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dan_in_austin

Corian/Solid Surface and Scratches

dan_in_austin
14 years ago

We're planning to get solid surface countertops as part of our kitchen remodel. One of the cons that I've read about is its tendency to show scratches.

A search on the forums didn't turn up much, other than someone suggested that darker color solid surfaces show scratches relatively easily, and the lighter ones hardly show them at all.

Can some people that are using solid surface weigh in on this? Also, I'd appreciate it if you could include information about the brand and color that you've got, and any related tips about selecting a countertop.

We would definitely use a lighter color (an off white or maybe seafoam green) and one that has some texture in it (no solid colors, but nothing too busy or with a lot of contrast). We haven't selected anything yet, but it will only be a matter of time before we have to figure out the whole countertop/backsplash/paint color thing. I'm sure there will be another post about that forthcoming.

Thanks for your help.

Comments (57)

  • jakkom
    14 years ago

    I don't have Corian, I have Swanstone, but they're pretty much alike, both being matte finish. Corian has better colors; Swanstone has a higher heat resistance. We've owned Swanstone bath integral sinks for over 20 yrs and they still look perfect, despite Clairol Jet Black hairdye and burning cigarettes (courtesy of my alcoholic mother).

    Because of its stellar performance and quiet good looks, we chose Swanstone counters and sink for our kitchen during our 2003 remodel. We had thoroughly abused our old Kohler cast iron Exec Chef sink, but it worked out like a real champ - however, it was a double and we decided we wanted to go back to a single bowl sink.

    The counters are Almond Galaxy:

    The sink is Tahiti ivory. This is a very pale beige with tiny flecks of cream, and looks like a solid color until you get close up. Very, very nice.

    The counters are wonderful. I love their easy cleanup - no visible seams, woohoo! I can put pan lids and warm pans on them with no difficulty (Swanstone's heatpoint is 375 degrees) - but I do avoid putting anything extra hot or cold on the seams, which are a vulnerable point in ANY countertop.

    They are fabulous for baking. They seem to work just fine for puff pastry and again, clean-up is a cinch. They hide dirt maybe too well, LOL, I have to go over it twice to be sure I've actually caught all the crumblies, as they 'disappear' visually into the granite-pattern.

    The sink - totally awesome. Cleans up easier than even the Kohler cast iron, and so much quieter (our kitchen is right above our master bedroom suite). Huge - we got the 33x22 single - and deep. Holds even my very biggest pots and half-size baking pans. As reported before, it is prone to rust marks from cans - but they just mysteriously fade away in a couple of weeks, never to return. Anything else is a simple SoftScrub and sponge cleaning.

    Note Swanstone sinks are designed to be drop in OR undermount. The integral sinks didn't come in large enough sizes for us. We wanted to undermount, but didn't have a large enough sink cab. It's a relatively thin deck, however, unlike the cast iron Kohler, so not difficult to just sweep most crumbs into the sink.

    HTH!

  • 3katz4me
    14 years ago

    I have had Corian in my "new" kitchen for almost five years now. I have some granite too so I appreciate and have experienced the pros and cons of both first hand.

    I got Corian for all the same reasons you describe even though it wasn't a popular choice at the the time. I have Abalone - light - scratches are not a problem at all. It gets superficial scratches but they all blend together and not something you see unless you get down close, in the right light, at the right angle to look for them - which of course I don't do and I haven't seen anyone else doing it either.

    What I notice that is more of an issue for me is that the nice matte finish becomes more glossy over time. I don't like glossy which is one of the reasons I don't care for most granites (though I have some glossy granite). This issue is pretty easily addressed by rubbing down the counters with a scotch brite pad. I did that more at the beginning but not so much any more. I think you're more compulsive about the kitchen when it's brand new.

    I'm currently planning a bathroom remodel now. I saw the new Witch Hazel Corian on display and immediately decided that's what I'll be getting in my bathroom. Ordered a 12" sample that I'm carrying around with me to decide what else to have with it.

    All in all - highly recommend Corian - as long as you don't feel the need to choose what is popular and can take the "abuse" you may get for making this choice. I have the integrated sink as well - which I love - and have had no problems with that either.

