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PaperStone™ slabs are made from sustainable sources. Original PaperStone contains 50% post-consumer recycled content, and PaperStone Certified is made from 100% recycled materials. All PaperStone products are made from Paneltech's proprietary, petroleum-free resin that contains natural ingredients like cashew nut shell liquid. All PaperStone products are available in the same panel sizes, basic colors, and have identical mechanical properties.
Composition
Phenolic resins are used to make PaperStone. They have been around for nearly a century since Henry Baekland invented Bake-Lite, the familiar black thermoplastic case of the original, black rotary telephones. Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL)-based resins are the type of phenolic resins used to make PaperStone. They have long been prized for their extremely high abrasion resistance. They are still preferred for high quality automotive brake pads. What sets PaperStone apart is the company's highly-skilled and creative technical staff, the company's own resin laboratory, resin plant and commitment to the cleanest and 'greenest' products and processes that are technically and economically possible. PaperStone resins have also been specially designed to produce a hardwood-like, highly workable and not brittle composite panel.
Paper fiber is the other major component of PaperStone. The source of paper for the company's Certified product is Grays Harbor Paper Company, a small, independent, paper mill that is located adjacent to where PaperStone is made. Both Grays Harbor Paper Company and Paneltech International, LLC (the makers of PaperStone) are chain-of-custody certified by Smartwood and the Forest Stewardship Council.
PaperStone becomes a composite product when specially-produced sheets of paper are saturated with the company's proprietary resins and pressed under heat and pressure. This cross-links the resin polymer in all three dimensions producing a dense, homogeneous and essentially non-porous composite product that doesn't delaminate. PaperStone has been tested under the most stringent testing protocols and has no detectable formaldehyde.
Applications
- We recommend PaperStone for a wide variety of interior horizontal applications such as counters for kitchens, window sills and door thresholds. We also recommend these products for structural applications, landscape components, furniture, table tops and other manufactured products.
- PaperStone is also an excellent choice for rainscreens
- PaperStone Certified and Original both also work well in vertical applications such as toilet partitions, interior and exterior paneling, exterior cabinet work, and chair rail.
- Standard panel sizes are 60" x 144" in standard thicknesses of 3/4", 1" and 1-1/4", but a variety of sizes and thicknesses may be ordered below.
Benefits
- PaperStone-Certified is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or FSC, Smartwood and the Rainforest Alliance. It is the only architectural surface on the market today certified by these demanding third parties.
- Depending upon the project, the use of PaperStone may contribute up to five LEED points.
- Phenolic resin and paper composites have long been known to have superior tensile, compression, impact and flexural strengths. They are very abrasion resistant. They absorb very little water. They are the products of choice in applications requiring high fire resistance (PaperStone has a Class A fire rating). They are routinely specified for cutting boards and for very demanding, high-use, exterior applications like skateboard ramps.
- PaperStone has a high modulus of elasticity.
- PaperStone is resistant to staining in kitchen applications.
- PaperStone can easily be worked with CNC-routers and lasers to produce signs and very intricately detailed architectural components. Layering different colored resin saturated sheets in the panel production process further expands the range of design options possible.
- PaperStone has been thoroughly tested and certified as non-detectable for formaldehyde by the most demanding test available, the so-called desiccant method test.
- PaperStone is warm to the touch.
Mechanical properties
- 45,000 psi compressive strength
- An unloaded, 1" thick panel of PaperStone will cantilever 4 feet with less than 1/16th inch deflection.
- Mechanical attachments stay secure in tapped screw holes
- Router and laser detail limited only by workman's imagination
- Structurally rigid and sound in vertical and horizontal applications
Fabrication and Finish
- Millwork and cabinetmaker craftsmen can fabricate using traditional woodworking tools (e.g. triple-chip carbide blades).
- The laminated nature of the product creates an edge that resembles a solid surface product with a faint wood grain appearance.
- Unlimited edge detail with traditional tooling
- Seams carefully made with CA5 or two-part epoxy are tight and difficult to see.
- Shims provide height adjustment prior to final installation
- We recommend PaperStone finish. It is made from all natural raw materials.
