A question re: countertops.

[Midlodemocrat]

I am planning on redoing the kitchen (as soon as I can decide on a cabinet configuration :eyes)

Anyway. I think I am going to go with the Corian with the seamless sink. I really like the way it looks and with the new cabinets, I am going to have enough storage space that there won't be a ton of stuff on the counters.

Does anyone have one of these? Do you like it?

I am leaning away from granite because of the small chance it will crack. The counters in the midlo house take a lot of abuse.

[NMDemDist2]

1. i had Corian a million years ago when it was the newest rage

and I loved em! I still think they are a reasonably priced solid surface. Stainless is nice to though.... and very classic.

My 2nd house had the original stainless counters and sinks from 1950 and they still looked great! and talk about indestrucable. The house was in very very sad shape from misuse and neglect, but those counters looked brand new with a little BarKeeper's Friend and elbow grease after 45 years of tough use!

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Here's a way to do stainless counters on the cheap .... posted a while ago

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=5704

[Midlodemocrat]

3. I have stainless and black appliances, so I really don't

want stainless counter tops, but thanks.

[Warpy]

4. If you're determined to have some sort of a slab countertop

check out the engineered stone products. They can give you what you want (seamless sink, durability, no possibility of cracking) plus the appearance of granite, marble, or any other stone you can think of. It's a more stylish look than plain Corian, although styles are apt to change. Quickly. Without notice.

Side note: invest in any company going into the production of high end plastic dinnerware. It's a sure way to get rich quick as the reality of living with unforgiving countertops starts to sink in...

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

5. My parents had Corian put in about 10 years ago.

It still looks fantastic. But, my mom & dad are pretty tidy people, so :shrug:. I think it's supposed to be pretty indestructable though. And all counters will get funky after time. I read somewhere that it's important to realize that there is no perfect countertop. They all have pluses & minuses. Go with what you like, take care of it to the best of your ability & enjoy.

Also, my mom has Haviland & Waterford & has never had a problem with breakage. Though once we were talking on the phone & she gasped. I asked her what was going on & she said one of the Waterford glasses was sliding toward the edge. She was able to grab it just in time. That could have happened with any surface though.

:thumbsup: on your new countertops.

[Midlodemocrat]

6. I really like the look of the seamless sink.

and with the new cabinet configuration, I will have additional storage to put counter top appliances in.

My kitchen is pretty large, but woefully small in storage space. I am having a floor to ceiling 'appliance garage' type cabinet put in with a trash compactor, which will make my life SO much easier.

It is astonishing how much trash this family generates.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

7. I have four, count-em, four

lazy susans. All my other cabinets are pull out. No more getting on my knees with my tush in the air to drag stuff out. And cabinets have come so far in the 12 years since we built our house. You'll have way more choices than I had.

I don't have a trash compactor since we recycle so much, but I do have a four can bin that pulls out. I put coke cans in one, metal in the second one, glass in the third one & regular old trash in the fourth. I wish I had two more, one for plastic botttles & one for plastic bags, but I've solved the problem pretty easily, especially since we don't use a lot of stuff in plastic, glass, metal, etc.

Oh, how I wish I had the set in sink. We really screwed up. But, we had run out of money & time when we built our house & just starting slapping stuff in. I'm going with granite & the set in sink when we do a little upgrading, but that's just me. I like the Corian too.

I know you'll enjoy your knew kitchen. Are you going with a stove-range combo or separates? I have a drop in range/grill & double ovens. DH will have to pry those double ovens out of my cold dead fingers.

[Midlodemocrat]

8. Our house is only 15 years old, but the cabinets really

need an update, as well as the counter. The laminate just doesn't cut it, but when we bought the house, we were pressed for time and money, so I didn't even think about it.

I have a stove range combo because I didn't want to get an island. I was concerned that it would clutter up the room too much. I may get the non permanent wooden island that Lowe's sells as part of its cabinet collection.

I really like the look of the granite, but I am concerned about breakage. This is a pretty heavily used room, not just by me, but the kids. My son makes a mean omelet and my daughter is always baking.

Interestingly, the difference between the granite and the corian in price isn't all that much.

I want it to look really good, and be functional.