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  • marja
    14 years ago

    I guess I'm going against the grain too. I've decided on formica 'oiled soapstone' for my perimeter cabinets, and corian 'burled beach' for my island. I saw it at HD and absolutely fell in love. It has a lovely matte finish, which is one of the reasons I chose it over granite (I realize honed granite is available, but I'm concerned with the extra maintenance it requires, as I am the type of person who lets those things fall by the wayside :) The charcoal flecks in the corian looks awesome with the soapstone look formica. And last, it has such a nice, smooth finish, I think my DH is going to love rolling his pizza dough on it (right now we have ceramic tile countertops, definitely not ideal for rolling dough)!

  • igloochic
    14 years ago

    I had a light tan corian (don't know the actual name, just that it was corian because I saw the sticker from the counter manufacturer) and a white corian. YUCK YUCK YUCK

    Sorry apparently you don't want to hear cons, but it's a big sheet of plastic on your counters. Mine (both) had scratches that were very visable. The tan had cracks by the stovetop and the sink. The white had a melted spot that was burned looking and always dirty. The sinks were both horrible white and stained (not to mention the wine stains on the tan corian). Yes you could spend hours cleaning them on occasion and they would look good, but with my stainless sink I do a swish on occasion and they're gorgeous, but with the corian..>i'd have to have scrubbed it daily to make it look good and then only half arsed.

    I'd do any surface beside corian. We purchase lots of homes and I always underbid significantly on corian kitchen houses because i know it will have to come out (we do corporate rentals and the clients just don't want corian).

    I have stainless in my kitchen now...LOVE IT and granite LOVE IT too *but not as much as the stainless. I don't seal, never baby it, and it always looks great and preforms like a goddess....instead of cracking if it gets warm. I also have formica and it over preforms corian from beginning to end and looks much nicer.

  • warmfridge
    14 years ago

    I used Avonite in a medium-dark blue for my bathroom remodel last year. It's very hard to see scratches unless you happen to catch the light at a certain angle, but you can definitely feel them when you run your hand across the countertop.

    Since this bugs me (for no good reason), I don't want to use a solid surface for my new kitchen and I'm debating about quartz vs granite.

    I would say that your choice depends somewhat on how much scratches annoy you and whether you're opposed to buffing them out as discussed by others.

  • Fori
    14 years ago

    I had Corian in my ex-kitchen and after hating it (it was pink with black speckles, after all) I decided it is a great surface for counters. (Integrated sink, even if Pepto pink, is wonderful.)

    Mine didn't show scratches unless you looked for them. Stains came out of the sink. I abused that counter, thinking I'd remodel sooner than I did. Great stuff. Couldn't break it. Looked new even after about 25 years. Except for the color of course.

    Some colors look bad to me. I like the white ones especially, and I don't even like plastic stuff.

    This isn't clean, but this is the color combo I think you should avoid. (You can't see the white stripe along the edges in this picture.) But the sink--almost as good as a sink gets.

  • moneypenny
    14 years ago

    We have LG solid surface in a dark gray with small black and tan flecks (I don't recall the exact name). It does scratch fairly easily but a quick swipe with a 3M pad buffs it out. I've put hot pans and pots on it (which you aren't supposed to do) with no adverse effects. We chose it because we simply could not find a granite or quartz or soapstone (or any of the more 'trendy' surfaces) that we could even pretend to have any positive feelings about whatsoever. Other than the plainest black granite in a honed finish, which is something I could probably live with if I had to, I find them to be quite unattractive to my eye. We got an undermount stainless sink rather than an integrated solid surface sink. Visitors comment positively on the countertop and all have seemed quite surprised when we tell them it is solid surface.

    Because of the scratching, it isn't completely no-maintenance (I actually think our previous laminate counters were easier to care for), but you can get it back to looking brand new with very little effort. Our neighbors have Corian that must be 20+ years old. Once every 5-7 years or so they have someone come out and sand the whole darn thing for about $150 and it looks good as new again. The wife is actually wishing she could ruin it because she's got her eye on stainless but can't convince the husband that a 'perfectly good' counter needs to be replaced just because she's tired of the look!

