Shame on your fabricator, he should have confirmed what you had/what you wanted. I discovered there were different finishes just by picking up a bunch of samples. Quickly realized there were two (out of my group), my guess is matte and semi-gloss. I started experimenting, and found that while I like the feel of semi-gloss better, it shows scuffs quite easily, while matte does not. So it will be matte for me.

Thanks for sharing. This is good to know. Both my sister and SIL have corian and love it. Maybe I will seek out other finishes as I too have always thought it felt pasticky.

Yes, shame on my fabricator. He SAW my countertops when he removed them and put them in the dining room, for re-use!

I'm not sure if there were multiple finishes available in 1985 - I know there were only 3 shades of white. I would not be surprised if the High Gloss came about with the popularity of granite - Corian's way of hoping to compete. Bad idea! All the old samples I found in my bag were matte. I don't remember whether I saw these at a store here or my GC just brought them to me. It was nearly 34 years ago!!!

Huh. All of the samples I received last week are matte. I didn't see the option to pick a finish on the site. It's what I want, so no biggie.

The three finishes have been available as long as solid surface has been around. High gloss has never been recommended in high use areas like kitchen counter tops.

We had Corian sinks/vanity tops in our starter home back in 1973. It came with instructions to use cleansers like Comet or Ajax to keep it looking new at the time.

DH went and became certified by Avonite back in the 80's. I still have a box of samples. All matte. To see them shinier you either spit on them or put a little vegetable oil on them.

There aren't just three solid surface finishes. There is any finish you prefer between each three. You want more than matte but not quite semi-gloss? Yeah, we got that.

Joseph, I had no idea.... Thanks for the heads up!

I went looking and found this link. If you scroll down, there's an example of high gloss and matte with Nocturne. Amazing. Almost hard to believe really.

OT I cannot understand why Corian lost ground to quartz. They are both manufactured products and one is much more durable than the other.

Rita, I think at least one reason is, it's not near as "glamorous". And glamour seems to win over functional for many....

Rita, marketing. It is promoted as a cheaper version of granite. It is implied that it is a real stone and that you cannot damage it. It's not cheaper. It can be damaged. It is no more a "real" stone than my "cultured marble" from 1965 in my bathrooms. (Which still looks pretty good by the way!)

Now, I'm not saying someone should not get quartz. They just need to know what they are buying.

ETA: I need to spruce up my kitchen and my husband likes our white laminate counters. I think I will check into Corian next spring.

I have a Sparkling White Corian sample that I LOVE. There are bits of mica in it and are so tiny, you can only see them in certain lighting. But it adds that lil bit of glam that many like. I wish the bits were bigger actually. I am most likely going with this.

Or wanted artisan grown shiitake mushrooms from a log in your closet.

This made me laugh out loud.

And the rest of your post is right on. I was thinking this just this morning, in relation to a couple threads. It's just as you say, people don't care about a hard working, functional kitchen anymore as much as they care about it looking just as nice as the rest of the house.

And all that money spent on changing countertops and kitchen cabinets could be spend on beautiful, well made furniture and meaningful accessories- items that you take with you from house to house and make the place feel like it is yours and not an imitation of an imitation.

As for the marketing genius of the quartz companies, well, hats off to them.

Beth, my tiny kitchen has got to work and work hard. I cook 99% of our meals at home.

I guess a big part of the problem is the open plan concept- you can't have plain-Jane cabinets and counters if the kitchen is the center of the house. Considering most people spend far less time in the kitchen now than they used to- well- that's another bit of marketing genius if you ask me.

Sherry_7bAL, I've never seen quartz marketed as cheaper than quartz. It sure is not around here anyway. That said, there is a wide variance in granites here, just depends on the stone.

Rita, don't get me started on "open concept". I have open concept and I HATE it. I have to listen to the junk on TV my husband is watching while I cook. My ideal house is from 1940 and has completely separate rooms with DOORS. I want my grandmother's kitchen. Just a kitchen with a table in the middle. You took the food to the dining room to eat! And I wish I could spend less time in the kitchen, it's not happening! It takes longer to pick a restaurant than it does to just cook something.

Chess, It's not, but the Orange Big Box store tries to make you think it is. According to them, it cleans itself and cooks dinner.

