Corian or Quartz worktops, discuss

Joe Bennett

6 years ago

I am doing a renovation, I am being advised to use Corian for the kitchen work tops,

The benefit being that if you scratch or stain your can use a gentle abrasive to remove it

I have a feeling that quartz is more hardwearing, thought's please

Featured Answer

Sonia

6 years ago

Hi, my friend had a pale Corian worktop and up-stand installed a couple of years ago. She was talked into it by the kitchen company, but has found it scratches easily and it also water marks. She wipes away water splashes immediately, but it leaves a ghostly mark. She wishes she had chosen quartz instead. Thought I’d just give you the opinion of someone who has actually lived with it. Good luck with your choice.

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Comments (12)

PRO
OnePlan
6 years ago
Corner Joints tend to be better hidden with Corian. ( if you have any )
If you ever want to cook commercially the ‘inspectors of cleanliness’ prefer Corian for its impervious nature, so I’m told.
If you seriously damage it - they give you a spare bit that can be cut in to fix it. I’ve been to a Corian training day ( was eons ago - when it first came out ) they allowed us to burn a cigarette on it - put turmeric on it - drop a 22mm ball bearing on it from about 2m and other stuff like nail varnish etc - all stuff you’d cringe if you saw someone doing it to a new worktop ... with a bit of Ajax cleaner - it looked brand new again ! Has got my vote since then !
Joe Bennett
Original Author
6 years ago
Yes it does seem to be the one that you can repair ish if something happens

Thank you
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Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Corian feels lovely and warm, whereas Quartz feels cold - this may be an issue for elbows/breakfast bars. We recently did our kitchen and used a thin skin of quartz over MDF (Granite transformations). You would never know from the final result and it brought the cost down considerably. Most people use this method to cover old worktops but we used it on new MDF in our new kitchen. I asked the fitter what most of the jobs were and he said Corian. I can;t comment on why this is, but I thought I would pass it on. Maybe, like wood floors, maintenance is an issue so that needs factoring in.
User
6 years ago
colourhappy....where can you get the thin granite / quartz from. I would love to do something like this with a project we are doing?
PRO
Opus Bathrooms
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
@Gerty Werty, send us over an email at:

contact@opusbathrooms.co.uk

With your dimensions and things, width, height depth, any cut outs etc. and we can get our granite supplier to provide samples and a quote for you
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

Hello Gerty Werty. I think they are a national company. We used 18mm moisture restistant MDF and when it was fitted, the company profiled it and fitted two weeks later. Highly recommend.

http://www.granitetransformations.co.uk/
PRO
Ian Dunn Woodwork & Design
6 years ago
Hi Joe, Not to divert you too much, but have you considered Dekton by Cosentino. Agreed Corian and Quartz are all the above, however if you are looking for a work surface hard wearing and non porous, Dekton is to take into account. It is:
- Stain Resistant and highly scratch resistant
- Colour stability
- High resistance to heat and fire
Dekton is used indoors as well as outdoors; worktops, cladding and flooring. If you are still uncertain, hopefully this link finds you well: Dekton Performance Test. Alternatively, find a showroom with Cosentino worktops or contact us direct on our website to help find the right surface. All the Best!
PRO
COLLAB DESIGN STUDIO
6 years ago
Hi there - no one is better than the the other, each have their own strengths and weaknesses... here are a few that spring to mind:

Corian pros:
- It can be moulded, meaning that you can actually make sinks out of it and seamlessly clad the end, say a kitchen Island
- It doesn't crack - If you're unlucky and the installer lays a less than totally level base for granite / quartz I have seen it crack (only once though).
- It is lighter than quartz
- It is warmer to touch... though personally I prefer the cooler touch of the quartz
Corian cons:
- It does actually stain over time.. wine tea bags etc, though they can usually be polished out. Make sure to follow manufacturers instructions with regards to maintenance.
- Can feel plasticky to touch
- There is no movement or texture
Quartz pros:
- It is cool to the touch so great for pastry making
- It can have fabulous texture and colour variations - wonderful to balance a contemporary finish and give it some energy
- many now have antimicrobial properties built into them
- It comes in many finishes - honed, matt, high gloss
Quartz cons:
- Heavy and tricky to install
- limited to fixed length pieces which can mean more junctions
- Can also stain if manufacturers instructions are not followed
- gloss finishes need to be maintained - i.e. polished, to look well
I hope this is of some help to you.

Enjoy our new kitchen!

Deirdre.
Joe Bennett
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks Deirdre
Very kind if you to give such a detailed answer
I agree, the plasticky Feeling was something that was concerning me
I want pure white tops with no flecks etc so I don’t see much more benefit of corian
To they eye they look identical
and as you say you can repair stains on corian
It seems to be swings and roundabouts
Joe Bennett
Original Author
6 years ago
Oh gosh, thanks for that
Yasmin Y
6 years ago
I just had a Minerva worktop (similar concept to Corian; different brand) installed in Pure White and I absolutely love it. I tested a couple of samples before I put it down to see how they do with stains and they were pretty good. It’s a matt finish but it feels rather nice to touch; not plasticky. Ultimately you’ll still need to take care with your worktop but I’m really happy with mine.

Corian or Quartz worktops, discuss

Sonia

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Corian or Quartz worktops, discuss

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