  • squigs
    14 years ago

    igloochick, I would have to think that the former owners of your house with the original corian must have seriously neglected it for it to have been so bad. I don't consider myself much of a housekeeper, if truth be told, and I find corian incredibly easy to keep looking like new. But I can certainly understand why you are so turned off to it after having to live with what you had. Sounds to me like the former owners put hot pots on it (which after a lifetime of formica I couldn't imagine doing on a counter, so no biggie to me) and also were not very, to put it politely, hygenic. It really would take an awful lot of abuse and neglect to get so scratched, dirty, and stained. My guess is they were renters. Anybody paying good money to put solid surface in would know better.

    As for the "plastic" issue, I don't get it. To me, it looks and feels like, well, a countertop!

  • sis2two
    14 years ago

    I honestly did not like it and had it for about 8 years. At the time I could not afford granite and thought this would be a good choice. Instead I would have been better to have gone with laminate which in my opinion has come a long way. This is just my opinion. It showed scratches, which when buffed out according to instructions, left a dulled area. After having it for 2 weeks, it split where a crockpot had been sitting on WARM. I didn't see it as a durable countertop choice.

  • dan_in_austin
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Bring on the cons - I can handle it! (I just didn't appreciate being told what to do without any knowledge of our situation)

    Obviously everyone's not going to agree on style and colors, etc. For instance, we're OK with solid surface, but don't like the integrated sinks. But that's just us. We have yet to decide on a color or a brand for that matter.

    Maybe it is that I grew up with laminate counters (I can't stand the seams and edges!), but the idea of plastic on your kitchen counter doesn't seem any stranger than having stone on your kitchen counter. Stainless almost seems more appropriate to me, but if I thought scratches on Corian would bug me, I can only imagine how quickly stainless would drive me nuts. We're not big cooks or bakers, so for us it's more of a surface to place things on. Heck, we've got 50 year old ceramic tile counters right now and NEVER place hot things on them or cut on them. We are low maintenance people and we have a toddler, so that's part of the consideration.

    Gibby - interesting about the finish getting glossy. Hadn't heard that before.

    sis2two - we probably will be using a crock pot, which currently sits on the burnerless half of our HUGE 1962 electric range. Guess it will have to move to a countertop. Hmmm...

    Should we go this route we'll see how much our lifestyle ends us scratching the counters, how much the scratches bug us, and then plan to have it sanded as needed.

  • donna52479
    14 years ago

    We have had our Corian counter tops for about three years and no scratches - not that I can see. It is called Mau - a dark speckle of brown, black, black, beige.

  • squigs
    14 years ago

    dan, I don't have the integrated sink in the kitchen either. I prefer the undermount stainless because I want to be able to dump hot water in the sink without running cold water every time. But in my bathrooms I have the integrated sinks, and that's very, very nice!

  • _sophiewheeler
    14 years ago

    I can personally tell you that buffing out the scratches leaves quite a visible area. I was picking up some lighting at HD the other day and they were doing a countertop demonstration (designed to sell quartz, I think). They had all kinds of samples and were showing how the quartz and granite wouldn't scratch. One of the kids in the audience picked up one of the granite samples and dragged it along the Corian desk in the kitchen area and it left a horrible scratch. Big and nasty. Then I notice that the desk area had a bunch of wierdly unshiny spots and a whole bunch of other scratches on it. After the family with the rotten kid left, I asked the KD there what was the deal with that countertop. I mean, it's a showroom, right? It's supposed to make the stuff in there look good! Well, she told me that the desk area gets pretty well used by the staff and had lots of scratches so when her store manager had the idea to do the selling demonstration about counters, he told her to sand out the desk with a scotchbrite pad. After he saw it, he changed his mind about which countertop to feature in the demo. Well, that desk area could actually get people to run away from Corian, that's for sure! Looked patchworky splotchy and awful. I can't imagine a 6 year old desk area that isn't even used for food prep could look better than a kitchen area. If I were you, I'd take a trip to my nearest HD and look at their desk areas. I'm pretty sure that all of them are the same. Take along a scotchbrite and see if you can buff out any of those "minor scratches" without it showing up as "major damage".

