Corian, Quartz, Stainless Steel or Granite – which
worktop should I choose?
One of the biggest dilemmas facing the modern kitchen consumer is which type
of surface to choose for their countertops and an increasing number of buyers
are setting aside a portion of their budget to ensure they can adorn their
kitchen with surfaces once considered too expensive.
The choice is wide and varied yet how many buyers know the differences between
the big players and is the higher cost of these surfaces justified when compared
to the more traditional laminate finishes.
Perhaps the reasons for choosing an elite surface is
down to the number of irreparable scratches that were all too visible on
your last high gloss laminate
surface or maybe you just couldn’t bear to continue the daily kitchen
chores to face that water damaged, lifting laminate behind the sink.
Certainly, careful fitting and proper maintenance could have avoided the problems
but your mind is made up and you want an easier life in the kitchen
So what are the choices and how do you choose between them?
Acrylic Surfaces
Well let’s begin
with Corian which
is perhaps the most recognisable name among buyers and is a member of the
family of Acrylic
surfaces that include
Staron and Hi-Macs.
Corian offers
the buyer limitless design possibilities because it can be thermoformed to
any shape. Corian offers seamless joints
and sinks and perhaps it’s
most attractive quality to buyers is it can be restored to it’s former
glory if it was ever damaged.
Of the acrylics Corian offers the buyer best protection because of a well
regulated installer and fabricator network operated by the manufacturers DuPont.
All very good so far but I’ve heard there are other
acrylic surfaces that are cheaper so why is Corian more expensive?
Well let’s start with the cheaper acrylics available
to the buyer. To present the facts and before offering Corian to our own
visitors, it was important
to undertake a little research into some of the competitors to the Acrylic
crown and where better to start than in the USA where these surfaces had been
available for many years before their introduction in the UK. Cheaper alternatives are priced accordingly because the
core thickness is 4 to 6 times less than that of Corian. Surfaces of minimum
thickness such as
2 or 3mm are avoided in the USA and for good reason. When a similar thin core
surface was introduced there in the 1990’s, it later resulted in a class
action being undertaken by the purchasers of the product against the manufacturer – the
reason, delamination and cracks appeared well within the warranty period. The
manufacturer settled with the plaintiffs out of court and the surface was discontinued.
That didn’t stop the sale and influx of similar surfaces here in the
UK and I was to witness the same damage first hand when inspecting a similar
problem taking place at a large number of a well known nationwide retailer
stores.(I recorded the evidence on camera at the time and as you can see from
the image below, it’s not surprising that I rebuffed subsequent approaches
to offer these surfaces on our website.
Information included in this article is of course opinion based on my own
findings and experiences and not all thinner core surfaces are to be avoided.
Indeed, if fitted correctly and maintained with care, then provided you are
aware of the limitations, then it may prove to fulfil your requirements but
your decision should always be aligned with a manufacturers guarantee and value
for money.
Staron have recently introduced a 6mm Solid Surface,
which, unlike surfaces of a lesser thickness, can employ drainer grooves
when fabricated. Staron’s
6mm pre-fabricated tops are bonded to a moisture resistant MDF substrate with
a laminate balancer on the underside to form a 38mm surface available in two
sizes – 3000mm x 650mm and a 2100mm x 900mm Breakfast Bar. This differentiates
it from other surfaces of lesser thickness and lower specification.
So my advice is, check the guarantees and check
the thickness of your chosen surface.
For the record, Corian is 13mm thick, carries a 10 year guarantee, was introduced
into the UK in 1979, so has a long and successful history, and is available
in 72 colours for use in residential applications.
It has a matt finish, (although a greater sheen is available with prolonged
fabrication techniques), and can be fabricated to limitless shapes and depths.
(See image). Quartz (Engineered Stone Surfaces)
Quartz surfaces are the fastest growing sector in the worktops market worldwide. Identifiable under a number of titles such as
Luxore, Silestone, Zodiac, Caesarstone, Arenastone, Apollo and our own range
Prestige
Quartz, they have one important
thing in common – they could all conceivably be titled under the name
Bretonstones as they are all manufactured on a Breton Machine, the product
of an Italian company who export the machines worldwide.
Prestige Quartz range
Colour - Spectrum Black Breton machines are currently available for manufacture in a number of countries
including Spain, Portugal Czech Republic, Belgium, China and the USA, yet interestingly,
no such machine is available for the manufacture of quartz in the UK so all
the quartz surfaces that end up in your kitchen originated from slabs that
were imported from a number of international sources for fabrication in the
UK..