- Sanding using a Scotch-Brite maroon or green pad will provide a smooth finish that will also help preserve the surface integrity.
Cost considerations
- PaperStone panel prices are roughly the same as quality granite and brand name solid surface or quartz material products.
- As a result of the ease of workmanship and finish of PaperStone, the installed costs are often lower.
Colors
The PaperStone Original series with 50% recycled content is available in the following colors: Cabernet, Denim, Evergreen, Mocha, and Slate Black. The PaperStone Certified series with 100% recycled paper is available in the following colors: Chocolate, Concrete, Grass, Indigo, Obsidian, Plum, and Straw. A Leather color is also available, but please note that this color is made with virgin paper fiber.
Cabernet
Denim
Evergreen
Mocha
Slate Black
Grass
Indigo
Obsidian
Plum
Leather
The color of the finished panel is determined by the recycled paper content, the recycled paper type (e.g. old cardboard containers versus mixed office waste), the phenolic resin and the pigments and dyes that are used. Because of all of these factors and the natural tendency of phenolic resins to darken and 'yellow' over time, we cannot guarantee that color will match precisely batch-to-batch. We have instead chosen to let the natural progression of aging proceed to produce an authentic product that matches to your expectation of what a natural product is supposed to do. PaperStone comes in the colors shown to suit any design style in the kitchen, bath or office.
Solid Color
PaperStone's color comes from the natural color of the paper and the pigments and dyes used in the manufacturing process. The color is not a surface treatment. It is all the way through the product.
Patina and Aging
PaperStone will develop a seasoned appearance that is an inherent characteristic of the material. The aging process takes time and there will be deeper luster in areas of heavier use. Overall, it will appear softer and deeper in tone. To further understand the patina and aging process there are three important points to remember.
- Aging begins with manufacture and may take a number of years to complete. It is similar to the manner in which natural wood products acquire a deeper, richer tone over time.
- The effect of aging in PaperStone material is primarily a result of the aging of the resin component, which begins as pale amber and deepens to a rich shade of sienna and the color in the recycled paper.
- The aging and patina process is a natural progression. It is most noticeable on the lighter colors. For this reason, there is no cause for concern and you should expect tonal differences between sheets at the time of installation, even if they are from the same batch. However, as the sheets age, variability converges, creating a more uniform appearance over time.
Tonal Variations
Color and brightness may vary from sheet to sheet and even within a sheet making each one unique. This variation is expected in a product composed of natural materials. PaperStone samples may appear different than the installed product due to the age and patina of the samples and the differing thicknesses of the materials. Measuring color variation from sheet to sheet is difficult and is subjective requiring good judgment be exercised when making comparative statements.
Striations — PaperStone has a mottled appearance, in which patterns show a striated effect lengthwise. This is less apparent on dark colors; however, the mottled appearance is still visible. These qualities are due to the natural variation in the paper used to make the material. Leather shows minimal striations, due to the uniformity of the natural wood fibers used to make this product.
Surface Texture — The surface texture and level varies. There will be more texture when it is first installed and it will become smoother and develop more luster over time and with use. It may also have a slight unevenness here and there on the surface level; this is because it is pressed, not molded, into the sheets.
Paperstone Individual Colors
Straw — The color you see is primarily that of the resin. It first appears as a pale, yellow tone and over many years darkens toward sienna, very similar to an old fir floor
Concrete — The color darkens with age turning a greenish color over time. This is especially noticeable on the edges.
Chocolate — It first appears as a medium brown tone, and ages into a warmer brown with a more reddish violet (magenta) hue.
Indigo — A beautiful blue color, which darkens over time.
Grass — A deep, dark green, which takes on a more brownish tone over time.
Cabernet — First appears as a deep wine red, then darkens slightly and becomes warmer in tone.
Denim — A rich, dark blue which tends to become darker still over time.
Mocha — A rich, mottled brown with little color change over time.
Leather — A more uniform brown that tends to darken over time. However, Leather is unique as it is made from virgin paper fiber, not recycled paper.
Slate, Obsidian, Plum, Evergreen — These colors show very little discernable effects of light, age and wear.
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