Neolith is indoor and outdoor, resistant, protective and durable

Whoever says "Neolith" in the Netherlands says Michel Oprey and Beisterveld. The specialist in natural stone and ceramics has branches in Echt and Vianen and serves the market with class A-quality slabs and tiles. As a distributor of Neolith, the company is seeing a huge increase in sales of this wonderful material. Fully justified, by the way, since Neolith has an unparalleled combination of properties. We speak with Nick Jonkhout, account manager for slabs at Michel Oprey and Beisterveld.

"Neolith is a so-called 'sintered surface,' material created under great pressure and intense heat. Made from fully recyclable raw materials such as minerals and crushed stone, Neolith is very durable. The manufacturing process also means there are no synthetic resins and polymers involved," Nick explains. "It is therefore a 100% natural product, lightweight, UV-resistant and available in large sizes. The dimensions of the sheets are 360 cm x 120 cm and 320 cm x 150 cm."

Maximum performance as facade cladding

That Neolith provides an extremely beautiful finish in the interior, we learn from Gilles Visser, of Visser Mirrors & Glass from Duiven. "Neolith looks ceramic and resembles glass. It can also be processed that way, we can grind it, glue it, we can make cutouts and angled corners/sides. For us that is ideal, because we have all the machinery set up for that. The possibilities are endless. Neolith in the interior means a rich look and optimal hygiene. If you process it in the kitchen or bathroom, you will enjoy large surfaces without joints. We process this material as wall coverings, window sills, furniture and countertops. Even on the floor and against the ceiling, Neolith comes into its own," outlines Gilles.

Visser Mirrors & Glass exists more than 75 years and keeps innovating. Neolith is an excellent fit for that; they have been working with it for a year now. "We came to Michel Oprey and Beisterveld because of Neolith. By now it is impossible to imagine our program without this product, we are more than satisfied with it." 

So satisfied, in fact, that Visser hatched the plan to renovate the building's facade with Neolith. Not just an aesthetic consideration, it turns out. 

Nick Jonkhout explains: "Neolith's properties come out very positively in outdoor applications. This is because the boards are weather-resistant, scratch-resistant and easy to clean. With Neolith, we are way ahead when it comes to the BENG standard. With BENG-4 approaching, Neolith becomes even more interesting. BENG-4 prescribes that heat penetration must be reduced or prevented. Neolith's heat-resistant and fire-resistant properties are of an unprecedented high level, fully accepted within BENG-4. Just think of Neolith as a piece of sun protection for the facade."

Even the air becomes cleaner!

Also unique to Neolith is the ability to have the plates given a nanotech treatment, called Pureti. Nick explains: "Pureti is a photo catalytic nanotechnology that converts air pollutant molecules such as NOX, SOX and VOCs into harmless components. This is the only photo catalytic product successfully tested in the consortium of ISCAPE, the ambitious European Horizon 2020 project, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of European cities and improve air quality. Choosing Neolith with Pureti treatment earns extra points in a sustainability certification. A win-win situation for a lasting and sustainable architecture." 

NUB Amsterdam

Michel Oprey and Beisterveld goes far in providing support. "For example, Visser's facade in Spain was drawn in by the architect. Everything will soon be delivered as a kit and will be easy to install. Of course, all assembly materials will be included. It is a total concept that provides for fast assembly." 

The ultimate in support can be found in Amsterdam, where Michel Opey & Beisterveld has opened a Neolith Urban Boutique (NUB) in collaboration with Neolith. The NUB is an inspiration space and meeting place for architects and construction companies who already work or want to work with Neolith. Also, the NUB is a perfect environment for effective and powerful decision-making. Neolith's project advisors work there, supporting clients from the NUB or on site and supervising Neolith projects if required. 

"Facade builders we can advise and assist," says Nick Jonkhout. "We can have the facade design reviewed/calculated in Spain to have the facade worked out in Neolith as efficiently as possible, taking into account the dimensions of the panels and the chosen substrate or construction. Think of it as an extra service."    

Prof. Ir. Jos Lichtenberg of TU Eindhoven on Neolith:

"I am quite enthusiastic about the material Neolith. It has a rich look, hardly expands at all so seams can stay small. It is weather-resistant and hard-wearing. And, it is affordable too. In addition, it is non-combustible (Euro fire class A2) which makes it interesting for multi-storey (residential) buildings. Many facade materials always fall by the wayside. It is also interesting that a ventilated facade with exterior cladding reduces the flow of heat into the building in the summer. Especially for sunlit facades, the cladding works like a parasol with a ventilated facade construction. Within the framework of the new BENG standards, the limitation of indoor temperature exceedance in July becomes an important criterion. 

In short, Neolith combines a number of attractive and relevant features."

Prof. Dr. Jos Lichtenberg, Emeritus Professor of Building Technology at TU Eindhoven, Chairman Slimbouwen Foundation and Innovator at Off Road Innovations.