I LoVE the Corian in my bath. We used Burled Beach, it is a kind of beigy/tan/cream colored Corian, in one of the *higher* prices, but it is very pretty.

Easy to take care of (but, again, it's in a bathroom), and looks like new ~ installed about 3.5 years ago.

jody

Oh, that one is really pretty. I was thinking a gray, but I'll have to go see that one now.

Also, how did you find a fabricator, and how level do the cabinets have to be?

I'm going to go look at some tomorrow. I read on this forum to have the fabricator build up around the sink cutout for an undermount sink. Is that any kind of sink? I guess any sink will be heavy when it's full of dishes and water, even a stainless steel one.

Also, and hate to repeat my questions but I feel kind of desperate to get this going right now, does the cabinet need to be perfectly level for Corian? If so, who levels it, the fabricator or the cabinet people, aka me?

Rain Cloud looks great IRL. Sort of marble-ish without trying too hard.

All counters of any type of surface will need the cabinets to be level before they are installed. Yes, if you are the carpenter here, leveling them is your responsibility.

There is no such thing as an "unauthorized" fabricator. Corian requires training and registration of their fabricators and will only sell to those on that list. This is a policy that most of the solid surface manufacturers have. It's not just to keep the price artificially high, it's to control the quality of the fabrication so that their product doesn't get a bad name.

Corian can be a medium priced counter in their plain white colors, ($40-$50 a square foot) or a medium high priced counter in their Private Collection colors ($70-$80 a square foot) The integrated sinks aren't cheap either. $500-$700 is about average, but that includes the cost of mounting that sink.

The biggest drawback that most people find with Corian and other acrylic solid surface counters is that the darker colors show the scratches pretty badly---and they show white. The lighter colors don't show the scratches nearly as badly.

I don't know where you've gotten the idea that granite is "loud". It is not any louder than a tile counter. If you bang stuff down on any counter it will make noise, and that noise is only very slightly incrementally more with a hard surface than it is a surface like a laminate or Corian.

Granite will undoubtedly be the cheapest choice when it comes to a solid all the way through counter. There are plenty of places that sell Group A granites like Uba Tuba for $40-$50 a square foot.

We have chosen Corian to replace our counters in a redo of our kitchen. My reason was for invisible seaming of the product and the transition of the counter into the sink. If you have large L shaped counters you will see the seam in a stone counter. If you have to use several slabs then veining might be an issue in the fabrication. Each material has it's pluses and minuses. For us Corian was a personal choice and has no bearing on resale. Whichever counter you choose do it for yourself and not resale. I personally am not into shiny counter, but rather the matte finish of Corian. Cleanup is easy and no sealing is required. We have had laminates for years so worrying about hot pans is something we grew up with and have never burned a counter yet. Someone commented that in the ulta high end modern Italian kitchens that Corian is used almost exclusively. We personally do not want the counters to be a focal point of our redo. Some owners truly love the look and feel of stone and others have always wanted Corian. We are the Corian ones.

You can undermount a sink in laminate. I don't have this so I can't speak to how well it holds up over time. I'd look for this info. from owners of an undermount laminate sink. I can tell you that the conventional wisdom from folks that don't have an undermount sink in laminate is that water intrusion will become a problem. Same deal with undermounting a sink in a wood counter.

Corian is pricey unless you're into plain bright white. That might be an issue for you to consider.

You might consider bringing a glass or plate with you to a big box store. You can try setting the glass down on the various counter displays and see what you're willing to live with, sound/feel-wise.

With regard to the backsplash, the only pic I see with an integrated backsplash has a tile mosiac directly behind the range top. You could try that, or a piece of sheet metal if it works with the look you're going for. Or you could call Dupont to ask their advice.

I have had both and I have to tell you, you can't beat Corian for how it feels and the ease of maintenance and worry. I had a lighter color called Aurora. It was a workhorse. It wiped up beautifully and though it had scratches it wasn't that noticeable or important. I loved the integrated sink, it was soft and not a worry for banging dishes or getting scratched up. I know it was but it was white and didn't show. It was starting to get stained but not that bad after 14 years.

