We've just had the results in from a US lab which has tested every colour in our low-silica composite stone range to confirm their exact silica content. The great news is that with one exception, all came in under 20% - and quite a few were as low as 9%.
The average across the whole range is 14.3%. This puts our composite stone firmly within the range of granite silica levels and makes them a substantially safer option. One colour - Pukekawa Polished - came in slightly over at 22%.
Now that our move to a fully low-silica range is complete, we're turning our attention to zero silica options and from October, as new stock arrives, existing designs will begin transitioning to zero silica.
In additional news, our new Mont Blanc has arrived! This is the tenth of our new Prime Stone decors to arrive, with two more on the way before the end of the year. This beautiful design has subtle variations of off white tones and comes in a textured finish making it super easy care.
The entire Prime Stone low-silica range has Declare Certification which helps contribute points to Greenstar and Homestar projects.
We're pleased introduce an innovative bendable panel range called Swurves™. Swurves is a much more cost-effective and easy way to achieve fluted curved panels than the more traditional and time-consuming joinery options.
Swurves have thermoformed vinyl on the face and all four edges of a 4mm MDF, making them ultra lightweight and offering the ultimate flexibility for interior projects. They’re suitable for a wide range of applications including kitchen cabinetry, island units, vanities, furniture, and retail fit-outs.
There are five contemporary profile options available. Swurves Prague is a perfect complement to the current Dezignatek fluted Prague door profile while Swurves Rangitoto offers a classic look with a 15mm repeat half rounds. Swurves Sefton offers a smaller scale alternative with a 10mm repeat. Swurves Taranaki has an eye-catching 6mm flat top ridge and Swurves Tasman is in the same style but with narrower ridges and valleys.
There are more than 40 colours to choose from in the Dezignatek colour range, making it easy to match your Swurves with any of our thermoform profile doors. Thermoformed Swurves have a 10-year warranty.
Swurves profiles can also be supplied unsanded on 4mm MDF. These must be painted after fixing with a suitable coating system and a seven year warranty applies to raw Swurves supplied for painting.
Easy to install, Swurves panels can be made to a maximum size of 2400mm x 1200mm. The minimum convex radius is 100-150mm and minimum concave radius is 150-200mm depending on design. All profiles have a square edge. They are not self-supporting or structural and must be fixed to a pre-constructed curved form made from Thinline MDF or bendy ply. More detailed information and advice on installation can be found on the Swurves Technical Data Sheet.
Dezignatek's parent company, NZ Panels Group, has a goal to recycle all materials that can be, while phasing out non-recyclable alternatives.
Central to the waste reduction strategy is a concerted effort to educate staff on the importance of minimising waste, encouraging them to explore innovative ways to re-cycle and upcycle materials and find better packaging solutions.
As a result, staff have developed some impactful ways to do just that. Spare space on the thermoform door press is being used to make small-scale door samples for joiners, designers and architects. Any leftover vinyl is then sent off to be recycled into gumboots, hoses, mudflaps and plumbing pipes.
Dezignatek also introduced an initiative to make dunnage using wood offcuts from CNC machines. The dunnage is used between pallets to protect products during transportation and to date, has successfully diverted 47 tonnes of waste from landfill. Additionally, the company has begun collecting and re-using dunnage from select Auckland-based clients, further helping waste reduction.
Traditional plastic wrap has been swapped for innovative Purewrap which is a plant-based plastic wrap made from sustainably-grown sugar cane and is carbon negative. It also can be recycled along with other soft plastics. For every ton of Purewrap produced, a staggering 2.80 tonnes of CO2 are removed from the atmosphere. In stark contrast, traditional plastic wrap emits 1.66 tonnes of CO2 per ton. On top of the swap, the amount of wrap being used has dropped by over 50%.
Empowering employees to explore creative solutions and embrace sustainability has clearly created a strong culture of responsibility when it comes to waste management and this is just the start.
Nine of our stunning new Prime Stone designs have now landed and we have a few more coming mid-year.
