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View Full Version : Countertop Material...Has Anyone Used "Nano Glass"?



Joe Angrisani
10-16-2011, 9:01 AM
We are in the process of finalizing choices in the new master bath. We both love stone/granite, but the stuff Mother Nature's whipped up doesn't match our ideas for a bathroom. Even "Kashmir White" and "Bianco Romano" granites are really grey, fairly well-patterned slabs. Clashes something awful with the strong elements in our tile choices and Beck's zebrawood-or-bubinga vanity wish. The slab material will be a tub deck, two-hole vanity top, shower threshold, and shower bench top.

We looked at Silestone and other quartz/Okite stuff, but it has a very "laboratory-ish" look to us. Close to a classic white, but not quite there.

Then yesterday we saw "Nano Glass" at a stone place. Absolutely pure white and a perfect compliment to our design idea. Nano Glass is a man-made quartz-something-or-other that comes in 2cm by 56" by 112" slabs, and for all intents and purposes, it seems to look, act, last and (almost) machines like granite. And just about impervious to stains. They had a finished sample with bullnosed and rounded edges, glued seams, etc. Again - looked just like pure white granite.

Having seen it at just one place, and having never heard of it before, I thought I'd ask the SMC Collective what they knew. Has anybody out there used Nano Glass or have any experience with it?

Jim Koepke
10-16-2011, 12:47 PM
No experience, but maybe a caveat...

Ask about color variability. In other words, ask if the color you see in the store is what you will be receiving on delivery. Sometimes this can also be checked if there are multiple retailers of the same product to check their samples. Of course, if they all got their samples from the same batch this wouldn't prove anything.

I have seen many display items that are much different from the actual delivered product. This is not uncommon with man made materials of some kinds.

My suggestion for this is mostly based on your expression of having a desire for the "right color" to match other items.

jtk

Joe Angrisani
10-16-2011, 3:13 PM
Thanks Jim. Good advice.

We would be buying a particular slab in this case. The stone shop had 6 or 7 White Nano Glass slabs in stock.

Jim Koepke
10-16-2011, 3:50 PM
Thanks Jim. Good advice.

We would be buying a particular slab in this case. The stone shop had 6 or 7 White Nano Glass slabs in stock.

In that case you will know what you are getting.

So many places today have one ordering from a catalog and hoping for the best.

jtk

Joe Angrisani
10-17-2011, 9:52 AM
Bump for the midweek crowd.....

Has anybody out there used Nano Glass or have any experience with it?

Belinda Barfield
10-17-2011, 1:36 PM
Joe,

Nano glass is new to me, so thanks for posting. The best information I could find on the product is in the link below. This is a Chinese product that is 75% silica, but nowhere can I find information on what makes up the other 25% of the product other than some vague references to resins. I have nothing agains Chinese products, but having worked in the stone industry for going on 11 years now I would recommend a bit of caution on using this until it has been around a little longer. It is typical for natural stone products imported from China to be impregnated with resins and dyes. There currently isn't any testing done on these products. Black Chinese marble is heavily dye impregnated. Even if your countertops aren't going to have food contact there may be issues with off gassing of these resins in the man made materials. Having said all of that, no testing is done on countertop materials maufactured in the US, but our occupational safety laws help eliminate the use of some toxins that aren't monitored at all in other countries.

Just my 2 cents. Have you considered White Thassos marble? It is the truest white natural stone available. DuPont's Zodiaq Cloud White is the purest I've seen of the quartz surfacing materials, but it also has recycled glass flecks. DuPont's Corian Designer White is the purest of the solid surface materials.

http://media.arizonatile.com/pis/docs/slab/glass/Nano-Glass.pdf

Joe Angrisani
10-17-2011, 2:12 PM
Funny you post that link, Belinda. Arizona Tile is the slab showroom place we went to here in Denver.

Thanks for your suggestions. From what we've been told, marble is not the way to go. Very soft so it physically scratches, and highly prone to chemical etching and staining. But we're all ears if you have something to add from experience.

Maybe it all comes back to Corian. Any idea of slab sizes with Corian (and Zodiaq Cloud White I suppose).

Belinda Barfield
10-17-2011, 2:45 PM
Funny you post that link, Belinda. Arizona Tile is the slab showroom place we went to here in Denver.

