Corian isn’t quartz. Is it Corian or is it a quartz? What’s the brand name?

they are now... http://www.corianquartz.com/nero-soapstone

[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/corian-nero-soapstone-dsvw-vd~5297022[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/corian-nero-soapstone-dsvw-vd~5297022)

Issue addressed here by fabricator.

Well, I’ll be...

I don’t enjoy being wrong. :/

;)

I take it DuPont put Corian in front of Zodiac because Zodiac was having some image problems prior to being acquired by DuPont? I guess I should look it up!

Why not just use real soapstone? I'll bet you can't put hot pans on the fake stuff.

understanding that there are tradeoffs, the reason I made the decision was durability, color, and ability to do 2cm. What I wanted was honed nero marquina marble but I waited 6 months and none of the suppliers I contacted ever got some in. And I live in large metropolitan area and went directly to wholesalers. Frankly I needed countertops and weighing all things I thought this was a reasonable choice. My island is polished quartz.

The design and sales team prevailed over the public relations and technical departments at the big meeting with the CEO at DuPont. Your handprint is the result.

Like certain stones, the materials unsuitable for countertop use continue to appear. Maybe I'll glue together some lawn clippings and market it as a non-fingerprinting eco-friendly countertop that rots.

I'm going to put up some photos of how this product looks after one day so other homeowners can make an educated choice.

That's terrible! But even without the dark stains, all that light modeling looks like dried water spots. Is that what it is supposed to look like? Did you see a sample of this material?
I'm wondering if you could oil the whole counter to blend and hide the dark spots? Might be worth a try if Corian says this is "normal"

Yea, the dried water spots are how it is supposed to look. I agree that oiling might hide the stains but that would invalidate my warranty and I'm not interested in doing that!

Were you able to test a sample or actually see it & touch it before you bought it? Look terrible & I'm shocked they would even sell such a product.

Matte quartz of any brand tends to have these issues. The texture traps dirt and oils, unlike a gloss finish. It was a poor idea when it was introduced around 12 years ago, and quickly disappeared from the market due to the lawsuits regarding exactly what you are dealing with. The marketers brought it back because of the current demand for matte finished counters. You can bet the technical team has bloody foreheads from smashing their heads against the wall and screaming that no one will listen to them.

In one sense, it's not defective. Because that's the nature of matte quartz. It shows dirt and oils and handprints. That's normal. In another sense, it's defective because, who would choose that as something "normal" to live with. This goes back to your sales person on the job not telling you about what to expect. Because it's performing as expected. And no one would choose it if they were fully informed about how it will act.

The Corian website advertises that "It can be easily cleaned with soap and water and doesn't require sealants or waxes." and "Corian® Quartz is nonporous, stains do not penetrate the surface. "

In response to my sending them these quotes, I was sent a link by Corian to a PDF on "caring for Corian" (this must be buried in the website) where it states "leather surfaces are more prone to showing signs of daily use." Though, to be clear, my countertops are one day old and have never been "used."

Seems like there is plenty of blame to go around. Corian made a poor product and those who bought it failed to research adequately, though the onus is on Corian for making a piece of doo-doo to begin with. Will be interesting to see if the social media pressure will work.

Close up, even without the stains, the grungy gray mottled color is not attractive. It looks old and weathered.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5494047/warning-against-corian-quartz-dont-do-it#n=19  there are two threads on this topic.

Emily A , I have experience with this product. If you would like to contact me I can share. I'm a countertop fabricator/installer in California. The company is Olive Mill and you can email me at andy@olivemill.com .

@Olive Mill - Do you have a solution you can share?

I work for stone and quartz fabricator- I have used this Nero soapstone quartz and agree the oils from your hands, cooking etc. is not appealing. However, I use a product called Aqua Mix- Enrich N Seal- on dark, matte finish quartz. They say you do not need to seal quartz but I believe the matte finish looks best with an enhancer applied and much for forgiving.

Wipe it on- let soak in for minute, wipe off excess- It will deepen and darken your tops so that you don't notice the oily marks. Looks awesome when finished! Try it on a sample piece first to see what you think- If you like it- go for it!

Lisa