Corian/LG/???/Solid Surfaces questions

16 years ago

We are getting ready to put in new countertops. I love all the color options on the solid surface tops. I am going for a light/medium color - a sand or almond type color. What are your thoughts on these products? How heat resistant are they? And preference on which is best? So far, my favorite color has been the Almond LG, but Corian and Formica have gorgeous colors too. It's so confusing trying to decide which is best. Also, which scratches the easiest. I have two large cats and they do get on my island. The old type formica that I have now is full of little scratches from them and from everything else.

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

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Comments (4)

iamnodiy
16 years ago
We have Corian (mojave) it has preformed well over the past 2 yrs. If you are looking to place a hot pot directly on the counter then you should consider granite or soapstone. Solid surface is not heat resistant. If you have a solid surface sink it is recommended that you run cold water while you drain boiling water into the sink. Solid surface also scratches. However, you can buff out scratches with the green side of a scotchbrite sponge. The pros of solid surfaces are they can be repaired, no visable seams,they do not require special sealers or cleaners and are available with an integral sink.
3katz4me
16 years ago
My only experience is with Corian - I've had it a little over two years - including the integrated Corian sink. . I've been very happy with it. It does scratch - you notice the first few scratches but in time it all blends together and not noticeable. My cats generally stay off the counters so can't say much about how it holds up to cat claws. I'm more concerned about them trying to jump up and digging their claws into my cabinets. They were more curious right after the kitchen was done but not so much any more.
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Jdesign our project was about 20 miles north of NYC. My original impression was to much white, but when finished I will say the white Corian counter and island cabinets were unlike any kitchen I have ever seen. Normally we install the kitchens, but this was done by a Boffi installer. It took about 9 days including setting of appliances with help for 4 days. I will say that the installer was in no hurry and treated every cabinet install with the up-most care. Counter tops came with sink installs from Italy. Even the Gaggenau cooktop came installed in a stainless counter. I will say I was disappointed with their sinks which are stainless. As for as Corian being used for the counter it was the ultimate for this kitchen. The client had it seamed here rather than the Boffi install of butting it with visible seam. Like I posted earlier a 16' island with no seams is amazing! The client has large parties and it becomes a buffet table with tons of food on it. At the end of the day cleanup is a snap and the kitchen counters look as good as new. If stained or scatched a little buffing with pad and all is good. This is one kitchen that stone would not work in. Modern design in my opinion works better with solid surface. I think granite and marble work well in some kitchens, but not to the extent that I see on GW. It seems to be a must have upgrade or standard in new home construction. My take is install what makes you happy not what will impress others.
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I think there are several answers to your question and I will try to tell you in detail about each of them. First, I think you should think about the coverage, because this is probably the most important factor. It's important to prevent the problem before it even occurs, but I think you already know that. I can't think of anything more so than stainless steel. And as I thought about this answer it occurred to me it must be the reason commercial prep kitchens use it so much. Solid surface countertops are synthetic and don't offer the same quality and durability as a natural stone. However, these materials are non-porous and don't stain easily. Certain chemicals and acidic foods can stain these countertops if left on the surface for long periods of time. The second is this immediate caveat: -Stop using acidic cleaners or heavy alkaline cleaning material that can strike and destroy stones. And the third is a solution to the problem. To be honest, I have never encountered such a problem, but after a little searching on the Internet I found an article that might be useful to you: how to remove stain from solid surface countertop To be honest, I do not vouch for the correctness and effectiveness of the methods described there, but personally to me it seemed the most correct and logical solution to the problem, so I recommend that you read this article and draw your own conclusions. I hope my comment was helpful and you can clean the surface without any problems.
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patches123
16 years ago
I have corian flint (dark gray). With the lighter colors you are looking at scratches shouldn't be as noticeable. If you are worried about scratches be sure to pick a light to medium color with pattern (not solid) to it. Mine is dark and while not solid, its pretty close, so scratches are noticeable, but like the pp mentioned they blend in after awhile or can be buffed out.

While solid surface is heat resistant, its not heat proof like granite and other stones. You would not want to sit a pan straight from the stove to the counter. From corians website, "We do not recommend placing a hot pot directly on CorianÂ®. Although CorianÂ® remains stable and undamaged in temperatures up to 212ÂºF (100ÂºC), high heat or flame will damage your surface. In most cases, this damage can be repaired. To protect your CorianÂ® from heat damage, always use a hot pad or a trivet with rubber feet when using hot pots, or heat-generating appliances like electric skillets or electric cooking pots."
counterman
16 years ago
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.

Corian/LG/???/Solid Surfaces questions

Comments (4)

iamnodiy

3katz4me

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