With the most popular existing designs being retained but moved into low-silica formulations, the entire range is now a composite low-silica using a mix of recycled glass, glass sand and quartz. Silica levels are below 30% on most designs, making it comparable to granite.
With the addition of new designs, we've ditched our previous collection names and the Prime Stone low silica range is all shown together. New pricing categories replace the collection names - 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest.
When you click on a stone swatch, you can identify if the design can be supplied with a mirror image slab, and also if it is a digital print which a few of our new designs are.
Our digital prints use the same technology as Porcelain benchtop products, offering precision and clarity when replicating marble and granite. However, unlike porcelain which has only white, grey or black options for the edge, the digital print edge for our composite low-silica stone is a similar colour to the top of the slab, making the contrast less obvious. In some cases light veining can be seen, but this is not an exact match to the top. Digital prints are only in 20mm and slabs can be mitred to retain the classic veining from benchtop through the edge.
Many of our veined designs are also available as mirror slabs, making it easier to achieve an attractive right-angle join either vertically or horizontally where veining can
be matched up.
Our showroom at Residium in Auckland now has all the new designs on display with our gorgeous Olympia (above) featuring on the benchtop above the stone display drawers. The drawers now contain 500 x 500mm size slabs of each new design. The stunning Calacatta Gold can be seen on the benchtop in the Dezignatek showroom adjacent to the main showroom area.
The entire low-silica range has Declare accreditation, making it useful for projects in the Living Building Challenge.
Note that Prime Stone is only supplied to to fabricators operating within the Worksafe RCS guidelines within a controlled wet-cutting environment with proper PPE and extraction systems - these are audited by IMPAC.
Showcasing the best of the best, the NZ Panels Group’s three showrooms at Residium in Parnell features products from its Bestwood, Prime Panels, Dezignatek, Ultraglaze, Wilsonart, Durasein and Mercer brands.
NZ Panels Group showroom
You can view the full showroom layout here.
The first and largest showroom you enter has a wall of angled panels on the left showing off large format melamine designs from Prime Panels and Bestwood. Further along the same wall are pressed high-pressure laminate panels with designs from global brand Wilsonart and Prime Laminate.
To the right is an inspiration wall featuring moodboards with a combination of our products and photographs of some of our recent projects.
The main island benchtop features new low-silica composite stone from Prime Stone and the drawers underneath contain large format samples of the latest releases and most popular designs.
To the back of the island is wall to ceiling cabinetry in Ultraglaze Acrylic paired with Prime Melamine French Oak while the rotating fins feature beautiful veneer panels from Prime and Bestwood, and an adjacent feature wall of oak veneer showing the various options of Prime Art Veneer or natural American Oak veneer.
Dezignatek showroom
Walk through from the NZ Panels Group showroom into a refreshed Dezignatek showroom. This now shows off the new Swurves curvable fluted panels on the island unit, and on the right-hand wall are door samples of all the most requested thermoform door profiles. A mix of Ranfurly Oak and Pistachio is used on the main cabinetry at the back along with a tall Lyon profile door.
Mercer and Durasein showroom
Made right here in New Zealand, Mercer stainless sinks are on display along with a range of granite and coloured stainless sinks and a range of contemporary tapware. Durasein solid acrylic surface features on the cabinetry with pull-out drawers showing large format samples of all 24 colours.
Pop-up space
Within Residium we have an additional area away from our main showroom which displays our Prime Adorno Wall panels – a selection of eight pre-primed panels that will transform any wall or can be used for under-bench areas, bedheads and part-walls. This area also contains 10 mobile displays featuring large panels of our Prime Toitū Veneer which have all been finished with a clear coat. Please ask Residium staff for directions to this area.
Residium showroom open seven days
All NZ Panels Group products can be viewed seven days with Residium operating 9am to 5pm weekdays, 10am-5pm Saturday and 10am-4pm Sunday. Ample parking is available on Level 2 of their showroom at 165 The Strand, Parnell. The friendly team at Residium can supply product brochures on request, but samples for all our products along with brochures can be ordered from any of our product websites.
Bestwood introduce four new melamine colours, designed to work with the recently released Bestwood Vancouver Larch and Alberta Larch woodgrains, providing a great way to achieve a cool mid-century vibe.
