Have a question for you guys and gals
08-09-2011, 08:43 AM
#51
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Ivins, Utah
Posts: 390
I have Corian & love it. Don't have all the problems of granite & you can just wipe it clean. I do have a white Corian sink & must bleach it to get out stains. Might go with stainless next time for the sink portion
08-09-2011, 10:38 AM
#53
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Southeast Michigan
Posts: 339
I know you said you don't like granite, but please check out ALL the posibilites before you commit. We gutted our kitchen (because it had one 6' counter which included the sink and 2 cupboards - all handmade and rotting). I had in mind a blue marble counter top with white cabinets. Went to family owned store that does baths and kitchens and learned a lot.
Like, the darker the granite, the less likely it will crack. You don't have to use any hot pads on granite. Granite is great for making pie crusts and it washes up well with just dishwater and a dishrag. It might scratch if you use a diamond bit/saw, but not with normal useage.
Marble will crack with heat or extreme cold (no explanation about what would cause the latter) and can crack if hit with something hard (metal objects like pans).
Someone mentioned their dislike of tile because of the grout. The owner of the store mentioned this was one of the negatives of tiles. They can also chip/crack, but usually won't with good care and are usually less expensive. They are messier to replace. Oh, he mentioned that one of the best cleaners of grout is baking soda, make a paste and use a brush with a stiff bristle.
I had two homes with Corian. I love to cook and can. Wouldn't recommend it, but many people like them.
As for sinks, if you like stainless, go with it. Go to plumbing supply store and look at all the samples. If you can you'll want to consider size and depth. Double sinks are the handiest IMHO, but there are other options if you are short on space.
Look, look, look. It's amazing what's out there. We wound up with a beautiful handcrafted galley kitchen with granite counters, Italian maple cupboards and a stainless steel sink. It was much cheaper than what I've seen on HGTV and DIY because we shopped around!
Like, the darker the granite, the less likely it will crack. You don't have to use any hot pads on granite. Granite is great for making pie crusts and it washes up well with just dishwater and a dishrag. It might scratch if you use a diamond bit/saw, but not with normal useage.
Marble will crack with heat or extreme cold (no explanation about what would cause the latter) and can crack if hit with something hard (metal objects like pans).
Someone mentioned their dislike of tile because of the grout. The owner of the store mentioned this was one of the negatives of tiles. They can also chip/crack, but usually won't with good care and are usually less expensive. They are messier to replace. Oh, he mentioned that one of the best cleaners of grout is baking soda, make a paste and use a brush with a stiff bristle.
I had two homes with Corian. I love to cook and can. Wouldn't recommend it, but many people like them.
As for sinks, if you like stainless, go with it. Go to plumbing supply store and look at all the samples. If you can you'll want to consider size and depth. Double sinks are the handiest IMHO, but there are other options if you are short on space.
Look, look, look. It's amazing what's out there. We wound up with a beautiful handcrafted galley kitchen with granite counters, Italian maple cupboards and a stainless steel sink. It was much cheaper than what I've seen on HGTV and DIY because we shopped around!
08-09-2011, 11:05 AM
#54
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Tucson AZ
Posts: 2,103
we have a laminate that looks like granite, had granite in our old house and it looked great but I wouldn't pay $$$ to have it again. Love what we have, it cleans easily, doesn't stain and it has no scratches after 2 years and I have to admit I'm not always careful with cutting.
08-09-2011, 12:36 PM
#56
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Metamora, MI
Posts: 108
We redid our kitchen a yr ago & went with Corian counter tops w/the sink built in. We ordered thru Lowes and the company (subcontractor) that came out measured with laser. You can't see any seams. It's beautiful and I like the sink because there's no lips or ridges. But then I hate stainless. The price was much cheaper than Home Depot.
08-09-2011, 12:56 PM
#57
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 4,688
About 12 years ago we redid the kitchen. I have black granite that has some garnet in it on the counters and the backsplash. I love it -- it does need to be sealed, but there are now sealing products that last 15 years.
I have a triple overmount stainless sink (garbage disposal in the middle) and one nice deep sink that is big enough to hold a cookie sheet flat. I was looking at the under mounts, but the distance between the sink and the bottom of the countertop material seemed like a good breeding place for germs. When looking at stainless -- some are insulated and some are not. We had one in our old house that would pop when I put in hot water -- found out the builder ordered the one that was not insulated when we remodeled that kitchen.
DD got the quartz composite -- I like hers as well.
My BFF is replacing here third corian sink -- one was stained so bad it would not come clean, one started cracking around the drain and this last one she set a hot pot in it and was a gonner.
I use my kitchens pretty hard so I don't want something I have to fuss over.
I have a triple overmount stainless sink (garbage disposal in the middle) and one nice deep sink that is big enough to hold a cookie sheet flat. I was looking at the under mounts, but the distance between the sink and the bottom of the countertop material seemed like a good breeding place for germs. When looking at stainless -- some are insulated and some are not. We had one in our old house that would pop when I put in hot water -- found out the builder ordered the one that was not insulated when we remodeled that kitchen.
DD got the quartz composite -- I like hers as well.
My BFF is replacing here third corian sink -- one was stained so bad it would not come clean, one started cracking around the drain and this last one she set a hot pot in it and was a gonner.
I use my kitchens pretty hard so I don't want something I have to fuss over.
08-09-2011, 03:56 PM
#59
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Bethlehem, PA
Posts: 116
just got a new kitchen installed 2 years ago and chose formica countertops. I love them!!! The new formica is nothing like the old formica counters. I got a gray one that looks like stone and it is beautiful, don't have to worry about glass shattering on them like on the marble or granite ones. Of course you can't put scalding hot pots on it, but then I wouldn't put them on any counter without a hot pad. The biggest plus of formica was the $$$$ saved. It was a lot cheaper (in money not in quality) check them out. mariemy
08-09-2011, 03:56 PM
#60
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: NW Kansas
Posts: 601
Originally Posted by luvnquilt
I have granite now but if I were to re-do it, I would go with Corian (or some other solid surface acrylic). It was beautiful, cleaned up so nice, you could gently buff out scratches with a scrubby part of a sponge, the sink just needed a little bleach once in a while to get back to original color. My granite chips easily around the sink and I have a few other gripes about it.
Ditto - l love mine, my sink is also corian
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