Frequently Asked Questions


Sheets

  • Tristone is a brand of Acrylic Solid Surface. Acrylic Solid Surface is a composite material made of ATH (Alumina-Trihydrate), additives and high performance resins. ATH is inert and non toxic, and it can be used as a fire retardant. Pigments and minerals are used to achieve the stone or granite-like effects within the surface. Due to the highly customisable nature of solid surface as a product, it can be used to create one of a kind designs and colours that might not be achievable with granite or stone.

    The purity of ATH in Tristone is 99.8% with a particle size of 10 microns. The 70% mineral composition is a very important factor in the behaviour of solid surface from fabrication to the end user. Tristone's mineral based composition means that it is warm to the touch. The developed formula also gives Tristone a number of benefits that may not be possible with other materials.

  • Acrylic Solid Surfaces are a composite material made of ATH (Alumina-Trihydrate), additives and high performance resins. ATH is inert and non toxic, and it can be used as a fire retardant. Pigments and minerals are used to achieve the stone or granite-like effects within the surface. Due to the highly customisable nature of solid surface as a product, it can be used to create one of a kind designs and colours that might not be achievable with granite or stone.

  • Solid surface has not been developed, designed or intended for flooring applications, however the material is increasingly been used as stair treads. This type of application, because of the risk of scratches and other signs of wear and tear is the sole responsibility of the client. When Tristone is used in the bathroom where generally people enter wearing slippers, socks, even bare feet, the unique properties of the product outweigh the disadvantages. The advantages are that the product is hygienic, wall to wall seamless joints, and an area which is easy to maintain and clean. Tristone can also be used with under floor heating, however the product assumes the respective room temperature providing a comfortable feeling as if warmed by under floor heating, unlike other materials tiles, granite and marble which are cold to the touch. Complaints based on wear and tear are excluded from any warranty, it is however unlikely that the bathroom floor will be subjected to heavy duty or outdoor shoes worn in the room. Damage, wear and tear can easily be refurbished and an additional advantage is that all colours and decors are equally suitable.

Features

  • No, colours and decors are the same. A Tristone solid surface sheet completely maintains its unique colour and excellent properties for many years. Darker coloured decors over a period of time will show signs of wear and tear unlike lighter decors. We recommend lighter decors with granite structures for work surfaces or surfaces used for heavy duty purposes because they are easier to maintain.

  • Yes, Tristone is a non-porous material with seamless joints where bacteria cannot permeate into the seams or the surface. Compared with other surface materials, such as laminates, tiles, granite, marble and similar products, all of which are porous, Tristone provides a designed worktop where dirt and germs cannot accumulate and provides a surface which is easily maintained. In addition, when an undermount Tristone sink is fitted, the seamless joint provides a complete hygienic surface which is easily cleaned.

  • Your Tristone brochure shows some profiles available and our website www.tristonesolidsurfaces.uk you will find more detailed information. If you don’t manage to find the right profile we recommend you ask your local retailer of fabricator, they will be able to advise you with helpful advice and suggestions, to provide you with a Tristone worktop incorporating unique designs with inlays, coved upstands, hob bars making your designed worktop functional. Design ideas in Tristone are limitless.

  • No, your Tristone top is homogeneous, look after your work surface in the recommend way and the original lustre will always remain. However if after a number of years of use the original lustre has diminished your top can be returned to the original finish. We would recommend you consult your local retailer or fabricator, they will help to restore your worktop to the original condition.

  • Yes, the surface can be finished to your individual requirement. The standard finishes are matt, satin gloss and high gloss and dependent upon the use and colour of the work surface we would recommend different finishes. For example light colours can be supplied with various finishes for all uses, whereas dark colours in a high gloss finish will show marks and scratches and will require additional maintenance. We recommend that you discuss your requirements with your local Tristone retailer or fabricator who will advise accordingly as to which finish should be applied to your work surface.

  • We would recommend that you do not cut or chop directly on to your Tristone work surface. The surface will show marks especially modern knives made from ceramic which are extremely sharp and hard. Your local fabricator will leave with you a cutting board made from off-cuts, it is very practical, it can be washed easily and it retains all the advantages of the Tristone product.

  • Yes, Tristone is a non-porous material where bacteria and germs cannot permeate into. To ensure the work surface remains hygienic the top should be cleaned before you begin preparing food with particular attention to areas where raw meat or fish have been placed. We strongly recommend that the work surface is thoroughly cleaning before use.

  • No, Tristone solid surfaces are UV stable and will not bleach or fade. Should light patches appear on the surface, for instance the surface being in contact with high acid concentrates for long periods, it will have no effect on the properties of Tristone and because the product is homogeneous the patch can be removed by refinishing the surface.

  • Tristone is naturally a heat resistant material, however we would recommend that hob bars, protective mats and integrated heat surfaces are used to protect the work surface. Modern hobs and thermal conductivity for heating pots and pans produce extremely high temperatures and could cause unnecessary damage. Tests have shown that temperatures can reach well over 450°C and most materials that are subjected to those temperatures, particularly when frozen items have been placed in the area prior to the placement of a hot pan, could cause thermal shock damaging your top unnecessarily. Should the work surface be damaged the unique advantage of Tristone is that it can be repaired.

