Hi everyone,
I’m hopping over from CooksTalk with a countertop question. We’re about to embark on a major bathroom reno and I’d like to use solid-surface for the counters around the sinks. I’m just not loving any of Corian’s designs and colors. Are there any other major manufacturers I should know about?
Thanks in advance!
Ruth Wells
“Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job.“
– G.B. Shaw
Replies
There are dozens- it seems like every company has jumped on the solid surface bandwagon lately. Do a Google search on "Solid Surface Countertops" and you'll see what I mean.
Bob
Thanks, Bob. Any brands in particular that you recommend?
Ruth Wells
"Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job." - G.B. Shaw
It depends on the look you're trying to acheive. Zodiaq and Samsung both have some nice stuff. Have you considered granite? The prices on granite have become competitive to S/S in many areas, and you don't have the issues of scratching and burning that you do with S/S.
Bob
Some colors of granite are significantly less expensive than solid surface. Have oyu considered soapstone or concrete?
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Ruth,
You might also look into Silestone like products. Those are made of natural quartz embedded in a resin. It's supposed to be stain resistant and strong.
No experience, just been keeping an eye out for when we replace our 30 year old laminate counters.
Avonite. Have it, love it.
Make sure you get a quote on real granite before deciding
John
Two main resins in solid surface; acrylic and polyester (some new hybrids too). Both will perform well, but acrylic has always been considered the 'premium' material.....just FYI. Corian is an acrylic, so is Hi-Macs, Staron, and others. Wilsonart's Gibraltar and Avonite are long established brands too.
The solid surface fabricators assocition (ISSFA.org) used to have some consumer info on the site, but seems to be less now. Another resource is Solid Surface magazine (http://www.solidsurfacemagazine.com). They have a manufacturers index, but you're going to have to find a brand with a fabricator in your area.Cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
Thanks for all the great info, everyone. This is for a bathroom application, so wear and tear isn't as much of an issue as it would be in the kitchen. We actually looked at the Zodiak line and liked it..... until we heard the pricing!! I found Samsung via Google and liked some of their offerings. Clearly I need to do more research. Many thanks!
Ruth Wells
"Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job." - G.B. Shaw
Take a look at Swanstone as well. While I was with the cabinet shop, I did a lot of the solid surface work. I likedthem more than Corian. A little less work on the production side. Jeremy
Around here acrylic and polyester solid surfaces tops are really kind of "out of vogue". More in favor are some of the alternate materials mentioned above.
I used Cerata because it came with an integral backsplash instead of one that had to be fabricated by the installer. That lowered the cost and gave better quality.
Be wary of dark colors, they will show scratches, and all the solid surface materials scratch easily. It's more of a problem in a kitchen than a bathroom.