  • pps7
    14 years ago

    We had bone colored corian in our old master and it stained and did not hold up very well. I was surprised as I thought corian was maintenance free. I think the solid colors show more wear. With patterns, the stains blend in. Take a look at quartz surfaces. There are some pretty ones that would look great in a contemporary kitchen.

  • idrive65
    14 years ago

    we probably will be using a crock pot, which currently sits on the burnerless half of our HUGE 1962 electric range. Guess it will have to move to a countertop. Hmmm...

    I just ran my crockpot on high all day, as I often do, without any problems.

  • 3katz4me
    14 years ago

    dan - by glossy it's not by any means like polished granite - it just loses some of that totally matte look and takes on a bit of a sheen. I'm not sure what people do to end up with the kind of problems described above but everyone I know personally who has Corian has had no problems with it. Most of them of course have had it for 15-25 years it looks like new. That was one of the things that influenced my decision.

  • honeychurch
    14 years ago

    I have a white solid surface countertop in my soon-to-be ripped-out kitchen dated 1968. A few people who have seen it believe it is original Corian, and it is in nasty shape--but perhaps anything would be after 42 years?

    It has burn/melt marks, gouges and knife marks that I can't get the grey dirt out of, weird orange stains that won't come up, and holes from who knows what.(None from me--we have only been here 6 months.) It definitely has a 'plasticky' look and feel to it.

    Maybe they have improved the technology since '68, but based on this stuff, I would not put it in a new kitchen (at least not in white), and I would not hold a knife or a hot pot anywhere near it. Just my experience.

  • dianne47
    14 years ago

    I've been considering countertops for over a year now and have decided on Corian: Maui for perimeter and table, probably Pepper Ivory for island. I've looked at granite everywhere, including spending lots of time methodically going through slabs. I've been unable to find a single granite that I like and I've seen dozens that I think are downright ugly. I don't like the idea of seams, having to periodically seal my countertops, and I just don't think granite is at all the right choice for my home. I also don't like the idea of quarrying stone in distant lands and transporting the slabs thousands of miles, very ungreen.

    My only debate right now is whether to get an integrated sink or go for an overmount Kohler Woodfield Smart Divide in mexican sand, sandbar, or similar. I was in Lowes the other day and there were placards about excellent pricing on Maui and several other colors, plus a free 872 or 874 sink.

    I reject all the yammer about Corian being "out," plasticky, etc. I want a seamless appearance and I've always had laminate counters with no scratching issues whatsoever. My mother taught me to take care of everything in the home, countertops included. I don't understand people who beat up on their counters, want to put hot pans on them, cut on them (eew, germs), and so on.

    Dan, you asked for tips on selecting countertops. Research the pros and cons of the different materials and make up your own mind about what's important to YOU. Look at colors, slabs, and displays in several showrooms. You're the one who will live and work in your kitchen, so you and your SO are the decision makers.

  • patches_02
    14 years ago

    I have corian and have no problem with it. I use my DH car buffer once a year to get rid of any small scratches. No problem.

  • chrisk327
    14 years ago

    I'm surprised about the people who have had it and had all the melting/staining issues. My parent's have it for about 12 years without issue really and they aren't super careful. However, they don't cut on the countertop, and they don't put hot pots on it.

    They bleach the sink maybe once a month.

    Although, I personally don't see a point in getting it if you don't get the integrated sink. For me that was the biggest selling point. They haven't been careful with the hot water issue, and no problems yet.

    I've seen a lot of corian where I didn't like the style, and some places where it went nicely. It is something people seem to have a strong opinion about.

  • celticmoon
    14 years ago

    This kithen has 23 year old Corian in the original almond color, long since discontinued. It was finished as high gloss in keeping with the 1987 era when installed. After buying the house in 1998, I paid (once) for a professional refinishing. It is simply a process of making pssses over the surface with an orbital sander using successively finer grits. Well within my skill level and I have had no problems maintaining a matte finish since.