I replaced it with granite and though it is much more dramatic and they did a good job putting it in as far as seams go and it looks pretty, I worry about it. It is a stone that has a lot of pits and that bugs me. Will they get bigger? Will they get bacteria in them? I clean it regularly. It's not like that all over just mostly on the island. They took it off and repolished it ~did nothing. I have had two different companies look at it and they tell me this particular stone is just like that. It doesn't feel as soft and smooth as the Corian but it doesn't make any noise at all. I think if you get the black granite it is the hardest and maybe it would do that. Mine is an ivory so it isn't hard or awful to work on. I love how the edges are and it definitely classed up the kitchen.

I would not pay $70 $80 for Corian that's for sure, it's not THAT nice but it's a good working surface for a kitchen with many things to like about it. It's nonporous for one thing, you never have to worry about that. I'd definitely consider it again if I were doing a new build.

If you go the granite route do NOT buy anything that says "standard" or "B" grade (as in quality, not price) because it will be one that is not top quality and will shed and have pits, feel dusty and gritty and all sorts of stuff so just be careful of that. I didn't buy a "B" grade either but may have gotten one anyway. Good luck.

marti8a .... I went to Home Depot and they have experienced fabricators. But it took me FOREVER to pick just *one* Corian counter!!! lol

If you go to their website, you can order samples, you probably do NOT want to know how many 4x4 samples I have!!! You can also order a cutting board, it is a little more $$$, but you can use it (I use mine all the time ~ it's well worth the $$$). And the Burled Beach is sooo pretty. It would look great in a kitchen too. Very soft coloring in it.

Let us know what you decide!!

jody

Uh oh, I don't like the white. I like the Burled Beach I saw in the little square on the website, but my cabinets have a bit of red in them so I'd have to see what they look like together. The color I really liked from pictures was Flint, but again I'd have to see it with my cabinet sample. White scratches would really bother me.

It's really metal utensils being set on it that bother me, and they don't have to be banged down. I have hypersensitive hearing, and while the granite isn't intolerable like a lot of other household noises, I think it would bother me. But I also realize that sounds in a big warehouse store are different than a small kitchen. I'll call a neighbor and see if she will let me play with her dishes on her granite tonight. ;)

From the Dupont website, there aren't any authorized retailers within 50 miles of me, but in the yellow pages there are several installers listed, including Home Depot & Lowe's.

I just feel that this is spinning out of control. I had planned on counters, just not right now, and now I feel rushed to get it all done. We're supposed to be putting everything into the dining room right now, not the kitchen. ARGH!

We have corian in our kitchen and basement "wetbar" (craft area for the kids). We've had it in the kitchen for about 9 years and almost 2 years in our basement. The kitchen counters have held up pretty well. They are some shade of white/tan... one of the least expensive color options. In the kitchen we opted for the corian sink too. The only problem we've had is when we were getting our basement finished one of the contractors used our sink to wash off tools. He dropped something heavy in the sink, and it chipped pretty badly. He also chipped a small spot on the counter. We had a place come out and fill the hole and resand the entire surface our our counters. The patched hole in the sink is very noticable to me, but it probably just looks like a bleach stain to other people. The other spot on the counter is not noticable at all. Also, the sink stains pretty easily. I have to be careful about leaving berries or red wine. It eventually comes out, but it takes A LOT of elbow grease and a week or two of rinsing. In the basement DH really wanted black corian so we got it. Since I knew we would be using the area for crafts we got an undermount SS sink. It was a much better choice to get SS than corian. However, the dark corian shows scratches so easily. It drives me nuts!

I've never regretted replacing our laminate kitchen counters with the corian, but I'm excited to get real stone (granite or quartzite) in our new kitchen. IMHO, I really prefer the look and feel of corian over laminate. I would, however, go back and choose a lighter color in our wetbar/craft counter.

We have a beadboard backsplash in our whole kitchen right now. We haven't had any problems with it. When we installed it, we put lots and lots of clear sealant on it. (I don't remember exactly what we used- whatever the person at Home Depot recommended at the time.) It wipes down pretty easily. We have a plain old oven with the dials in the back. I haven't had a problem with food splashing above it onto the beadboard. I also don't fry foods... just a tiny bit of butter or EVOO. It might be different if I cooked fried chicken. ;)

Home Depot or Lowe's probably contract out the installer for the Corian, and she may well come form 50 miles away...but that's their problem. :) I really doubt they'd use someone unauthorized.

I really liked my Corian sink, even after I let cast iron rust in it when I went on vacation. Every so often I'd fill it up with bleachy water and leave it over night. If you only use crunchy granola cleaners, you might want the stainless sink.

