I have a Corian sink integrated into a non-Corian (but Corian-like) counter. It's been in place about 9 years w/no problems. I think the brand of counter is called "LivingStone"

Most of my clients that went solid white Corian, way back in the day when solids were all that were available, found them hard to keep looking nice. Try to go with a pattern of some kind. There are many nice whites with a subtle pattern. I think all the other brands are fine (ie Hi-Macs, Hanex..etc) Some brands used to contain polyester and were shinier, had some cool patterns but scratched easier and were harder to fabricate. But I don't think there are anymore brands that have that mix today. I think they all died out. Joe do you know?

Bump for Joe to see, hopefully

"Hard to keep looking nice?" I guess if one is a pig and never wipes down the countertops! I've had solid Glacier White Corian countertops in my kitchen now for 33 years and they still look as good as the day they were installed! I reused them when I redid my kitchen a year ago.

My DD has them, and a Corian integrated sink, in her kitchen as well. She has two boys who are now 15 and 17 - think she's had the counter tops now for about 10 years. They are...well, they're boys. Her husband is a SAHD and he's a slob - makes pot after pot of french press coffee all day and dumbs it out (and the grounds) in the sink and doesn't rinse the sink for hours. It's all flawless.

Oh! I was just looking at Staron last night, and I also made a note to only get 100% acrylic. Glad I am on the right track. Mel, that is interesting that you have different brands of sink and counter. I had assumed they would always be the same kind. That's great in that it gives me more options.

So I have been looking at integrated sinks, and Staron doesn't appear to have sinks with offset drains. Neither does Livingstone. Corian does, as does Wilsonart. Hmmm.

We went with the Corian sink because it suited our preferences better. I will say that it has taken a lot of abuse and doesn't always look pristine, but very easy to clean up with some dish soap or OxyClean, and when it's really getting grimy-looking I can whiten it right back up w/bleach (I rarely bleach it, maybe 2x/year).

I LOVE how nothing has stained our counters. We have LivingStone "Volcanic Ash". Nothing has stained, and nearly everything I can think of has spilled and been left at one time or another because we both cook, both work full time, and have two kitchen-savvy kids as well. It's also more gentle on the glasses and dishes that get knocked against the counter more often than I'd like.

It's good news that the sink and counter can be from different manufacturers, but now I have a new issue. I just want a plain white counter (bright but slightly soft), and the sinks I'm finding don't necessarily come in the counter colors I am interested in. They basically have 1 or 2 whites and a cream. If we were getting a colored counter, I wouldn't mind a white sink b/c of the contrast, but how would it look to have 2 different whites? I don't like the sound of it. Right now I am looking at ordering samples of the whites these sinks come in, but it looks limited. Thankfully, one of the appr 13,244 samples I ordered from Corian last night is *also* a sink white. I sure hope I love it b/c otherwise things may get complicated. Of the 5 brands I am looking at, it is the only one that meets all my current criteria: a potential white for both counter and sink, is 100% acrylic, and has offset sink drains. I will be on tenterhooks until my Corian samples come in.

Just reporting the feedback I have gotten from past clients. I have no personal experience with long term use of solid white Corian. My business partner's mother-in-law got it over 20 years ago and from day one, she never quite liked it. She is farthest from a "pig"....her home is spotless! But for whatever reasons, whe regretted her choice. Having it refinished, like Joe said, is certainly a nice option.

I am sorry to hear she doesn't like it. At this point, we have decided on solid surface, and I am just trying to work out the details. Is there something specific about the *Corian* she doesn't like, or does she just not like solid surface?

I was able to keep white Corian pristine for 20 years. Nothing harmed it aside from a guest who failed to use a cutting board- bad for knives and bad for counters.

Thanks, Rita. I am definitely set on solid surface. For my family, it's the best choice. I'm glad to hear yours has held up. Now if only I weren't having this sink color complication!

• Joe, do you know if LG HiMacs or Formica solid surface is 100% acrylic? I can't tell from their websites. They have sinks with offset drains, so they may be on the list.

I just found this about HI MACS: "The mineral material consists of approximately one third acrylic resin (polymethyl methacrylate or PMMA) and 5% natural pigments. Its main constituent, with 70%, is the natural mineral aluminium hydroxide (ATH) obtained from bauxite (aluminium ore)." Is that not as good as 100% acrylic?

stillpitpat:

When we say 100% acrylic, we mean 100% of the 1/3. If you had solid surface with no filler (pigments and ATH), you'd have clear Plexiglas.

I have Formica solid surface in my home that's an acrylic/poly blend and we like it just fine, although I think all Formica solid surface is acrylic now as is Hi Macs. I'm not positive though.

I gave two very close friends in two other cities. Independent of one another, all three of us have chosen Glasier white Corian countertops and integrated Corian sinks. One friend is a meticulous person in her kitchen. The other isn't a slob, but her kitchen is tiny, she had 3 children who were wild things, and she entertains constantly. They visited me two weeks ago and we were talking about how much we both still love our white Corian countertops and sinks after all these years. They do not look dated, they are very easy to clean (can you say orzo with tumeric liquid spilled on the countertop and in the sink and not rinsed)? It took about 30 seconds to clean it to perfection.

I'm a woman who owns many "special care" things - crystal, sterling flatware and china that cannot go into the dishwasher, antique linens that must be hand washed. But when it comes to kitchens and bathrooms, "delicate" just doesn't work for me. Nasty things happen in both rooms that require bleach, so I must have easy care...and I do.

Joe, that makes sense, and now I feel silly. And now I'm also picturing a plexiglass counter and sink and going hmmmmm. I read that Formica was in transition so maybe it depends on which exact one one wants. Does HiMacs have a good reputation? Corian is at the top of the list but since I want white and white I would like some options in case I don't end up liking Corian's Glacier White.

Anglo, do you remember if your sink color was listed as "Glacier White?" Right now they have a sink I like that is called "White Frost," but in parentheses it says "similar to Glacier White." I don't know how similar their similar is.

Hi Macs is fine.

Great - just ordered some samples. Thanks!

When I got my sink 14 years ago, I don't remember there being a color choice. Of course, when I got the countertops 33 years ago, Corian had about 3 shades of white, and those were the choices! I know my countertops are Glacier White as that's what we ordered for the new 5 ft run to match the existing countertops. My sink matches perfectly.

I should have ordered a sample of their White Frost but I didn't see that that is the sink color until I had placed the order. I will probably just order an additional sample. I wonder if it is not the same exact color formula as Glacier White so they had to give it a different name but it actually looks the same. If it's just a tiny bit off, it should be fine, since the change in plane from counter to sink will change how one sees it anyway. It just seems weird to have 2 different colors. Another Corian sink comes in Designer White, which I did order, but I have a feeling that's going to be too bright.

HiMacs has counters and sinks in Arctic White and Ivory White (both in both colors), so I ordered those samples. At least I know they will match each other.

While this is all frustrating and tedious, I am feeling good about ordering all these samples. We have pretty much decided on flooring, and when we receive our samples from Scherr's, maybe we will be able to decide on cabinet fronts. It would be sooo nice if we can just go with the colors and coats that they apply instead of ordering them raw and having someone do it locally. When the Corian and HiMac samples come in, hopefully we will be able to make a decision based on those. I would love to move on to other decisions!