    Don't mind the naysayers derisive comments re 'plastic', etc. There are pros and cons to any counter. The matte finish to me feels wonderful, smooth and warm. And I like the quiet clean solid color as a backdrop to food preparation. The patterned granites are gorgeous, but as DH said at the granite yard: "I'd hang it on the wall to look at, but I don't want to make a sandwich on it."

    Go with your vision. Scratching shoudn't be an issue with very light colors.

  • Fori
    14 years ago

    I never had a problem pouring boiling water down my Corian sink, nor with burning. But then I planned on replacing it so I certainly treated it poorly. I had it for about 3 years.

    It's nice and squishy so you don't break things. And who the heck thinks it's cheap? It's not.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    14 years ago

    >And who the heck thinks it's cheap? It's not.

    Yeah, that's the main reason I personally wouldn't do corian. Don't have any strong feelings against it and around here it's still thought of as kind of an upgrade, but it's way more expensive now than almost any other counter material except the higher end exotic granites.

    All the other counter options have come way down in price around here, but not corian. Since I can get quartz or granite or marble for that much less, I definitely plan to do one of those instead. Nothing at all wrong with corian, but it's not worth paying an extra $20 sq ft to get it, IMHO.

  • paula0564
    14 years ago

    We didn't want the upkeep of Granite, and have a few friends that had staining, and chipping on their counters. I really liked quartz, but that cost more then the granite, then I started looking at the solid surfaces, and we have chosen and ordered LG HiMacs for our kitchen. I liked the fact that it had no visable seems, and the intergrated sink is so smooth, and again no seems. I went with the new volcanics line. We're having it polished before the install, but my husband took the sample piece that I brought home and polished it himself and it came out really nice.

  • Alyce Venice
    14 years ago

    Hi, Another vote for corian I love mine but it is by a company called Royalstone in Arizona. I asked on this forum about three years ago if anyone new a company that would custom color corian and was given their name. I live in the Caribbean and my kitchen is Kraftmaid bisque with a glaze on the cabinets and a deep seaglass custom colored countertop. I fell in love with aqua glass matte backsplash tiles and they colored my corian to match. It is gorgeous. I have undercounter sinks in both kitchens my laundry and outdoor kitchen all out of royalstone.I bake and cook alot have a large puppy who has nawed on my ogee edge of the countertop and it buffed right out. I use clear glass counter savers for placement of hot pots.
    It really is a matter of personal taste I like soft colors
    and I think they are the easiest to live with for a long time.I found it very resonable compared to other surfaces.
    If you would like to see a picture email me and I will email it back never have learned how to post on this site.

  • kitchenconfidential2
    14 years ago

    I had corian in my last kitchen and I was very happy with my decision. It was a cinnamon-type color, very pretty, very inviting and warm, and always looked so clean. I chose granite for this kitchen but, again, I was very satisfied and happy with the Corian. Received many compliments on my last kitchen.

  • moana1011
    14 years ago

    I had Corian for many years (just replaced it with granite). We are generally pretty gentle on our counters (we don't cut on them or put hot pots on them). The Corian is generally quite durable, but over time, you will see some superficial scratches if you go looking for them. The only thing I hated: the Corian sink, especially on the garbage disposal side became very dingy and stained. We had a light color Corian. I understand that you can refinish the surface, but I didn't look into that, so even that issue could potentially be eliminated.

  • arleneb
    14 years ago

    I had a locally-produced Corian-type counter in my lake house kitchen. It was dark denim blue, with an integrated sink in a contrasting color, and I really loved it. However, it did scratch easily, and I treated it with kid gloves for 6 years -- little felt bumpers on the bottom of things, never dragging anything across it, etc. And yes, scratches DO show up more in dark colors than in light.

    But I liked how it looked, and would have used it again in my new house's kitchen; however, I couldn't get that brand (and thus that color) in my new location, so we went to Plan B.

    In my new house, we used Zodiaq quartz on the perimeter cabinets and granite on the island. I'm still getting used to the idea that I don't have to baby this stuff! After 8 months with quartz and granite, I'd never go back to solid surface materials again, just because I'm finding it such a treat not to have to be so constantly on guard against scratching.