Quartz, or Engineered Stone as it is also known, is made up of.93% quartz
and 7% resin binders and pigments.
The distinguishing factor between the many titles available is the colour
palettes. Silestone further distinguishes its surface by the inclusion of an
anti bacterial compound throughout the core of surfaces in their range.
Silestone Quartz range
Coulour – Rojo Eros The surface is durable and, unlike granite, non-porous. Like granite it has
a sheen finish but does not require sealing.
Engineered quartz offers a uniform pattern so what you see in a showroom will
be very close to what will be installed in your kitchen
The buyer should always ascertain the manufacturer’s warranty of any
Quartz surface before purchasing as surprisingly; some have very little or
indeed no warranty available. Because all quartz surfaces are similar in appearance
and because a surface with anti-bacterial compound cannot be easily identified,
it is important to distinguish, when purchasing Silestone, that is is indeed
Silestone. Granite Surfaces
Granite is the surface that offers the buyer
a classic sheen look and as it is sourced via natural means it is the preferred
option of a huge number of
buyers looking for a more unique finish.
It is a hard surface measuring 6 on the MOH’s hardness scale however,
granite being an igneous rock, i.e. rock formed after the cooling down of molten
rock.
Natural granite does not have a uniform pattern
or color. The appearance can vary widely between slabs, and even within a
single slab but to a number of
buyers this is the attraction.
As with quartz, the seams in granite are visible.
Granite
Colour – Nero Assolutto
Granite is crystalline in structure, so it always has tiny pits or spaces
between the various mineral crystals. It also contains natural fissures that
may appear to be cracks, but they are not structural defects and will not impair
the function or durability of the material. They occur naturally and are considered
by some to be part of the beauty of stone.
Black colours have become very popular in the last few
years owing to their much lower prices, however some of these black granites
can be prone to "shakes" and "vents" and
many unscrupulous processors/dealers, oil or apply dye to the material to hide
these defects.
This would give the granite an effect of fading
and correctly polished black granite should not fade! The fading is nothing
more than the dyes and oils
being removed. Unfortunately the only solution is to re-polish the top and
this can be costly. A tip taken from the information provided by Richard Leake of the Stone Network,
and before purchasing a granite top, is to perform the following test to discover
whether it has been doctored. Take a clean white rag and apply some acetone
or lemon juice to the surface of the granite. If any residue or black colour
is observed on the top, do not accept it, it has been dyed.
Stainless Steel Surfaces
Stainless
Steel surfaces are the choice of the kitchen professionals and an
increasing number of designers and homeowners are specifying Stainless Steel
as a preferred choice of surface in the kitchen.
Stainless Steel is a timeless classic material, with
excellent antibacterial properties hence it’s popularity with the professionals.
Known more for its popularity in the commercial
sector, stainless steel is now becoming more of a choice for residential
clients, as can be borne out
by the projects we ourselves are undertaking.
For those not wishing to adorn their kitchen wholly with a Stainless Steel
design, the material blends in well with wood or lacquered finishes and options
such as splashbacks, doors, plinths, worksurfaces and even cabinetry are available
in made to measure finishes.
Stainless Steel will undoubtedly, accumulate scatches over time but the patina
that it acquires over time is the attraction to fans of the surface.
For all surfaces, regardless of their heat resistance or resilience to scratches,
it is vital that protective boards are used for preparation and an alternative
to these in the case of hot pans, is the use of steel trivets installed as
part of the surface.
All of the surfaces above can be purchased at best costs via the internet
and there are a growing number of sellers.
My advice is to identify and to ask the following of your provider before
purchasing.
- Do they offer free samples given that you are
contemplating spending a substantial amount with them?
- Can you speak with a former client who has utilized the services of
the company?
- What is the lead time from order to completion?
- How soon will they return your quotation
after you’ve provided details
of your design?
- What experience do they have in the fabrication and fitting of the surfaces
they offer?
- Can you visit a showroom to see the surfaces on display or are they
operating from a sales office?
- Is there a valid UK postal address on their website?
- How long have they been established in the kitchen industry?
If the answers to the above are satisfactory and of course, if the price meets
your budget, then you can be confident that the research you undertook provided
you with a good deal.
For further information on any of these surfaces or if you have a kitchen
related query, please visit our forum at http://www.kitchensfitted.co.uk/forum/
T Foley Interiors are a national provider
of Corian, Quartz and Stainless Steel worksurfaces and counters, offering
template, fabrication and installation to commercial and residential clients
across the UK. Our website offers free advice for kitchen buyers via our
popular kitchen design and installation forum and includes a number of
informative articles.
Article written by Tim Foley © 2008.
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