We recycle as well, but unfortunately don't have room for the big recyling bin that separates for you. I think that the trash compactor will come in really handy for 'smushing' cans and glass. The truck only comes once every two weeks, so I usually have to go to the recycling center at least once.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

9. We don't even have garbage service; live in the sticks.

Also, our recycling center doesn't take it smushed. Dang. But, my recycling bin is just a slightly larger cabinet under the counter. The doors open & out it slides. Four small trash cans. Et voila!

Our kids are grown & gone too, so there's not near the garbage to deal with.

As far as the stove/range combo, they've even come a long, long way.

Enjoy!

[Stinky The Clown]

10. I can't imagine a granite countertop breaking unless a tank runs over it

But if you want the look of granite but an even stronger material, look at silestone or zodiaq. They're pretty much the state of the art.

Now, if you're felxible on the look, want something durable and that won't ever break looko at richlite. It is a completely unique product that has been around in commercial kicthens for at least 40 years. They now make it in a variety of colors and are puching it for the home market. While I like stainless and have that, Richlite was our second choice. It looks far softer than stainless or any of the stone or stone-like products.

http://www.richlite.com/

I know for a fact Home Expo sells this, so, no doubt it can be had elsewhere too, and likley for a lot less money.

[Dora]

13. How does the cost on Richlite compare?

How does richlite fall in the $ range, on a scale from laminate to granite? Our house still has the original 1958 laminate countertops. We almost installed butcher block countertops a couple of years ago, but the mill/dealer sold us mismatched countertops, so we passed on it entirely.

[Stinky The Clown]

14. It used to be about $3.50 per square foot for 1/2" thick ........

......... that could be glued onto a plywoood substrate. That was for the original 'paper bag brown' stuff. It comes in thicknesses ranging from 1/8" to 3" and the price varies widely across that range.

The new decorator colors ..... I'm not at all sure. I'd put it up in the solid surface price range.

If you have ever been to Pizza Hut and seen those cutting boards on whch they deliver pizza ...... if they appear to be stained paper bag material, that's Richlite.

I don't know about the new designer color, but the original stuff - the paper bag color stuff - has a propensity to stain. Not in an awful way, but it gets darker with use and the dark is anyplace where it gets the most use. I find this attractive because the counter looks 'used' ... in a nice way. But it will not hold its color, unstained, like some of the other counter materials. To me, it is a patina and is a natural result of using the product. Its just an honest material. But some may find this objectionable. The new colors may not do this.

[Dora]

15. We have a vendor here in Austin.

When we get to the point of affording new countertops I'll give them a call. Their website is nicely informative.

Thanks for all your know-how.

[Mojorabbit]

11. We have granite

and are real rough on them and have never had a chip or crack.
I love my cast iron skillets but am forever dropping my 14 inch on the counter. I have MS and things slip. Never even made a dent.

[eleny]

12. My friend's Corian kitchen sink cracked from too hot water

She made spaghetti and emptied the hot water into the Corian sink and the Corian cracked. She said that the Corian in the sink was thinner than the counter top area.

We have a molded Corian sink and counter in our bathroom and love it. No problems at all.

[Midlodemocrat]

16. How old is your friend's sink?

I am leaning toward the Corian at this point, and am curious if it is older rather than newer?

[eleny]

17. She's had it for many years

She observed that the sink area was much thinner Corian that the counter topping. So the boiling water cracked it. Corian stood by their warranty and made it right.

I'd just ask the dealer about this and see what they say. Products are are always improving.

[mtnester]

18. How do you all feel about Terrazzo? I am seeing some fantastic

counter tops that seem to be destruction proof and very customizable. And many times, terrazzo is created with recycled glass. Beautiful looking stuff, and appears to be tough and able to take abuse.

Helpful site may be: http://www.taunton.com/inspiredhouse/pages/ih00001_01.asp

and some pics:

[Stinky The Clown]

19. It is essentially concrete .....

... and as you say, beautiful. In some ways, it was the first 'cultured marble' as it originally was made with marble chips.

The downside is that it is prone to cracking and staining. The cracking is not really a problem as it is poured over a structural substrate and can be reinforced with fibreglas and/or wire mesh. Google it up and I'm sure you'll find many recipes for it.