  • kippi
    14 years ago

    I love the look of marble for counters however, i have all sons and the prospect of them cleaning up stains immediately is a joke. I compromised with corian (color Cameo). Not exactly what I wanted in my new kitchen but not too bad.

    {{gwi:1592737}}

    {{gwi:1592738}}

    {{gwi:1592739}}

  • westsider40
    13 years ago

    I'm doing an icy cold modern kitchen. The only thing I can think of is solid white corian or quartz. I am afraid of quartz chipping. Don't want to start a quartz v corian thread.

    I love stones. Since 1987, we have had a 52" round granite kitchen table that is so abused. It is bulletproof-has 2 dings and some scratches. No maintenance. Master bath is granite-bulletproof. Old slate floor. Etched, not stained, carrara marble in busy powder room. Love it all.

    Six year old perfect Avonite in DD's bathroom.

    But for a clearly modern look, there is no granite that looks right. No pure white solid granite either. I'm afraid of quartz. Corian, or other solid surface, is left. Not perfect, either, but esthetically more fitting. Solid white corian is soft and soft looking.

    I love plastics- great invention. You don't want glass sippy cups, do you? Plastics serve us well. Stainless steel doesn't grow in quarries or in forests. It's manufactured as is just about every countertop except wood.
    I wish I could think of a white, straight edged, solid color, durable, fixable, counter that isn't Corian. I'd love suggestions.

  • oneandonly
    13 years ago

    westsider40-I know exactly what you're going through!! I'm doing white modern kitchen too and I've been going back and forth between quartz and Corian.

    I dont' like the glossy look of quartz and also I'm concerned about chipping since I want straight edge. But almost anyone I asked about Corian had negative reaction. They said Corian scratches too easily and it is so 20 years ago.

    I almost decided on pure white quartz after a contractor said his fabricator could hone it. But in the end, I didn't like the hard and coldness of the quartz and decided to go with Corian. Also a rare few people I know that actually have Corian, really like it.

    I, too, wish I could find a a white, straight edged, solid color, durable, fixable, counter that isn't Corian. And for me, not glossy is important, too.

  • dan_in_austin
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Yeah, there seems to be a lot of Corian backlash, and I can understand it. It's not perfect, but then again, none of the surfaces are. It's out of fashion, for sure. But it seemed really practical to us.

    Ours is now installed. We decided on Linen, by Affinity (one of the dozen solid surface manufacturers that we heard about). They have a limited number of color choices, including basic white, which keeps the cost down. http://www.affinitysurfaces.com/Consumers/ColorsofAffinity.aspx

    The color we chose has some color variation and texture - not a solid white. But it fits in our modern kitchen and goes well with our other selections. Also, our installer offered a few different finishes - I think we went with satin, instead of the default glossy or the matte option.

    Here's a photo:

    We haven't had it long enough to give a real report on durability and wear over time.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Dan_in_Austin's Kitchen Remodel Blog

  • vampiressrn
    13 years ago

    I am a happy Corian owner (Caribbean) in the kitchen, it is a beautiful pale green with white and green flecks. I take care of it like I would any other surface. It is what I could afford in my new home.
    {{!gwi}}

    I have (Bisque) in my bathrooms.
    {{!gwi}}

    Every surface requires care and needs to be affordable to the purchaser...so go with what works best for you Dan.

  • westsider40
    13 years ago

    Dan, Your corian looks great. You have overcome two of the usual challenges with Corian. First, you have an undermount stainless sink. You have runnells. And your fabricator did a great job from the small photo I can see.

    I spent some time yesterday with the countertop lady from Lowe's. She said yes, small scratches sometime appear but you can get them out with soft scrub or even comet in a circular pattern. I believe her. I said,' ok, you get small scratches and then spill tomato sauce which fills in the small scratches.' 'You just clean them out-easy.' Good as new.

    Just because a product has been on the market for a length of time doesn't deter me or make it dated. Carrara marble, thousands of years-still a favorite product. Stainless, porcelain, been around for a while. Wood? I rest my case.

