Comments on Kitchen and Residential Design: Not my Dad's Corian

Thanks for those pointers Sherry. That the kind of...

2009-12-05T23:03:08.950-05:00

Thanks for those pointers Sherry. That the kind of thing I know and never think to mention to folks who aren't up to their elbows in counter materials every day. It's easy to forget sometimes, that for most people this is a one-time purchase. You comments are well-timed and thoughtful. Thank you.

Hartwood Roses: Welcome and thank you for your comment. Anybody who adopts a greyhound is the kind of person I want hanging around this blog. I'm happy to hear that you're enthusiastic about your Earth counters. Did you have them installed recently? Send me a photo of your kitchen, I'd love to see it. And I promise that your photos won't end up here. :)

As a Sales Manager for a countertop fabricator, I ...

2009-12-05T18:34:52.980-05:00

As a Sales Manager for a countertop fabricator, I see every surface, every brand and every option. DuPont really hit a home run with some of these new colors! We sell some of these colors weekly and with every installation, I am still amazed at how beautiful the colors are.

The one thing I would recommend to anyone specifying this collection of colors (often referred to as part of the Private Collection fron Corian) is that most of these are directional materials just like a granite or marble. I suggest ensuring clarification on how the fabricator will handle corners and turns with this collection. Some fabricators will automatically ensure the 'grain' all goes the same direction (and lay the job out similarly to piecing the job on a natural stone slab), others will want to miter the corners so the material directions meet in the corner and then 'turn' (and you will need to add 5 square feet for this application) and yet others will simply butt the joint so the direction of the pieces end up perpendicular to one anther (the LEAST likely solution, in my opinion. It looks horrible and cheapens the effect of the material). Often specifiers are caught off guard by this characteristic until it is too late and the client is unhappy with the results. All 3 solutions are industry standards and considered acceptable. It is up to you as the specifier to guide the client and sometimes the fabricator, on how you want the directional applications handled.

On a different note with this collection, check out the color called "Rain Cloud". It honestly resembles a marble when it's installed. It is breathtaking (and I NEVER thought I would say that about a solid surface product!)

We have Earth in our kitchen, and I love it ... re...

2009-12-05T17:58:21.385-05:00

We have Earth in our kitchen, and I love it ... removed granite in favor of the Corian, if you can believe it. It creates the impression of soapstone, but adds a contemporary touch to our very traditional Shaker cherry kitchen.

Ditto everything you mentioned about shimming up ...

2009-12-05T11:04:43.103-05:00

Ditto everything you mentioned about shimming up to height but where that's most important is around a slide-in range. Talk about an expensive mistake to miss that one!

You might want to also check out Mystera http://ww...

2009-12-05T10:54:56.282-05:00

You might want to also check out Mystera http://www.hudsonsolidsurfaces.com/ One issue to consider (that your dad probably found working with Venaro Peach Corian) is that solid surface with a directional pattern will show seams.

Another factoid to remember if your working with acrylic solid surface is that it doesn't require a sub top (like granite or quartz) and it's usually thinner, so you need to allow for the lower resulting height of a counter on a standard height cabinet. Make sure you shim up the cabinets enough to be able to get the dishwasher out (or other under-counter appliances) after installation for repairing or fixing leaks.