overall.
Heat and Scratch Resistance
Sintered stone is durable, survives intense heat, and scratches easily, resulting in a balanced product suitable for a kitchen or busy space. This is a spectacular demonstration of durability around the world, whereas in Australia, the same heat and scratch resistance can be achieved with porcelain slabs at a much lower price. This makes porcelain a more viable solution to homeowners and designers who require prolonged results without resorting to an expensive task.
Large-Format Slabs
A major benefit of sintered stone is that it can be produced into large-format thin slabs that can be used to install continuous installations on a wall, benchtop, or floor. Though this flexibility is accepted in the global scene, porcelain slabs are also available with the same large-format solutions in Australia. They are cheaper to locally source, more affordable, and are generally popular amongst suppliers, and offer a more viable solution to homeowners and designers who require prolonged results without resorting to an expensive task.
Durability and Low Maintenance
One of the best qualities of sintered stone is its durability, as its high density provides resistance to stains, chips, and day-to-day usage. This has rendered it appealing to both residential and commercial purposes worldwide. Porcelain slabs are equally as strong and easy to maintain at a lower price and are more accessible in the Australian market. All these attributes of porcelain are a combination of durability and practicality, which is why porcelain is the preferred product as far as local projects are concerned.
Hygienic Surface
Aesthetic Versatility
Cons of Sintered Stone
Despite its global popularity, sintered stone faces key challenges in the Australian market. Limited supply, higher costs, and a shorter performance history compared with porcelain and natural stone make it less practical. For most local projects, porcelain and natural stone remain the more reliable, affordable, and readily available alternatives for homeowners and designers.
Limited Suppliers in Australia
In Australia, sintered stone is a fairly new product, with few suppliers ready to supply it in large quantities. This complicates the sourcing process and may only delay the project schedule. Porcelain slabs, on the other hand, are delivered locally all over the country with well-established suppliers, and this means that they have access with little trouble, along with a wide variety of options and fewer disruptions during both the designing and installation processes. Currently, the high supply of porcelain puts it in a very advantageous position among local homeowners and builders.
Higher Cost for Similar Performance
Despite the sintered stone being promoted as a premium product, its cost in Australia remains largely expensive, especially compared with that of porcelain. However, the performance regarding strength, durability, and beauty is relatively similar. Porcelain slabs will provide the same functionality and are much cheaper, providing a superior long-term investment to local homeowners and designers. This renders porcelain a smart investment in terms of use, both involving domestic and business usage.
Newer Product with Shorter Track Record
Sintered stone, being a relatively new product in Australia, does not offer the long-term performance of porcelain as well as natural stone. Homeowners and designers are apprehensive, and they would like to use material that has been proven to be reliable. Porcelain has decades of trusted use in Australian conditions, while natural stone offers unmatched durability and timeless appeal. These are always the safest and surest choices for those who want reliable options.
Porcelain & Natural Stone in the Australian Market
Why Porcelain Slabs Are the Preferred Option
In the Australian context, porcelain slabs have emerged as the most practical alternative to sintered stone. They combine cost-effectiveness, durability, and a wide range of design finishes. Their strong local availability ensures consistency for projects, helping homeowners and designers achieve modern, functional spaces without delays or unnecessary expense.
Natural Stone as the Premium Choice
For projects where natural beauty and individuality are priorities, natural stone slabs remain unmatched. Each slab carries unique patterns and colours, offering character no manufactured product can replicate. In Australia, natural stone continues to be viewed as the luxury benchmark, valued for both durability and timeless aesthetic appeal.
Conclusion
Sintered stone is a strong material with clear benefits, but in the Australian market, porcelain slabs provide superior value due to their availability, affordability, and proven durability. For projects that prioritise uniqueness and timeless elegance, natural stone slabs remain unmatched. At Avant Stone, our porcelain and natural stone ranges are curated to meet the needs of Australian designers and homeowners.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is sintered stone made from?
Sintered stone is produced by compressing natural minerals under extreme heat and pressure. It’s durable and stylish, though porcelain slabs in Australia offer similar performance at a lower cost.
Why is sintered stone less common in Australia?
Sintered stone is less common due to limited suppliers, higher costs, and sourcing delays. Porcelain and natural stone remain more practical and accessible for Australian projects.
Is porcelain really better than sintered stone?
Porcelain provides the same heat, stain, and scratch resistance but is more affordable and widely available in Australia, making it a better overall option for most projects.
When should I choose natural stone instead of porcelain?
Natural stone is ideal when individuality and timeless beauty are priorities. Each slab is unique, delivering a premium finish unmatched by manufactured materials like porcelain.
What’s the maintenance cost of sintered stone?
Sintered stone is non-porous and requires very little maintenance. Sealing is not necessary, and cleaning the stone with mild soap and water is sufficient to keep it as new as possible. This will prevent abrasive or acidic cleaners from destroying the surface. Therefore, caring for sintered stone slabs is very easy since they will look like new ones with hardly any effort.
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Natural Stone Slab Supplier
Avant Stone brings together 20 years of stone industry experience to provide you with a range of globally sourced stone slabs including Marble slabs, Granite slabs and Quartzite Slabs.
We aim provide you quality service and distinctive stone products for your home or your commercial space. Avant Stone is the premier Stone Supplier of Granite, Quartzite and Marble slabs in Sydney.
Our showroom is located centrally in Greenacre, a mere 20 minutes from Sydney & Parramatta CBD.
Give us a call: 0298170037
Email us at: info@avantstone.com.au