Does Dekton® chip easily?

Dekton® has been around since 2013 and has become one of the most popular choices for worktops. And it’s not surprising. It’s highly stain-resistant, scratch-resistant and heat-resistant – outperforming other worksurfaces by far. It’s also stunningly beautiful, so what’s not to love?

But there’s one thing that’s been plaguing Dekton’s® reputation… the rumour that it easily chips.

We love Dekton® and think this sweeping statement is unfair. So, in this article, we explore the facts about Dekton®. We look at where the idea that it chips came from and try to dispel this belief.

What is Dekton® made of?

Dekton® is made from a mix of porcelain, glass and natural quartz minerals, fused together by extreme heat and compression in a process called sintering.

The process replicates the formation of marble in the earth’s crust and removes the need for a bonding agent. The result is a sintered stone slab that’s extremely hard and durable.

Who makes Dekton®?

Dekton® is manufactured by Cosentino, a global, Spanish, family-owned company. They work with a network of fabricators and installers around the world to bring high-quality and innovative surfaces to homes and businesses.

They’re one of the biggest worktop manufacturers in the world who rigorously test the surfaces they produce to ensure they withstand all levels of normal wear and tear.

Where does the idea that Dekton® chips come from?

There are lots of blogs on the internet telling you that Dekton® ‘easily’ chips, or that ‘cracks and chips are common.’  And they all reference the same source. A test carried out in 2015 by Consumer Reports. An American non-profit organisation set up to guide consumers when buying goods and services.

They tested 14 different worktop materials by dropping heavy weights onto them. The test was designed to simulate what would happen if a heavy pan fell onto the worktop from a high shelf.

In the case of the Dekton® worktop, it did indeed crack and chip.

But the test was flawed.

Dekton® worktops do not chip easily when they’re installed correctly

In the case of the test carried out by Consumer Reports, the Dekton® slab wasn’t installed in the same way it would be in a kitchen.

The slab was simply laid on top of a wooden workbench. But this isn’t how Dekton® worktops are fitted in your home.

When Dekton® worktops are installed by Cosentino’s approved expert fitters, careful measures are taken to ensure they’re adequately supported, so there are no weaknesses:

• The kitchen base cabinets are checked and adjusted to make sure they’re 100% level.
• The worktops are made to fit snuggly over the base cabinets to ensure there’s no movement.

In the case of the Consumer Reports test, this didn’t happen.

So, in response to the test, Lorenzo Marquez of Cosentino said:

“Unfortunately, we are unable to validate the results, as testing conditions didn’t comply with our own installation guidelines. Cosentino stands behind Dekton® and the advantages that come with its ultra-compact composition, offering high levels of performance to withstand normal levels of wear and tear.”

So, what’s the verdict? Does Dekton® chip easily?

When Dekton® worktops are installed correctly by approved Dekton® installers, the chance of them chipping or cracking is very low.  

We can never say that Dekton® is totally indestructible. But to say Dekton® ‘easily’ chips, or that ‘cracks and chipping are common’ is just not true for regular everyday use when it’s installed correctly.

And Dekton® worktops have so many fantastic advantages that, in our book, it outshines everything else. And that’s also the reason why it’s our best seller by far.

SEH Interiors have over 10 years’ experience supplying and fitting premium-quality kitchen worktops at affordable prices across the UK, including Dekton®. Browse our Dekton® Worktop range.