Granite vs Corian vs Silestone

[verizonbear]

So I am starting to ponder on countertop material for the kitchen remodel of my new house. I am leaning toward Corian because it has a color and design combination that I like. I know granite offers durability, Silestone offers a more natural look with synthetic material. Any thoughts for suggestions ?

 

[whirlcool]

Personally, I like Corian. You can get special embedded edging designs in it. It's very durable and repairs easy if you damage it, which is hard to do. But if you have it you'll cause the designers on those HGTV remodeling shows swooning, "Oh! That's just soooooooooooooo middle class!"

 

[maytagbear]

I'm a bit of a klutz,

so I like Corian for its kindness to dishware and glassware.

When I get to do a kitchen again, I will have stainless near the cooktop (heat resistance,) wood in the baking area, and Corian everywhere else.

All of your choices have distinct advantages and drawbacks. Good fabrication technicians make all the difference.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[58limited]

My parents have granite and were warned not to clean it with any type of cleaner, just a damp towel, or it would damage the finish. Also, they were told not to use a knife on it or it would scratch. I have Silestone and was told I can use anything to clean except oven cleaner (or other similar harsh chemicals). Silestone is also tough enough to withstand being used as a cutting board occasionally.

I have no experience with Corian.

 

[norgeway]

I Want!

Old Fashioned real Linoleum!! Whole Foods uses it exclusively at their check outs, and it holds up great, and is not hard as a brick, so its quieter and dosent break things!! On the down side, you can't set hot pots on it, or let water stand on it..

 

[alr2903]

Depends on if it is your forever house?   We got faux granite "formica", it has multi color brown tones and goes well with the ceramic tile.   We reused the SS sink that was here.   By the time the real estate market returns granite could be as dated as faux "butcher block".  alr

 

[tomturbomatic]

Corian, especially in the light colors, does stain so it is not everything it was supposed to be, but it is a very good counter surface. Granite is surprisingly hard. Some glass objects set down without the utmost gentleness will break when they would not when placed with a similar force on a plastic laminate counter.

Also nice are the recycled multi-color glass countertops, but they are far from cheap. For the cost of most of these, you can replace a plastic laminate-type counter twice.

 

[countryguy]

I had Corian installed about 4 years ago and have not had any problems with it. I looked at all the various surfaces and wanted something that was durable and maintenance free. Initially I wanted granite but when I found out it has to be treated on a regular basis, I opted for Corian instead which does not need any maintenance unless the counter top gets scratched and those scratches can be buffed out. They had to install it in 2 pieces because the counter top is L-shaped but it is impossible to find the seam unless you look from underneath. I had a bull nose front put on it along with a 4" backsplash. The sink is undermounted and 2 cutting boards were made from the sink cut outs.

Gary

 

[brastemp]

I like Corian for Kitchen surface, but, every synthetic material needs extra care on use.
The tradicional granite is durable but the design looks old.

 

[mrb627]

Corian

I have it and HATE it!

Scratches have to be buffed out with sandpaper.

There is a slight discoloration under the toaster oven.

The luster it had when originally installed I am told is gone forever.

What a waste of money considering I could have gone granite for about a grand more.

Malcolm

 

[labboy]

We put in the Zodiaq quartz product (from DuPont) three years ago and love it. I did not want Corian because of the issues some have mentioned about scratching, etc. We have several neighbors who have Corian and it has not worn well.

Zodiaq is similar to Silestone but not as expensive. At the time, I was able to get better pricing and found better color selection with Zodiaq.

You can also get it installed through Costco if that is an option for you. Had I known that at the time, we would have saved even more money.

Bob

http://www2.dupont.com/Surfaces/en_US/index.html

 

[wetguymd]

I agree with Malcolm

I have corian and it scratches very easily and has lost its luster. I had a company come in and "resurface" it where they sanded it all down and buffed it... it looked great for about 6 months and then it is dull again. And what a mess that was... dust everywhere from the sanding. You also cannot sit hot pans on it because it will leave a spot. I have tried all kinds of "counter top" cleaners and even tried using the car polisher on it to bring the luster back but no luck. There are 2 counter tops that I would never do again... cermanic tile and corian.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

I have Corian, and love it, so do my Mom and sister. Ours are between 8 and 10 years old, each.

My Dad buffs them with a polishing wheel every couple years with little to no mess. They look great, and after being polished, they look new. Nothing is scratch proof. Mom's is the oldest, gets the most heavy use, and I am sure she'd buy it again, except for the comments echoing in her head from the idiots on HGTV about them not being granite.

I wanted Corian because I could get it in a cream/beige color, vs the dark granites that were around when I looked, and I didn't like the idea of lining my kitchen with an earthly stone that is in finite supply and scars the earth to mine.

Gordon

 

[mrb627]

Switch

I would happily go back to a laminate countertop. Just as durable and easier to switch out if you get tired of it.

Malcolm

 

[Jsneaker]

Corian & Linoleum

Phil, get whatever pleases you! I am not one to judge what "class" one's choice of counter top material may intimate.

Hans, my apartment kitchen and dining-area floor is linoleum, the rest of the place is hardwood and tile in the bathroom. All I can say is that linoleum BITES! LOL It constantly smudges, scratches, and dents if I drop something of not-too-heavy material! On top of that it is a pain to clean! In our house where my brother lives, the office and den floors are still old-fashioned, original 1960 asbestos tile that is SO DURABLE and SHINY!

 

[norgeway]

Linoleum....

yes it IS soft! But that is why it is also QUIET and easy on glassware! I agree about old fashioned tile, my preference would be rubber tile.

 

[mysteryclock]

I have granite right now (for 10y) and if I had it to do over again in this day & age I'd pick one of the quartz products. They appear to be equally as durable as granite and are easier to match for replacement if you decide to do something down the road like replace an under-mount sink with an odd cutout. We have that particular problem right now - odd kitchen sink that will eventually be very expensive to replace since that whole section of granite will have to come out, and could be difficult to match.

That being said, the whole "granite sealer" thing just befuddles me - in all our time we've never had ours re-sealed, and have cleaned it with some of everything and I can still wipe any part of it down with the spray-of-the-month and it is mirror-shiny. Why exactly am I supposed to seal it??

What others have said is true though - granite is very hard on dishes / glasses. If you happen to drop anything glass/ceramic from a height greater than about 4" it is going to not just break but probably explode in a zillion pieces. The flip side of that is that I can put things right out of the oven straight down on it and they cool off quick and never ever harm or discolor the surface.

I don't cut on granite ever pretty much because I'm worried about ruining my knives more than the counter!

Let us know what you end up choosing!!

 

[iheartmaytag]

Being poor white trash myself, I actually prefer a good quality formica. I know the entitled cows on HGTV would be judgemental, but these are the same people that want a 6,000 sq ft home, Brand new stainless steal appliances, a covered pool and all for $83,500.

I am in agreement that styles and tastes change pretty cyclically. Everyone raise hands that was stuck with a kitchen full of new black appliances when the vogue changed to Stainless.
Lesser expensive materials are easier to change out and update when desired, but in the end I think it comes down to what you want and can afford.

 

[norgeway]

Well....let me throw out THIS ...

How about butcher block, easy to fix if you burn or scratch it, and wonderful to work on!