Aftercare

  • Simply clean the work surface with soap and water. Cleaning agents containing ammonia, for example glass window cleaning products provide a streak free surface. Dishwashing liquids are not ideal, they usually contain hand care substances and over a period of time can cause the formation of a patina, which has to be removed by a qualified fabricator Further detailed care instructions can be viewed in the chapter ‘Care Instructions’ on this website.

    If I remove deep scratches on certain areas of the Tristone work surface, will the colour of the worktop differ from areas untouched?

    Your Tristone worktop is homogeneous in colour and structure, to remove deep scratches we would recommend that you contact your supplier. To remove the scratches your fabricator will have to progressively sand the area until an even finish is achieved. Once this is completed your Tristone worktop will be as new. Should your worktop be seriously damaged, your supplier will be able to remove the section and replace it with a new piece. There might be a slight difference in the colour should your supplier not have a spare piece of material of the same batch number, however most suppliers will leave an off-cut from the worktop which allows a repair to be carried out seamlessly without any noticeable colour change. Please ensure you ask your supplier for an off-cut and store it in a safe place.

  • When planning an installation made with Tristone solid surface, you should always take into consideration the respective surface finish, e.g. mat, silk gloss or high gloss, and ensure it is appropriate for the intended application.

    With regard to surfaces that are used for heavy duty purposes, and assuming that you want to take pleasure in the surface for many years to come, we recommend that you should take advantage of a consultation service, which is provided by professional dealers and expert fabricators. To find out exactly which are the most suitable colours, structures and, last but not least, which is the most purpose appropriate Tristone finish to fulfil your respective requirements. Thus, a surface that is subject to heavy duty use, such as a kitchen counter made of Tristone, should not have a high gloss finish. It makes sense to install kitchen counters in finishes ranging from mat to, at the very most, silk gloss, because a work surface or countertop has to be regularly cleaned with the aid of a scouring sponge. Standard scouring sponges (Scotch-Brite) available in shops everywhere, have exactly the same type of graining that the expert fabricator uses for the finish. Therefore, each cleaning process automatically provides a new finish. Thus, the sheet always looks as good as new.

    Initially there might be a small difference, because human cleaning motions, differ from the finishing motions performed by machines, however, after performing 3-4 complete cleaning processes, each Tristone work surface has its own individual finish, which will always remain the same.

    If significant repair work should become necessary, in which a section needs to be replaced, a Tristone fabricator will have to perform the respective work, and will refurbish the entire surface area to the original finish.

  • Your Tristone worktop is homogeneous in colour and structure, to remove deep scratches we would recommend that you contact your supplier. To remove the scratches your fabricator will have to progressively sand the area until an even finish is achieved. Once this is completed your Tristone worktop will be as new. Should your worktop be seriously damaged, your supplier will be able to remove the section and replace it with a new piece. There might be a slight difference in the colour should your supplier not have a spare piece of material of the same batch number, however most suppliers will leave an off-cut from the worktop which allows a repair to be carried out seamlessly without any noticeable colour change. Please ensure you ask your supplier for an off-cut and store it in a safe place.

  • Yes it’s pretty easy, all you need is a scouring pad (Scotch-Brite), use the pad with water using a light scouring powder such as Ata, Vim or even a liquid scouring agent such as Fizz. In the UK your retailer or fabricator will supply a Care & Maintenance kit.

Other materials

  • Tristone is lighter consequently the finished product can be delivered in larger sections eliminating site work, the product is joined seamlessly, it is non-porous unlike natural stone, which has to be sealed at regular intervals, and Tristone provides a hygienic work surface ideal for all applications. Unlike natural stone Tristone is impervious to many acids and chemicals, whereas if lemon juice, wine, vinegar and similar household products are split on the surface of the natural stone they will quickly be absorbed. Care and maintenance of Tristone is simpler, it provides an impact resistant work surface, for instance should a win glass tip over, it will not necessarily break thanks to the durable flexibility of the product and should a hard heavy object fall from a wall unit, the resilient surface will not easily be damaged. Design ideas and applications in Tristone are limitless.

  • As compared to Tristone the main disadvantage is the porous grout seams with the inevitable growth of mildew / fungus or the black spores that easily form in the grout seams between the tiles, especially in the bathroom, shower areas which cannot be remove permanently by cleaning. Tristone allows the entire surface area to be installed without seams, even if decorative design elements are integrated, and because the product is non-porous mildew/ fungus and black spores cannot grow on the surface.

  • If laminated boards are permeated by moisture, after a while they can swell up and then delaminate. No moisture can permeate Tristone materials, because Tristone is comprised of only one solid, absolutely homogenous and pore less layer. Laminated boards can also be easily damaged by indentations or cutting marks, and they cannot be so easily repaired as Tristone.