Pistachio in a soft pastel green tone, allows for striking design combinations with mid-toned or dark neutrals, as well as other pale tones. Whether paired with dark or light woodgrains, its earthy green hue is calm and inviting.
Cirrus and Shroom are both timeless neutral shades, offering a classic touch that seamlessly integrates with various home interior styles. The soft neutral tones help create welcoming spaces, effortlessly complementing woodgrains and other colours to achieve a modern or classic aesthetic.
Wolfram, an intensely dark chocolate brown, with a hint of grey, adds richness to the palette and provides a great contrast for pops of bright colour or for woodgrains. The deep brown tones introduce dimension and emanate warmth and coziness. Its versatility suits various styles, from traditional to modern.
1mm ABS edgetape is available now with laser edging being introduced in a few months.
All four new colours are available offered in five finishes – Velvet, Embossed, Woodgrain, Wilderness, and Timberland™.
Engineered to withstand life's challenges, Bestwood Melamine comes with a 10-year warranty and holds Eco Choice Aotearoa certification, meaning valuable points for Homestar and Greenstar projects.
After two years of intensive research and preparation, planting has finally begun to restore Taminelli Creek, a beautiful Kahikatea swamp forest near Hokitika that needed some weeding, planting and love. The forest has suffered from logging and grazing and is needing significant work to reunite the fragmented ecosystem and restore its natural vitality.
In 2021, NZ Panels Group, under the leadership of Sustainability Manager Zyran Scharf, embarked on a major project to restore the creek area in partnership with the Department of Conservation. With only 2% of Kahikatea forests and 10% of wetlands in New Zealand remaining, the investment in the restoration project reflects the company's commitment to mitigating the ecological impact of historical logging, taking proactive steps to safeguard New Zealand's environment for future generations.
In just two days this month, the team planted 1,300 Kahikatea trees and 600 mixed species, including Cabbage tree, Manuka, and Coprosma. Donated, reusable plastic sleeves are being used to protect the trees, a practice that will be continued.
The project covers a total area of 1,347 hectares, with the planting area encompassing approximately five hectares divided into six main sections. Over the next two years, the project's scope will expand, with plans to plant around 2,000 trees per area, primarily Kahikatea, and continue this effort over the coming years.
Back in 2021 when the project began, the first step was to partner with the Canterbury School of Forestry and enlist a final-year dissertation student. Zy and the student spent a month traversing the entire forest, often wading through knee-deep water, to document every plant and animal species. This resulted in a 40-page plan providing the foundation for the project's restoration strategy.
Once a list of suitable plant species was established, primarily Kahikatea with a few other native species, the next challenge was to source them from the local area. This process, known as eco-sourcing, is critical as locally sourced species tend to be better adapted to the environment and have higher survival rates.
The project team discovered a reliable local nursery, Tekuku, which collected seeds from the site and began the slow growth process, assisting with planting. Another nursery that had also eco-sourced seeds from the same area and nurtured the seedlings for two years was found. This ensured that the project could commence once the seedlings had reached a sufficient size.
During the initial phase, it was essential to restore fencing around the site to prevent neighbouring cattle from entering the forest, to ensure natural regeneration and protecting the newly planted trees. As the grassy weeds grew, it became clear that the cows were inadvertently helping to control them. This led to the use of a digger to flip the soil, eliminating the weeds and providing a clear, albeit muddy, canvas for planting.
Although it's early days for this ambitious project, Zy is optimistic that the area will one day reasonate to native birdsong and be fully restored to its native glory.
Prime Stone set to all be low silica by early 2024
We're delighted to advise that seven of our top selling stone designs have now arrived in the low-silica formulation and samples are available for those. The remaining designs that are staying on our range will be re-sampled early in the New Year, at the same time as we launch 10 exciting new designs.
As soon as new designs are launched, our entire Prime Stone range will be low-silica, using a formulation containing recycled glass.
In addition, from 1 January, we will toughen up further on our supply and only sell Prime Stone to fabricators who have attained gold or silver status as part of the RCS Accreditation programme. Currently, fabricators only need to be registered.