Thanks for your suggestions. From what we've been told, marble is not the way to go. Very soft so it physically scratches, and highly prone to chemical etching and staining. But we're all ears if you have something to add from experience.

Maybe it all comes back to Corian. Any idea of slab sizes with Corian (and Zodiaq Cloud White I suppose).

Arizona Tile is the only place I know of that is offering this product in the US.

Marble - all depends on what you want from a product. Here's my take on America versus Europe, et. al. Americans seem to want the newest, the shiniest, the glitziest. That's one of the reasons we use more granite than marble, and more quartz surfacing. The Europeans seem to accept a material for what it is an allow it to become what it will, as with marble. Marble will age and develop it's own personality over time. Yes, it is prone to staining, scratching and will etch with little exposure to any acidic solution including citric acid, vinegar, wine, etc. The surface of marble can be honed to provide a matte finish that hides etching but it is still going to be susceptible to staining.

Be aware that Corian is prone to scratching as well, but that is something you can buff out yourself. Corian is not heat resistant. Corian is not stain resistant. Red wine, blueberries, and tomato sauce will not be your friends. Having said that, Clorox Clean Up works wonders. Corian is available in 1/2" x 30" x 145" sheets. Zodiaq comes 55" x 120" in 2 cm and 3 cm thicknesses. Another thing to keep in mind is that Corian seams between sections of countertop, if done properly, are virtually invisible (I say invisible but have to throw in the DuPont "virtually"). There is no natural stone or quartz surfacing material that will allow for invisible seams.

Corian countertop edges are typically have laminated edge strips that allow for the appearance of the thicker tops. If you have cabinets that are out of level and you need to cover a small gap Corian (or laminated edge stone) is a good choice. Stone countertops typically sit on the top of the cabinets and any gaps have to be caulked and painted.

Corian allows for an integral sink mount which is more sanitary and cleaner in appearance. Stone only allows for drop in or undermount sink installation. If you are undermounting a sink I would recommend a negative reveal, or stone overhang, mounting as with a positive reveal crud can just junk up on the sink lip that shows.

I could go on and on. Feel free to ask further specific questions as they come to mind.

Larry Edgerton
10-21-2011, 7:09 AM
Belinda, I had no idea. A countertop Guru! Cool.....

Not to steal your thread Joe, but what do you think of concrete countertops? I agree with the "Not lived in" look that is the rage it seems. I hate granite, tried it, didn't like it. Always cold, broke all my glasses, and sucked all the heat out of any dish set on it.

In my schoolhouse reproduction I want something that looks old, so I was thinking of trying my hand at concrete.

Oh, add mustard to your list of stuff that stains Corian. Had white Corian in one house, with a big mustard stain. Couldn't get it out so I rubbed the whole countertop with mustard.... That worked.

Larry

Belinda Barfield
10-21-2011, 8:15 AM
Belinda, I had no idea. A countertop Guru! Cool.....

Not to steal your thread Joe, but what do you think of concrete countertops? I agree with the "Not lived in" look that is the rage it seems. I hate granite, tried it, didn't like it. Always cold, broke all my glasses, and sucked all the heat out of any dish set on it.

In my schoolhouse reproduction I want something that looks old, so I was thinking of trying my hand at concrete.

Oh, add mustard to your list of stuff that stains Corian. Had white Corian in one house, with a big mustard stain. Couldn't get it out so I rubbed the whole countertop with mustard.... That worked.

Larry

LOL . . . apparently I'm the closest thing to a Countertop Guru until someone else chimes in.

I'm going to address your questions in another thread so we aren't hijacking Joe's thread.

Joe Angrisani
10-24-2011, 12:45 PM
Countertop Guru. Julep Guru. Seems she does it all, Larry!

I have found a place here in Denver that has worked with Nano Glass (as well as other glass products including an artsy glass material that sorta looks like cardboard with it's laminated layers). After considering Silestone and Corian, we have decided to stick with Nano Glass. When machined and finished, it really looks like the white porcelain of a toilet or sink, and is the only material we've seen that gives the look and durability we want. As I said earlier, it really looks like pure white granite (sorry Larry - we like granite and other slab stones). To top it off, it turns out Nano Glass is cheaper than granite, Silestone, Corian, quartzite and every other slab material we considered. THAT never happens. :)

I'll update as we work through the process and post pictures when I have something to photograph. This being a DIY remodel, single-worker-me advances much slower than a team of hired hands, especially when the rest of life's wonderful diversions are factored in.

