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Formica InDepth Solid Surface

14 years ago

Can anyone provide a review of Formica's new solid surface product, InDepth? The "everything for one price" and Brown Cafe Silica color have me intrigued. Unfortunately, the only review I've found anywhere on the internet indicates it may perform poorly in the scratch resistence category. Thanks!

Comments (4)

gam51
14 years ago
I hope someone responds because my daughter is also considering it. Good Luck.
mklein3
14 years ago
Solid surface is solid surface. Just like Corian. It is meant to scratch. Solid surface is softer than your thumb nail. The tag line for almost 40 years now has been: yeah it scratches, it is meant to. You can sand out the scratches yourself at home. That was ok when the only other alternative was laminate.
There are better choices out there that don't need sealing, sanding or any other maintenance.
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Everyone I know grew up with laminate and it wears like iron if you don't mind seams. If the solid surface is shiny, it won't stay shiny. A matte finish with a lighter color will help disguising the inevitable scratches that occur until they eventually meld into a patina. Both types can be cleaned with just about anything - 409, Windex, bleach, etc. You don't want to use abrasives on laminate, whereas solid surface has color all the way through. If you want an undermount sink it's much easier with solid surface. (It's been done with laminate but I wouldn't risk the water damage.) I have Corian on my perimeter counters because I loved the color, dislike the seams and didn't want the edgebanding or postform edge that you get with formica. I wouldn't ever recommend a white corian sink though. Impossible to keep clean without daily bleach and scrubbing. I have a stainless undermount.
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I used the same tile as the bath surrounds for countertops in my rent houses because it is very economical. Can't undermount sinks though, but so many nice sinks available. At 2.89 a foot cannot be beat--I used bullnose edge on one vanity so the edges were 4$ per foot or so. I use large porcelain with very thin grout lines and epoxy or fusion grout so the grout lines are no problem. Tile edges must be same color as top for it to look good if not using bullnose....although you can spray paint edges but I never have. In one house I used glass accents on the countertop and it turned out quite pretty. So....plywood, thinset and screw down denshield resin impregnated gypsum from Lowes made by USG (lightweight and sooooo easy to use, love it) and tile. the tile on top overlaps the tiled edges. So more than 2.89 ft. but not much for me as I usually have leftovers. Sorry about sideways photos:-p If you go this route, lay the entire countertop out first and check your overhang and especially your symetry, to look pro it has to be symetrical...the cuts, layout, etc. the left side of the counter the exact mirror of the right side. Floorndecor has 10' quartz prefab slabs for $500. You can take and pick up from a granite fabricator. Or Maybe use a wet saw to cut the slab and diamond blade hole saw and garden hose to cut a vessel sink hole.
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hi crcollins - coming along beautifully! I cannot wait to see your finished kitchen. Not sure if this would help but if you need to buy aftermarket brackets, check this place out. We ordered a couple for our kitchen and I was really impressed with the quality of construction. They weigh a TON! Here is a link that might be useful: Centerline Brackets
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If you want a "heat proof countertop" buy Stainless Steel. Otherwise use a heat trivet. As far as manufacturers of S.S. - LG is a good product very similar in make up from what I can tell but they do not guarantee the installation where as DuPont does. In other words, if your fabricator screws up your installation with LG Hi-Macs you are out of luck because they do not "guarantee" their fabricators work. If on the other hand your "licensed" fabricator from DuPont screws up on your installation, DuPont will cover the problem. You can make sure your fabricator is a licensed "CFI" (Certified Fabricator Installer) by going to DuPonts Corian website or by calling 8004CORIAN. The big issue on this is around the seams in the countertop. DuPont covers them, LG does not. Not trying to say one product is better than another. If you need to save a few bucks by all means look at the imported S.S. Just make sure your fabricator knows what they are doing because the manufacturer doesn't have any "investment" in that regards. P.S. Granite shouldn't crack from heat but when you place a hot pot onto sealed granite it breaks down the sealer and then you can get a stain which is not easily removed if it can be removed at all. Therefore you should always use a trivet. P.S.S. I have also seen Quartz products damaged from heat exposure. It can become "whitened" and once that happens it is permanent.
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jakkom
14 years ago
We've owned Swanstone - similar matte finish to Corian altho a bit more heat-resistant - for twenty years, in beige granite-look counters and sinks, both in bathrooms and kitchen. Scratches are literally microscopic and can't be seen easily - in fact, our kitchen counters and drop-in sink have been in heavy use since 2003, and under ANY light there are no scratches visible. We have picture windows 15' tall and 24' across flooding daylight into our kitchen all day long, and believe me, if there were scratches easily visible they could be seen.

BUT - you do have to get the stone-patterned solid surfacing. Solid colors in solid surface countertops is like getting solid colors in W2W carpet - you are asking for stains to show up.

Also, dark colors in Corian will indeed show white scratches - that's already been reported here by several people. Swanstone's dark colors go all the way through so scratches don't show any white.

The best thing to do is obtain some samples of the solid surface material you are interested in, and put it to the test in your kitchen to see if it will work for you. Because we had owned the Swanstone integral bath sinks/counters for two decades and watched my mother try to destroy them with bleach, burning cigarettes, and Clairol Jet Black hair dye, we had every confidence that using Swanstone in our kitchen would work. My DH and I both infinitely prefer the Swanstone sink to the excellent cast-iron Kohler Executive Chef it replaced.

The Formica InDepth colors are very beautiful, so I hope it works for those of you who are interested in it. Good luck with whatever is finally chosen.
stacy_formica
14 years ago
Hello,
I represent Formica Corporation and am glad you are considering InDepth solid surfacing. It doesn't scratch easier than any other solid surfacing on the market though as with all solid surfacing, we recommend that you use a cutting board. Mild scratches can be easily removed by homeowners. I've attached a link to our use and care guide. More information can be found at www.formica.com. You can also find a local dealer by calling 1-800-FORMICA. Good luck on your countertop search!

Here is a link that might be useful: Solid Surfacing by Formica Group Use and Care

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