Our sales and specification teams will be updating your samples in the course of their regular visits but you can also order them online from our website. Note that there is a slight variation in base colour from our previous designs to the low-silica version.
Dezignatek is delighted to announce the introduction of six new on-trend door profiles to their extensive range. Five are available as thermoformable vinyl doors or as paint-ready, with a sixth option available as a paint-ready only.
In a continuation of the trend towards thin frame doors, the new Brussels profile has a narrow 6mm edge providing a sleek and sophisticated look that will easily work with any kitchen or bathroom scheme. The previously introduced Berlin profile with a 20mm frame has proved hugely popular and demand has been growing for this thinner option.
Both Munich and Rhone feature small-scale batten style profiles – the Rhone with 25mm wide battens and the Munich with 12mm creating a fluted-style appearance. Both look terrific when finished in impactful dark colours but also work equally well in pastels and woodgrains.
The remaining two thermoformable profiles are a more modern take on previous designs with a crisper 3mm radius edge. Sicily is an update on the Capri profile while Stockholm features a narrow groove set 13mm inside the outer edge of the door, again a more modern interpretation of previous designs.
The paint-ready only option, Hawea 25, features a sharp angled picture-frame edge and like all paint-ready doors is produced by Dezignatek using NZ-made high-density fibreboard and sanded through a high-tech finishing line to provide an ultra-smooth surface for lacquer.
The new thermoform door profiles, combined with a palette of 42 vinyl colours gives an immense range of combinations that can work with traditional style villas using shaker-style profiles or a sleek and ultra-modern kitchen where the flat profile Milan door is all that’s required.
What is common to all thermoformed doors is a seamless edge as the thermoform is vacuum sealed and pressed around the front and edges of the door which means no edgetape is required. The vinyl is a highly robust surface that won’t dent and scratch like lacquer and is super easy to clean, just needing a wipe down with a damp cloth to remove any surface grime.
Dezignatek has Eco Choice Aotearoa accreditation (formerly Environmental Choice NZ) on all its solid thermoform colour doors and offers a 10 year warranty on all its thermoform doors.
Fabricators put on notice that supply will be restricted to those following RCS guidelines.
NZ Panels Group will replace its entire engineered stone range, marketed under the Prime Stone brand, with a low silica alternative by early next year.
Respiratory silicosis has become a growing issue for workers in the stone industry and NZ Panels Group was a founding member of the NZ Engineered Stone Advisory Group, supported by ACC and Worksafe which created safe practice guidelines for stone fabricators.
NZ Panels Group Chief Executive, Lou Cadman, said the company was going a step further and would not supply fabricators who did not adhere to the RCS guidelines.
“We are giving notice that from 1 July this year, if any fabricators are not registered and participating in the RCS Accreditation programme, then they will not be able to buy from us. And if they have not received either silver or gold level accreditation by 31 December 2023 then we will no longer supply them.
“If fabricators adhere to those RCS guidelines – which means wet-cutting of stone with the appropriate PPE and dust extraction systems in place - then it should mean they are operating within the safe exposure guidelines set by Worksafe,” he said.
“End consumers should have no cause for concern as engineered stone is inert once it is cut and installed – provided there is no cutting done on site -which it never should be.”
“The major ingredient in our new range is recycled glass, he said. “That forms more than 50% of the benchtop slab, with the silica content under 30% for all our key ranges which account for most of our sales. A small handful of designs will be under 40% for the extra-large slabs offered on our jumbo range.
“Our low silica range will then be comparable to other natural stone products such as granite which can have silica levels as high as 40%.
Lou Cadman said the company had always had a strong and proactive safety culture and wanted to be supporting fabricators to operate as safely as possible.
“It’s absolutely the right thing to be doing. We expect all fabricators to adhere to the NZESAG guidelines and participate as registered RCS members working towards gold status.”
The new low-silica product would be introduced into the Prime Stone range from the last quarter of 2023 as top-selling existing designs transitioned over to the new recycled glass formulation, and new designs were added.