Coriane

[Byron Trantham]

Have any of you worked with coriane or other similar materials? I've been thinking that I would like to replace all of her current counter tops. There's a lot of surface to cover so I know it won't be cheap. Will carbide tipped blades work with this stuff?

In the long haul, how will it hold up? I know the surface is fairly shinny how easy is it to scratch? We have a glass topped kitchen table that has several scratches in it and it's not repairable. Can coriane be repaired?

[Dennis Peacock]

Byron,

Corian is GREAT STUFF!!!! Machines just like wood, minus the splintering of course!!!! Sands easily and really shines up nicely when sanded with 2,000 grit sandpaper!!!!! The stuff is EXPENSIVE though and has to be installed by a certified installer for them to cover the warranty.!!! Makes nice Pens as well. ;)

[Jim Becker]

Working Corian or similar material is relatively easy. Actually GETTING it in the sizes you need for counter work will be the challenge as they don't sell to the general public. As Dennis pointed out, they base their business on an authorized installer model. You may need to do some wheeling and dealing with a contractor "buddy" to source the material.

[Byron Trantham]

It looks like coriane is out of the question. :mad: Do you guys have any other suggestions for counter tops other than traditional Formica? :confused: I would like to do something for her that is different and visually eye catching. :rolleyes:

[Jamie Buxton]

I have Corian counters in my kitchen. If I were doing it again today, I'd get slab granite. Granite is better looking and more durable. And in my area (San Francisco), granite is now less expensive than Corian!

[Byron Trantham]

I have Corian counters in my kitchen. If I were doing it again today, I'd get slab granite. Granite is better looking and more durable. And in my area (San Francisco), granite is now less expensive than Corian!
If I might be snoopy, how much per sq ft? Can I work it or would I need an installer like corian? :confused:

[Jamie Buxton]

If I might be snoopy, how much per sq ft? Can I work it or would I need an installer like corian? :confused:


For slab stone you need a fabricator. The material is cut and polished with giant water-cooled machines. Newspaper ads here now say "$50 per (linear) foot, installed!". There's a lot of granite installed here, and competition has driven the price down. I don't know if the same can be said of other places in the country.

If you really want to do the job yourself, and you want stone, you might consider granite tiles. Compared to slab, the material cost is lower, but the labor is higher. If the labor is you, that's less cash out of your pocket. I've seen granite-tile counters that look very good. The installation challenge is to minimize the grout lines and the lippage. Wide or deep grout lines are bad because they're not easy to clean. Lippage is what tile guys call it when the top of one tile is above or below the top of its neighbor. You feel the lip when you run your fingers over the surface. Lippage, like grout crevices, is hard to clean.

Jamie

[Jim Becker]

About the only stone product you can work yourself is soapstone. I considered doing that for our kitchen, but the installed price wasn't all that much more than the cost of materials from another firm who would sell that way and I chose to put the risk on them. It was very interesting watching, however...they fabricated it with a bunch of PC 5718 and 7539 routers and a PC worm-drive saw when they did the sink cutouts and drainboard...right in my driveway. The best part was that it was no different in cost than any of the man-made materials, doesn't stain like granite can even with sealing and develops a nice patina. It's relatively soft, so it can dent and scratch, but that's easy to repair with a little fine sandpaper and another application of mineral oil. Soapstone isn't for everyone, but it was our first choice after reviewing all the options.

[Bart Sharp]

Just a suggestion, but when my wife and I renovate our next kitchen we will be using concrete countertops. Very DIY friendly, and there are any number of books and websites to walk you through it. Many different approaches, but to my mind the easiest is to cast the countertops upside down in a mold lined with plastic laminate. That eliminates the need to be an expert concrete floater, and the results are fantastic.

You can finish the surface with either a film-forming finish or a penetrating sealer. If you plan on actually cooking, the penetrating sealers are the way to go. Anything that forms a solid film is likely to bubble if you set a hot pan on it, and will eventually become scratched and have to be reapplied. Penetrating sealers have to be periodically renewed and don't offer 100% protection from stains. Over time, all of the minor accumulated staining blends together to make a beautiful patina.

[Wes Bischel]

Bart mentions a good alternative if you're supplying the labor. Check out Cheng's site. He wrote an excellent book on the subject and covers just about anything you could want to know. You don't need to purchase the materials from him, but the package he supplies is comprehensive. His book is available at Amazon and B&N etc.

http://www.chengconcreteexchange.com/index.jsp

I read his book for some other items I have been playing with - not counters though.

Wes

[Jim Becker]

I think that Taunton Press may have a book on concrete countertops, too...something sticks in the back of my mind.

[Wes Bischel]

I think that Taunton Press may have a book on concrete countertops, too...something sticks in the back of my mind.

Once again Jim, you are correct:
Cheng is the author, Tauton the publisher. :)

Wes

[Ken Garlock]

Byron, from what I know, you must buy Corian through an authorized dealer, as others have said.

When we built, I looked at a lot of counter top materials, and found that Silestone is the best. It is superior to granite in that it will NOT crack, and will NOT stain. And it takes higher temperatures than granite without damage, over 500 degrees.

Silestone manufactured in Spain, and sold by Home Depot and Expo. I looked around Dallas and stumbled into DuPre Industries which does the HD installations. I was able to buy the Silestone an $10/sqft LESS than what HD wanted. It is priced about the same as granite.

Take a look at it: Sitlestone site (http://www.silestoneusa.com/)

In nearly 1-1/2 years, we have not found anything we dislike about it. :)

[thomas prevost]

Dupont has an agreement to only sell to fabricators. But there are other manufacturers of the plastic(same polymer) countertops that will sell the material in sheets. It is then laminated to plywood or MDF. Edges, backs, etc. are glued with superglue. Machined like wood with router. I had it in my previous house but did no like it. It is very porous and stains easily. easy to remove stains but a chore my wife grew to hate.

[R. Hock]

I redid my last kitchen with Centura counter tops. It is similar to Corian but different enough to not infringe on copyrights I guess. I became an installer by taking their 1/2 day course. I never got certified because I only wanted to do my own kitchen. This is great stuff to work with but you really need dust collection and a mask to filter the air. It works great with a big router (2-3 HP) and carbide bits.

I don't know what the current deal is on getting material from them. They were great to work with several years ago when I purchased the raw materials from them and became an "installer." I would contact them. They might even be willing to make you a distributor for the product.

Randy (the other R.Hock ;) )

Century Marble-Centura
3525 State Road 32 West, Westfield, IN 46074
(317) 867-5555

[Jim Becker]

Silestone manufactured in Spain...Yea, this is nice stuff. We looked at it carefully and thoughtfully and had it been available in the black/dark grey we wanted in a matt finish, it would have made the short list. Unfortunately, at that time, those needs couldn't be met. Nicer looking than Corian...more organic for some reason and felt better than Corian, too.