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.

ditto DONALEEN: - the countertops that I just ripped out was Avonite, w/ an integrated sink ugly ugly ugly especially the sink from all the little cracks which were always black, unless I bleach the sink to death,. The countertops were ~12years old and had small cracks at the stress points (peninsula overhang), where the L-corner meets, etc. It scratches easily. Stains easily. And if I buff out the stain, now it's a non-shiny spot. All this coming from a person who's about to install marble (let's see how that handles scratching and etching: hahahhaha good luck. Avonite was just not for me. think about a seamless backsplash, if you're going for the 4" backsplash. PO did NOT and the seam/grout was awful!!! LOVE that copper sink! Amanda

I've had white Corian now for 31 years. I even re-used if this past summer when getting new cabinets. I LOVE it! I can't remember which white it is - in 1985, one had the choice of 3 shades of white and I chose the whitest - no other colors were available then. I consider it like a great white blouse - always looks crisp and clean and fresh and timeless. Here is a picture of my kitchen sink area with the integrated Corian sink as well. I have never had a stain I could not easily and quickly remove with a couple of swipes of a ScotchGuard pad. I had to add a 5 ft run where we changed the kitchen layout. I've heard others on GW complain that it has a "plasticy" look and I now understand what they mean. It just needs to get a few scratches to develop a lovely patina! I immediately took the ScotchGuard pad to it and now it looks just like the other countertops. I have never regretted getting this. My daughter had the same (same sink, too) installed in her kitchen about 8 years ago. Her husband is a SAHD and a constant coffee drinker, dumping the grounds from the French press maker and not rinsing the sink. Again, a quick swipe with a ScotchGuard dishwashing wand and all stains disappear. She also has two teenage boys - think "fraternity house" when she's out of town on business - and they have never managed to do any damage to the countertops or the sink. I don't like a "busy" kitchen. Mine is small - 11x15, with three doorways and that huge window. It's very chopped up looking, so keeping things simple and fairly monochromatic works very well in there. I used honed white marble 3x12 subway tile for my backsplash and it works very well with the white Corian. I can think of no other countertop material that could look this good after 31 years! I'm not obsessive about it, but I don't abuse things, either. If I had a huge kitchen with a humongous island in the middle, perhaps I would want a countertop on that island that made more of a "statement". But in a small kitchen, NO STATEMENT is the best way to go!

Anyone have any input here? I posted a similar thread in the painting forum but haven’t gotten anyone to reply. I painted a door, primed with BIN 123 and then applied Everlast by SW and it’s been two weeks and I can literally peel the paint away with my fingernail and the back of the paint (black) is white which means the primer is coming off with the paint. I too did everything according to extensive research and followed directions exactly. Arg! Now I have to sand the entire door I’m guessing and start over. my next project is my cabinets so I really don’t want to have more issues