I didn't make it into the city today. I wasn't feeling very good for most of the day. But dh & I went to Home Depot & Lowes, and we both decided we didn't really like any of the Corian, but we did like the quartz. I'm actually shocked at myself. From what I've seen on tv, I didn't think I'd like quartz at all.

I did ask the Lowe's guy what had to be done around the sink to support the weight and he said nothing for a ss, they just glue it on. I thought I had read here (when I wasn't really paying attention because I was NOT going to have granite or quartz) that just gluing wasn't enough.

I still haven't gone over to the neighbor's to check out her granite and sound. But the guy at Lowe's thumped the Corian brochure on edge against the counter and my ear rang for a few minutes, so I'm a little worried about it.

Dh & I are going to the city tomorrow to check out some other places.

In case you are still looking at Corian, I want to share my experience with it.
The previous owner of my house put in a tannish Corian w/ integrated light tan sink.
It has been about 12years and
- there are a ton of tiny and big cracks all in the sink, around the drain, the sink is ALWAYS dirty looking
- There are cracks around stress points of the counters - at the overhang near the slide-in range, near the corner at the L, etc.
- it stains easily
- it scratches (and I never cut directly on it). Just moving the toaster oven will scratch it.

There is a 4inch backsplash. Why didn't they get a seamless backsplash? Because there is gunk at the seam!

I cannot wait to renovate and remove it! I cannot believe people pay so much money for Corian.

Sorry to be so negative; I just want to make sure you know what Corian is like.

Amanda

I had Corian in my last house, installed in 1997. At that time it was still made in the U.S. I had a creamy white...not stark white and not beige. I had the integrated sink. Fortunately I had a good fabricator and it held up well.

However, it does stain, which I was able to bleach out, but I hated the sink. Yes, it was nice to have it integrated and "seamless", but I never could get all the stains out after a while.

Later on I had a laundry sink and counter done in the same thing.Tthis time the so called authorized fabricator Home Depot sent was not all that good. A few years later wherever the seams were turned yellow. It also seemed to oxidize somewhat.

A friend of mine has it and it is cracking.Perhaps her cabinetry is not perfectly level and maybe that is why....I don't know.

I would never get it again. I feel it is overpriced for what it is, and it is now made in China. It is not the same material that it was in 1997.I would get formica before I would get Coraian.

I just had soapstone installed in my new house. I love it.

"I wasn't feeling very good for most of the day."

that sure isn't a good time to be looking at something as important as counter material! on days (that's most of 'em) that I don't feel well I can easily screw up a trip to lowe's! and that's with just looking at / getting odds'n ends like caulking, a paint scraper, to look at flooring or lighting. I leave not even knowing what I saw. It just confuses me more.

huango, after seeing the comments here about scratching, we tested a couple of the samples (most already had scratches on them) and they scratched much easier than the laminate. I even used my key on the laminate and it didn't scratch, but the Corian scatched with just a fingernail. Not deep, but visible. On their display counter, which was kind of mocha, there was a big scratch, and it was white. I don't understand why a solid brown material has white scratches.

I never considered the integrated sink. I never liked that look.

But from what we saw, Corian is definitely out.

I did ask the Lowe's guy what had to be done around the sink to support the weight and he said nothing for a ss, they just glue it on.

Not true. Fabrication guidelines are to use mounting brackets with non solid surfaced integrated sinks. There sink is bonded to the sheet stock with silicone but mounting brackets must be used. Sales people should never be taken at their word about installation matters. Some are outright liars, some are well meaning but clueless. I recently had a salesman try to tell me that gas ovens dry out food because electric is moist heat and gas is dry.He walked away when I asked if he'd like to put money on it. He was also the one that told me the Kitchenaid doesn't make a 24" wall oven. I told him to Google it. A very nice but clueless saleswomen did not know how to read dimensions on a hood I inquired about. Had absolutely NO clue what height width and depth were. Sad but true. A heating guy at a trade show told me I would have damp floors if I put in hydronic radiant. LOL

Dark solid surface will show scratches as white. Matte surfaces are recommended for kitchen counter tops, never hi gloss. You could go with a semi gloss if the counter is a light patterned one.

While I'm at it the substrate should never be solid in a kitchen application. The runner a runner method should be used and all seamed areas should have additional support.