Sherry, I feel your pain. I love boxy houses filled with actual rooms! On top of it, with this open kitchen routine, it seems the kitchen is never CLOSED for business and people graze all the time. Not so good for the waistline ....

I have corian counters in the kitchen (matte/satin finish) and they always get stained! I constantly have to dab some Vim (with bleach) to rub out the stains. The corian absorbs everything and it's really annoying. Does this happen to anyone else?

Yes, all these walls that are getting ripped out now, will be put back in a few years from now. All the home buyers in 2030 will be going "Oh no, open concept! How dated! I can't buy it if it doesn't have walls!"

Rita, "I cannot understand why Corian lost ground to quartz. They are both manufactured products and one is much more durable than the other."

I have a Corian table, and it has a lot of fine scratches on it, if you look closely. It's really a "patina" I suppose. I wanted a high-shine surface for my counters, and solid surface in a gloss finish shows the scratches too easily, to be practical in my kitchen. It will certainly chip given the the right circumstance, just like any stone or estone, and of course you have to be a little more careful with heat. In fact that is the ONLY thing that gives me pause for my bathroom counters. I am notorious for leaving a hot curling iron on the counter. :-/

So I think it is the finish of quartz, along with the ease of cleaning and no worries about staining...all of that is very appealing. I had a specific look that I wanted, and for me, solid surface just did not offer it. That doesn't mean I don't love the material.

Also, a lot of people consider Corian to be "plasticy" and "fake looking", but I've never understood that either. I think it's great, it just didn't offer what I wanted in my kitchen.

Sherry_7bAL, LOL!

"And all that money spent on changing countertops and kitchen cabinets could be spend on beautiful, well made furniture and meaningful accessories- items that you take with you from house to house"

True. But this house is my forever home, and I already have the beautiful, well-made furniture that I love. So it was time for counters that I love too. :-)

Chess, I am not saying people should not get beautiful kitchens. I am thrilled to finally have a kitchen with all the bells and whistles I ever dreamt of (though for me that still means a relatively small kitchen with marble counters and white cabinets). For me, it is the second to last thing on my list - not saying it is not on my list :-) Show worthy bathrooms are last on my list.

I have Corian in one of my bathrooms. I put it in when I redid the bathroom 6 years ago. I have quartz in my kitchen. Because the Corian went better with the style of bathroom I was doing, and the quartz looked better with the style of kitchen I wanted. I really like the Corian though. I wish I had put it in my other bathroom instead of the quartz I used there. It's much warmer, IMO.

Quartz is not a "cheaper form of granite." At least Caesarstone is not cheap. The appeal of quartz for me is that it is available in a monochrome look. I am not fond of busy granite. I have a busy backsplash, and when you have a busy backsplash you need a quiet counter. I have had the Caesarstone for 6 years and have had no issues, save a little chip here and there. I'm glad there are so many choices of materials out there. Different things for different looks and purposes.

In 32 years with white Corian countertops, I've never had a stain that was difficult to remove, and I actually get very few stains! I regularly cook with Tumeric and that comes off with a quick wisk of a Scotchbrite pad and just water. My SIL leaves coffee grounds in the Corian sink all day long at their house - they come out with practically no effort.

I just can't imagine why your countertops are staining badly and the stain is difficult to remove. That simply has not been my or my DD's experience at all.

Rita, I imagine your marble is gorgeous. I don't think I would be able to deal with the care of it in my own kitchen, but I truly adore marble counters. I am a fan.

sas95, "I'm glad there are so many choices of materials out there. Different things for different looks and purposes."

I agree 100%.

In fact that is the ONLY thing that gives me pause for my bathroom counters. I am notorious for leaving a hot curling iron on the counter. :-/

Chess, maybe something like this would help?

beth09 - It would!! Thank you!!

Rita, "I guess a big part of the problem is the open plan concept- you can't have plain-Jane cabinets and counters if the kitchen is the center of the house. Considering most people spend far less time in the kitchen now than they used to- well- that's another bit of marketing genius if you ask me".