Belinda Barfield
10-24-2011, 12:55 PM
Please do keep us posted, Joe. I look forward to seeing the photos and hearing the details.

Joe Angrisani
01-30-2012, 10:50 AM
An update in the World's Slowest Renovation.....

We did go with Nano Glass, and the slab pieces are installed. The stone shop doubled up the edges, so the 2cm Nano Glass finished with the look of 1-1/4" material. We are very happy with the look and the quality of the finished edges. No tearout or cracks or chipping. And absolutely pure white.

221882 221883 221884

samantha hampton
05-30-2012, 10:49 AM
Hi Joe - I looked at your photos of the nano glass. I've only seen it once before. There's nothing quite like it. So far so good? - Samantha Hampton
We are in the process of finalizing choices in the new master bath. We both love stone/granite, but the stuff Mother Nature's whipped up doesn't match our ideas for a bathroom. Even "Kashmir White" and "Bianco Romano" granites are really grey, fairly well-patterned slabs. Clashes something awful with the strong elements in our tile choices and Beck's zebrawood-or-bubinga vanity wish. The slab material will be a tub deck, two-hole vanity top, shower threshold, and shower bench top.

We looked at Silestone and other quartz/Okite stuff, but it has a very "laboratory-ish" look to us. Close to a classic white, but not quite there.

Then yesterday we saw "Nano Glass" at a stone place. Absolutely pure white and a perfect compliment to our design idea. Nano Glass is a man-made quartz-something-or-other that comes in 2cm by 56" by 112" slabs, and for all intents and purposes, it seems to look, act, last and (almost) machines like granite. And just about impervious to stains. They had a finished sample with bullnosed and rounded edges, glued seams, etc. Again - looked just like pure white granite.

Having seen it at just one place, and having never heard of it before, I thought I'd ask the SMC Collective what they knew. Has anybody out there used Nano Glass or have any experience with it?

Prashun Patel
05-30-2012, 11:54 AM
Neat thread. Thanks for the idea, Joe.

Joe Angrisani
05-30-2012, 12:33 PM
Hi Joe - I looked at your photos of the nano glass. I've only seen it once before. There's nothing quite like it. So far so good?

We are absolutely 100% pleased with the Nano Glass. The pure white is what we love so much, and the durability is amazing. I have a few sample pieces that I've let cigars burn out on, soaked in pomegranate juice, covered in gel toothpaste for a week, and dripped bright blue, green and red wax on, and EVERYTHING just wipes clean with damp rag.

Jim Becker
05-30-2012, 3:57 PM
Joe, when you get an opportunity, it would be nice to see some photos of the finished renovation so we can all appreciate the overall design!

Chris Padilla
05-30-2012, 4:27 PM
Blueberries and red wine, Joe. Oh, and tomato sauce...and maybe mustard. See if those stain! How about a hot pot of water? What about scraping a cast iron pan across it? :)

samantha hampton
06-14-2012, 2:23 AM
tomorrow we are having the first counter top of the slab installed. our bathroom redo is all white with very clean lines and I can't imagine using granite or marble.

Belinda Barfield
06-14-2012, 7:10 AM
Blueberries and red wine, Joe. Oh, and tomato sauce...and maybe mustard. See if those stain! How about a hot pot of water? What about scraping a cast iron pan across it? :)

Ridiculous Chris! Who would do such things? :D Actually, the foods you mention should not stain the nanoglass. The cast iron pan? Yes, that could be an issue.

Claus Wagner
04-23-2013, 11:31 AM
Joe,
I just found your post. I installed Nano Glass and I love how it looks, however, our fabricator had lots of problem with the material being very bridle. We still need to do the kitchen countertop and are now not so sure anymore. Just wondering if we might have gotten a bad slap or if the contractor didn't know what he was doing. Anymore thoughts on this you could share. We are in Denver.

Thanks
Claus