    I'm glad they invented solid surfaces, like Corian.

    Plastic 50's modern furniture? Great. Plastic is not a dirty word but a great invention.

    The great majority of posters on this thread love their corian.

  • jakkom
    13 years ago

    BTW, re the slow cooker issue causing scorch marks - you need to be aware that today's slow cookers run at a much higher heat than older models, due to concerns about bacterial growth in cooking at low temps (sous vide wasn't heard of back In The Days). So if you've got a much loved slow cooker that's more than 10 years old, it's running at a much lower temp than today's slow cookers.

    If there's any concerns about how hot it gets underneath, just place the slow cooker on a wooden cutting board atop the counter.

  • Happyladi
    13 years ago

    My mom had a blue Corian countertop many years ago. She got it maybe mid 90's and sold her house in 2005. The countertop still looked new and I never noticed any scratching but I didn't search for it, either.

    I had a friend who got a blue Corian (yes, blue again) countertop and complained that it scratched very easily and had scratches all over it. I mentioned sanding them out and she told me the whole countertop would need sanding.

    The difference between the two is how they were cared for. My mother was careful with hers but my friend's family would slide things over the counter and scratch it that way.

    She did have the counter sanded when she moved and it did look new again. She has granite in her new house.

  • e4849
    13 years ago

    I work in a building with lots of Corian. One area with a light tan corian is very badly marked with white stains where water sits on the counter, or where cleaning agents pool. It doesn't come out with a regular cleanser. I had considered Corian in my kitchen, but would not recommend it after seeing the damage caused by water/liquids.

  • rivkadr
    13 years ago

    I have Corian in my kitchen -- it's a solid white. I detest it -- it stains very easily, and has scratches that collect dirt and stains. It's entirely possible that darker or mottled Corian wouldn't be as bad, but having just white has turned out to be a nightmare.

  • kmsparty
    13 years ago

    I had planned on doing Corian. I prefer the even tones and didn't think I wanted something glossy. I took home a sample and it was not hard to scratch it at all. A friend who installs it told me that you can sand out the scratches, but then it will be uneven so you really have to have a professional do it. My mother has solid surface, and she said if she had to do it all again she would not get it. I think scratches show more with lots of light in the room. Especially sunlight, which I will have plenty. I am fussy, so I know the scratches would bother me and I am going to have about 100 sq feet of counters so it just wouldn't be practical and would make me crazy. I looked into quartz and that was a big jump in price. I found granite for only a little more with the more subdued pattern I want. Now that I will have all that shine, I amlooking forward to it, and am balancing it out with a unpolished porcelain floor.

  • nik211
    13 years ago

    I moved into a home that has DuPont Corian in Maui in the kitchen. TONS and TONS of scratches - I do not think that the previous owners took care of the countertops at all, that's how bad the scratching is.

    I had some estimates for counter top restoration (sanding out the scratches) but decided not to do it, the contractors themselves told me that the counters were just going to scratch again b/c that is the nature of Corian.

    I can live with the counters the way they are. Upgrading isn't in the budget right now and I'm the only one who sees the scratches anyway.

    If you do a lot of cooking, heavily use your counters, or have kids I might look into something else - unless you can deal with the scratching. For me, I'm over it and the scratches give it character ;)

  • westsider40
    13 years ago

    Thank you all for relating your bad experiences with Corian. Rivkadr, I'm sympathetic and so appreciate your sharing the negs of solid white corian. I know that a mottled pattern would hide a great deal, and granite would be perfect, except that I want solid white. Quartz will chip and who knows what else, solid white corian may be a huge mistake-all solid surfaces would have same problems. Unsolved problem.

    Ok, how's this? I just made it up (as I'm prone to do). Get light wood counters from Ikea. Somehow make them white-paint? Cover with waterlox-but then would the waterlox darken and yellow the white? I think all tung oil finishes would darken. And the poly and urethane, if even food safe, would scratch and crap up.