Well I could not agree with that. Maybe things are just different around my area, but I spend way more time in my kitchen than any other room of the house, except possibly the bedroom. My sister would say the same, and my mom, if not for her age and declining health, would do the same. Most of the gals I know feel the same. My kitchen is absolutely the heartbeat of my home, and frankly, it always has been. At least now, it is no longer the ugliest area of the house, and it is, and will be, more functional too. :-)

Chess, I spend about two hours a day hands-on preparing food in the kitchen if all three meals in the day are cooked at home. I cook most everything from scratch. I don't count time spent in the kitchen sitting at the counter drinking a coffee and reading the paper (though I like that aspect of my new kitchen very much.)

You're welcome Chess. :)

Rita, I was not commenting on your time in the kitchen, and I hope I was not making you feel defensive about that. I was simply disagreeing with your generalization regarding others, as that is not how it is here. Most folks that I know, they actually love to cook - really cook. (other than my BF - OY!). Frankly, I don't really care how productive anyone else is or worry about how they spend their time in the kitchen People can be humping on their beautiful counters for all I care. :-)

Sophie, please, haven't you upgraded to monkey poop coffee, gathered by Buddhist monks and washed by boys between the ages of 6 and 10?

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_coffee_beans_are_harvested_from_monkey_poop

(I'm kidding, in case anyone is wondering!)

I...have actually bought someone a mushroom kit before, though.

If I do terrazzo, I can't do quartz. I will do Corian instead. Or Livingstone. Granite or marble wold look like a mess with what I have planned. I need monochrome. And not black again because I don't hate myself enough to repeat that mistake.

100% Kona coffee, best in the world! Sorry, but I’m spoiled by my coffee farm. :)

And...I’m blessed to have inherited this old farm house. Mostly, it was a total disgusting gut job. However, I crawled under the old master bath vanity, which btw is in great shape, by a Japanese co. It is very nice, heavy, some kind of hardwood with yes... wait for it.... laminated slab white doors! They are in perfect shape.

Looked to see what the countertops were. Yep, marble look CORIAN! They’re in perfect shape too. I’m going to keep the vanity. The rest is gone and pending a remodel.

marble look CORIAN!

Curious. How realistic does it look, if at all?

Bird poops coffee gold. No joke.

Beth, here is a picture. It is definitely a matte finish, so to me it is not as fake looking as the shiney.

rebunky, thanks for the pic. Not bad. I was thinking Rain Cloud but that doesn't look like the pics I've seen of RC.

Joseph, I think that's the coffee one of my sons ordered for his brother one year for Christmas. Never did hear if he liked it. Pricey stuff!

I refinished the tops in a 5th wheel today. The RV industry is famous for not following the manufacturer's instructions to NOT put a high gloss finish on countertops which is what they did in the first picture. Of course every scratch showed.

With a color this dark you've got to have at least a semi-gloss finish as in the second picture. Note how much more "fuzzy" the reflections. She was delighted.

John, I know this thread is a few years old but wondering if you can polish corian? My son is buying a house and the countertops are not in bad shape but it would be nice if they could be polished or at least have some new life.

Corian and other solid surfaces are easily refinished and it's nearly impossible to make a serious mistake. Google around for some videos please.

Yes, Corian countertops can be refinished. I have someone that comes out once a year to buff them out and keep them in great shape,

I love Corian especially with a fantastic fabricator! Entire Corian bathrooms rooms are stunning and modern!

And unlike natural stone, you've never stained or etched them. Even if you did it would be easily removed. very repairable inconspicuously, and the most sanitary surface you can have.

especially love the seamless attached sink. avoid knives and hot pans. after 15 years we sanded with random orbital 120 then 220 then hand sanding. Much smoother but lost its shine. Brought the shine back with mineral oil.

Especially love the seamless attached sink. Need to avoid sharp knives and hot pans. After 18 years we repainted cabinets and sanded the Corian countertop with random orbital sander 120 then 220 then 00 hand finish. Much smoother but lost its sheen. Brought the sheen back with mineral oil. Awesome long lasting hygienic product

Nick:

The final sheen will return with a 400 grit abrasive on a random orbital sander followed with a red ScotchBrite pad. Use a gray ScotchBrite afterward if you really want it to scream. No mineral oil or polish necessary.