My countertops are solid surface that isn't as thick as Corian, but is the same kind of material. It may be a local name because when I google it, the fabricator I used is the only one that comes up under that name. I used this material because they had a blue that I liked . . . I didn't really like the Corian blues, and in my color scheme -- cream cabinets, yellow walls, blue counters -- it was important to me to get the blue color right. My integrated sink is a lighter blue, speckled. The integrated sink is one of the things I like best . . . absolutely NO place for yucch to collect. It almost never looks dirty, but when it gets stained, a quick swish with soft scrub does the job. To solve the problem of not being able to set hot pans on the countertop, I had the area next to the stove inset with tile the same color as the cabinets. I also have one long serving counter done in the same tile so the area by the stove doesn't look out of place. It has worked perfectly . . . I'm thinking my next kitchen will have the same thing. I've liked my solid surface counters a lot. My make-up table is the same product in matte white. I get lipstick and other makeup on it regularly, and just soft-scrub and it comes off. You know the pitfalls -- you may be cleaning more often -- but if you love the look, it will be worth it.

I had an estimate from HD for quartz and Corian. The Quartz (LG or Silestone) was a little cheaper even if I added the cost of the sink. Is the estimate based on paying for a whole slab? i am still working on my decision but know I want a white marble look. Besides HD I found a place that sells some quartz by the sq foot. A remnant might work for us too as long as it is the right look. Do you think you'd be happy with the remnant? Unless a big difference in price or way out of your budget, I'd try to find something you will really be happy with.

At this point, the job ($4/sf for a BIG job with LOTS of things to do = awesome price) is finished. The cure is going to be worse than the disease. I'm a big fan of "Wait until you have a problem before throwing money/time at it." It is the cheapest solution I know of (I'm a pragmatist...who is both cheap AND lazy ;-P). My advice is this: leave it alone. Keep 10% 'extra' of the flooring product (roughly 75sf or to the nearest box). This will offer you the peace of mind and the material security you will need to feel secure. You will keep it in the back of your mind. You will know that IF something goes wrong you have ALL THE PRODUCT needed to repair/replace the damaged planks. With a laminate floor I wouldn't worry to much about a bit of bounce. People have 'put up with' bouncing laminate floors for 20 years (the SAME laminate they installed 20 years prior). That tells me the click system is fine. Your floor is a rigid vinyl (8mm thick = nice product). The rigidity of the core will help keep everything stable. The only weak point (as in everything in life) is the link (click edge) between one plank and another. This is the one and only place things *might go wrong. Now to be blunt, a rigid vinyl floor like yours can be taken apart and, "in theory", be clicked back together - BUT I don't like that idea. I really don't. We know the click-edge is delicate. We know that. We've seen them brake by grazing the ground before being installed. A vinyl floor that has been disassembled has a STRONG likelihood of DAMAGED edges. If the edge is damaged then there is almost no way you will get them back together. That means you will have to assume 25% damage should you choose to 'unzip' this floor to the point where it bounces. That leaves you with 75% intact flooring with 25% garbage planks (which must be replaced). As soon as you try to fix the subfloor underneath (by removing the flooring) you will have lost the 'intact' floor. You are guaranteed to spend MORE time, MORE money and MORE materials to deal with this. Compare that to 'leave it alone'. Right now you have 100% intact flooring. Every day you wake up to 100% intact floor is another day with a perfectly functional floor. Every day you have 100% intact floor is another day you have SAVED time, money and materials. Simply leave this floor alone until something MAKES you repair it. Keep your 5%-10% extra on hand for future repairs (and there will be future repairs). Use them if and when you need them.

I recommend you/someone is on site in the morning. Take photos of where they are when they start the day and then someone drops by just before the end of their day - do the same thing. Take photos and then post photos....each day if you must. Start a new thread and tell us that you are posting new photos daily with morning/evening photos each time you post. We will keep an eye on how things are going and will point out a 'Stop! Don't let them go any further!' statement if we have to. You can take a photo of the demolition of this cr@p. Then start with new photos of the redo. If you see wall studs with nothing on them or in them...great. Take a pic. If you see studs with plastic stapled to it but nothing else....great. Take a pic. To you it may not look like much, but to us we will be able to spot the 'little' things that make BIG differences. You have a stand-up GC. S/he said it's a do over IMMEDIATELY. I know this is disheartening, but we have seen the worst option possible: we've seen GCs tell homeowners (as in, "Hey Lady, let thems guys does the jobs youse's paying 'em to") that nothing is wrong, or that they are too picky or that 'what do you expect'? Etc. And we've seen GS swear at anyone who questions them and drive off...with the homeowner's PRODUCTS in the back of their truck! Nope. Not kidding! They have ghosted homeowners to the point of $20K lost in payments and materials. I know. It doesn't make you feel much better (especially when it is someone else's misfortune) but you have a better than average situation. You have a GC who is taking this down and getting a new crew. That is MORE than many, many people have gotten. I know. One would hope a pro would offer more....but the building industry in N. America (for the most part) is the Wild Wild West. That idea of, "Big Government is Bad Government" is part and parcel for the situation we are all living through. Chin up...you are on the RIGHT TRACK. Trust us on this one. You are going to be OK...your GC is doing what s/he SHOULD be doing.