Don't think of solid surface as just Corian. There are at least a dozen manufacturers of solid surface out there. Formulas are very similar. Take a look at Avonite,Swanstone,Hi-Macs,LivingStone,Wilsonart's Gibraltor and Formica brand solid surface.

The bottom line is not the material but the fabricator.

We looked at Formica solid surface too and thought it looked just like the Corian. Sorry for using Corian as the term. I say Kleenex instead of tissue too I'm afraid.

"While I'm at it the substrate should never be solid in a kitchen application. The runner a runner method should be used and all seamed areas should have additional support."

What do you mean? All that went over my head.

Solid surface needs air space underneath it for proper expansion and contraction especially in heated areas like kitchens. The runner system is using strips of wood rather than laying down sheets of plywood or chipboard like for some other materials. That is why the fabricator is important. That is why materials can't be bought by the home handyman even though they are relatively simple to work with. Poor installation means cracks and problems. Proper install means a trouble free product.

Everything expands and contracts. Everything. Concrete,wood,metal,tile. Everything. Everything has its own nuances on how this law of physics must be dealt with.

Another thing people don't understand is that matte finished solid surface is meant to be scrubbed. Sinks are always matte and good old fashioned powdered cleanser is what they like. Babying them is what leads to stains.

I have an Avonite counter in my hall bath that is almost 20 years old. I clean it with regular bathroom cleans er but when it starts looking a bit dingy, out comes the Ajax or Comet. Brings it right back. Sure you get scratches but they can be rubbed out with fine grade sandpaper or polishing compounds.

Remember also that what you see in places like Lowes are constantly under the stress of the public "trying" to damage them on purpose to see how they will hold up. People are pigs. They key things, hang off of doors to "test" the hinges and try to peel off laminate with pocket knives. Pigs.

You don't see that in smaller shops because it wouldn't be tolerated. But people roam free and often unsupervised in the big box stores.

Um, we scratched the samples. Isn't that part of the purpose of samples?

Hubby talked to the builder's laminate guy who recommended a store in the city for stone, said they did a great job. So I drove over today, but the place only does granite.

Since I was there, I talked to a salesman about the granite, and was surprised to hear that there was only a 5 day turnaround on it - compared to 4-6 weeks on the quartz. And black galaxy was $40 per sq ft installed, compared to $50 for the quartz. I told him I wanted something with a gold or brown mix in it. He showed me Venetian Gold, but I think it's too busy for my cooktop (see below).

He also told me that granite never has to be sealed, unless you really want to, and that he has never heard of it cracking or breaking for no reason. Both of those things were big concerns I have after reading of the problems people have here.

But he was also a salesman, and when I showed him the brochure with my cooktop and told him I wanted something that looked good with it, he said cooktops look good with any granite.

{{!gwi}}

My appliances are white, cabinets are dark red oak, and my floor tile is currently marbled white. I want to change that, but dh doesn't. I have to work on that, and saw some fossilized limestone I really liked today.

I wasn't going to even consider granite, but if it's faster and cheaper than quartz, I'll consider it too. Why not, the budget is already busted.

"Um, we scratched the samples. Isn't that part of the purpose of samples?"

Of course it's OK. I was referring to what people do to the display kitchens.

Ok. The scratches we saw in the display kitchen counter looked like they happened when the stovetop was installed. They were two straight lines even with it. Those are the only marks we saw on any of the counters.

I have Corian in Rain Cloud and can vouch for any scratching being buffable. If you scratch another type of surface, it is harder to bring back.

We had Corian in our Chicago house and loved it. Creme colored, no pattern. Never a problem with scratching or discoloring. We did have one stress crack under the corner of a cooktop, maybe 1/8" long, but it never travelled. Our Boston condo is a rental and we went with granite there because the market expects it. But staying there for few months convinced us that we would not like it. It is *hard* and loud, and "cold" and has very different characteristics than solid surfaces.

At our current home we replaced Formica with Corian and love it. Pattern is grey, black, & white speckled. A week after installation my wife set a red hot pan on it, direct from the stove and it burned the top. (She was aiming for a trivet but it twisted in her hand and she panicked.) Friends said calling the installers would be pricey, so I got some fine sandpaper in two grits and sanded it out manually. Took about 10 minutes, and you simply cannot tell there was ever any damage.

We have rain cloud corian in our bay house. I like to because it is non porous. We have kohler white deep sink. I was looking at granite but fell in love with the rain cloud. It's easy upkeep no sealing required. I used it for bath counters too.