    As an aside, a few weeks ago I went to Scavolini, saw great modern kitchens, and their personnel said that most of their customers don't cook!!!!
    Perhaps a laminate? The kitchen is increasingly becoming high end-but may be ok.

    nuts,

  • jamesmrosas
    13 years ago

    Having a white corian surface poses a problem. Its hard to clean when it stain compared to darker surface. But there's a stain remover which you can use to clean it up. But as time goes by, dirt turns to compile on it causing its color to change. Maybe you should choose the darker color. Its easy to clean without using stain remover and the color can hide up the dirt.

  • PRO
    Hairbrained Schemes
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    We have a dark corian surface and I would NEVER get it again. It scratches when you look at it (slight over-exaggeration, but not by much). We are careful and use pads under dishes and try not to put too much stuff on it, but it's ridiculous how easily it marks up. We've only had it for just over a year and already paid someone to come and buff out the scratches a few months ago. It looked beautiful for the first week and now covered with scratches again. Super disappointed.

  • PRO
    Anglophilia
    7 years ago

    White Corian is NOT hard to clean and really is pretty hard to stain!!! It does NOT change color over time. If it did, how on earth could I re-use 32 year old countertops and add a new 5 ft run? It would have looked terrible and I defy you to tell me which is the old and which is the new.

    All solid surface countertops are not created equally. I think many people use the name "Corian" for all solid surface. I cannot speak to the durability of other brands, but having lived with Corian all these years, and my daughter also having white Corian (plus a messy SAHH and two teenage boys), I know it is easy to keep clean and looking great.

    It is true that dark Corian scratches "white". It's really too bad as their black is stunning looking. People are typically warned about this when they choose such.

  • austinjasper
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I have white Corian counters (it came with the house we purchased) and I HATE it! It is difficult to keep pristine clean, it does scratch and STAIN! When I am able I am ripping it out and never getting that color nor material again!! Just my opinion. :)

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    7 years ago

    austinjasper:


    You are entitled to your own opinion, however, you are not entitled to your own facts. Properly maintained Corian does not stain permanently. Scratches are easily removed.

  • PRO
    Hairbrained Schemes
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Can you elaborate on how they are easily removed, Joseph? I'm truly curious. We had someone come in and buff the scratches out for us once already a few months ago (and it seemed like a bit of a process, not one I would want to take on myself in case I did something wrong). It's quite scratched again already and we do properly maintain our counters and are very careful with them. Thanks! I'm editing to add, the most frustrating part for us, was we were sold this as a very hard to scratch/super durable option, if I had of been aware of how the dark surfaces scratch easily I would have gone another route.

  • Angela M
    7 years ago

    My Dad spent 30 years doing counter-tops and cabinets for a living (small shop) and my parents kitchen table is Corian as well as the tops of a couple end tables. The kitchen table has held up fairly well, but it does show surface scratches. However, the beauty of Corian (especially for someone like him with the know-how) is that its a solid surface all the way through, so you can in theory sand it down periodically if needed. I think he may have done this once on the kitchen table (if that). That said, I have seen it in some kitchens, and I'm not sure what it is, but I don't care for the look. Even when not scratched, it gets dull looking to me. I'd put laminate counters before Corian in my kitchen (although I am truly hoping to save up enough for quartz which is what his kitchen counters have had for 10 years and they look awesome).

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    7 years ago

    Hairbrained Schemes:


    I guess "easily" is relative. A handy person with a palm sander and a proper sanding grit protocol can make tops look like new with practice. The darker colors are more difficult to maintain, show scratches more easily, and need a higher sheen to look good.

  • Alyce Venice
    7 years ago

    Nothing is perfect but I love my corian countertops. The kitchen was finished about 8 years ago and I cook and bake constantly. Tea stains come out in a flash with a quick spray of bleach. The scratches are so faint I don't even notice them. I don't care for granite because so much of it has dark particles and dark colors. I was able to have my countertops custom colored and it is so easy on the eyes. I have friends that spent in excess of $14000 on just their counter tops. By the time we got to the countertops we had barely enough money to finish.All my vanities and laundry have white corian with integral corian sinks and both kitchens (we have a vacation rental apartment) have aqua. Color I'm sure makes a difference but I wouldn't change


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