Kitchen Corian Countertops: A Review that Gets Beneath the Surface 

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Kitchen Corian countertops are a brand name man-made acrylic polymer-based poured product that has been manufactured by DuPont for more than forty years.  It has built a reputation for durability and high quality, as kitchen design experts compare it to luxury counter materials such as granite.  If you’ve been considering kitchen Corian countertops, the odds are that this is the type of information you’ve already discovered. 

But once you get through all of the sales sheets and information pages, what you really want to know is whether or not kitchen Corian countertops are what you’re looking for.  Are they as good as contractors selling the product claim they are?  Are they a good investment for  your home?  Will they be a hassle over time? Have a look at this review of the good, the bad, and the ugly, to get the low down on the reality of kitchen Corian countertops.

Kitchen Corian countertops: the good

Here are some of the positive points about kitchen Corian countertops.  Though this is a sizeable list, they do need to be weighed against the negative points that follow.

• Color availability – no matter what type of kitchen décor you might have, there are kitchen Corian countertops to match.  These surfaces are available in more than 130 colors, including solids, marbles, and metallic, as well as those that resemble granite, marble, and quartz.
  
• Flexibility – due to the way that kitchen Corian countertops are made, the design you choose is limited only by your own imagination.  You can opt for a vast range of shapes, edges, finishes (matte, semi-gloss, and high-gloss), and styles, based either on pre-cut lengths or more custom created designs.
  
• Stain, mold, mildew, and bacteria resistance – kitchen Corian countertops are non-porous, which is an important quality for resisting stains, as well as the growth of molds, mildews, and bacteria.
  
• Ease of maintenance – anything from liquid spills to sticky messes will easily come off kitchen Corian countertops with very little effort.  Normal spills can be wiped away with a wet cloth.  More stubborn messes can be tackled with abrasive cleaners without harming the surface of the counter.  Unlike some counters, like granite, which need to be sealed or treated, Corian doesn’t need any extra maintenance steps beyond basic everyday cleaning.

Kitchen Corian countertops: the bad and the ugly

While there are some great advantages to kitchen Corian countertops, they do have their down side as well, and these should not be overlooked as they do make a difference in the impact the counters have on your décor, and the way in which you use them.

• Can be scratched – like every kind of counter surface, kitchen Corian countertops can be scratched.  Therefore, it is highly recommended that a cutting board be used instead of using knives directly onto the surface.  Though scratches are permanent, it should be noted that most can be buffed out to restore the surface.
  
• Can be scorched – though kitchen Corian countertops have some heat resistance, hot pots and pans can still leave burn marks behind.  Therefore, use potholders and trivets under hot objects.
  
• Price – though kitchen Corian countertops are very inexpensive luxury surfaces, their prices are notably higher than some other surface materials.  Their cost is much lower than good quality granite but is markedly higher than laminate.
  
• Do not have a natural appearance – though kitchen Corian countertops come in many colors and styles, and can mimic the appearance of some natural stones such as granite or marble, they remain a man-made substance and that fact is not entirely disguised, especially when examined very closely.

It’s not hard to see that kitchen Corian countertops are a higher end product with a number of luxury features.  That said, the drawbacks also can’t be ignored.  With kitchen Corian countertops it isn’t really a matter of whether or not it is a good product.  DuPont has clearly improved this material over the last four decades and has come up with a high quality result.  The issue homeowners truly face in their kitchen remodeling is whether or not the plusses outweigh the minuses for their own needs, or if another material will better fit the bill.

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