Comparing Two Popular Types of Counter Materials By Adnan Ul Haq
(Solid Surface Corian and Quartz Stone)
When you're looking for a kitchen countertop material that looks great, returns
excellent resale value, performs well, and resists heat, you may find yourself torn
between two choices: solid surface countertops and quartz countertops. Often, it can
be hard to distinguish one from the other. From a distance, both look remarkably
similar. Yet if you drill down, you might find that the gap between solid surface and
quartz countertops widens, and you might just find that one material works better for
you than the other one.
Solid Surface Countertops
Solid-surface countertops consist of mineral dust (mostly marble) mixed with a variety
of plastic resins and pigments. Solid surface's main appeal is that it is easy to fabricate
and can create invisibly seamed countertops.
Solid surface material was introduced in 1967 by DuPont under the brand name
Corian, though there are now other major brand names offering the material, including
Avonite and Swanstone. Solid surface is a decided improvement over laminate
countertops since it is homogeneous: What you see on the top of the counter
continues all the way down. Laminate, by contrast, is layered. If the top layer of
laminate fails, the entire countertop fails.
While solid surface materials mimic the look of stone, no one is likely to mistake it for
solid granite on close examination. For many people, the look of slab granite for a
countertop simply cannot be duplicated. If that describes you, then you may wish to
look for natural stone countertops.
Quartz Countertops
Quartz countertops are a newer entrant to the kitchen countertop world than solid
surface materials. These engineered stone products consist of about 95-percent
ground natural quartz and other materials with 5-percent binding resins.
Both solid surface and quartz compete for a type of middle ground of kitchen
countertops: a bit manmade and a bit natural at the same time. Neither are considered
to be as premium as natural stone, yet both are considered to be higher-end
countertop products than laminate, wood, and tile
Composition
Neither solid surface or quartz countertop choices are single-substance; all are a
combination of many materials. Neither are all-natural. Both are aggregates of polymers
and minerals. If a purely natural product is important to you, then natural stone slabs are
your only option.
Solid Surface Countertops
Corian, the original solid surface counter, is made of about 33-percent acrylic resin
(PMMA) and about 66-percent natural minerals. A bauxite derivative, aluminum
trihydrate (ATH), is the most common mineral. But if you're imagining something like
that looks like granite particles, this is not it. ATH is a fine, white powder, much like
baking soda. The many different colors and styles are achieved by different mixtures of
pigments and mineral dust.
Quartz Countertops
Quartz countertops include 5- to 10-percent binding resins, either polymeric or cement-
based. The other 90- to 95-percent is composed of hard, stone-like industrial waste
products, such as marble, quartz, glass, and mirrors. Some companies have even
begun to use nonfood-quality vegetable oils as one ingredient in the resins.
Do-It-Yourself Installation
Both solid surface and quartz countertops are difficult for the do-it-yourselfer to obtain
source materials because they are generally locked down in a distribution/installation
system of retailers, fabricators, and installers.
Solid Surface Countertops
In the case of solid surface materials, the materials can be cut by ordinary power saws
and routers, and the seaming kits used to join pieces are not hard to use. Do-it-
yourselfers who manage to purchase the materials can be successful with solid
surface materials.
Quartz Countertops
Quartz, on the other hand, requires special tools that most do-it-yourselfers do not
have. Even if you could obtain the sheets, it would be difficult to work with them. One
option for homeowner installation is incidental pieces, such as ready-made, one-piece
vanity unit tops.
Heat Resistance
Solid Surface Countertops
If you want to honor your end of the solid surface countertop warranty, then you may
want to keep hot items like glowing-hot skillets off of your Corian. In practice, though,
solid surface countertops rarely give in to heat. In the rare likelihood of scorching, solid
surface materials can be sanded out and repolished to remove the stains.
Quartz Countertops
Quartz countertops have a higher heat resistance than solid surface materials. In
theory, quartz countertops could catch fire if subjected to high enough temperatures.
But such temperatures are almost impossible to achieve in a kitchen environment.
Seam Visibility
With both solid surface and quartz countertops, diagonal seams are usually necessary
at L-shaped turns.
Solid Surface Countertops
Seams are created with a bonding adhesive that creates such a tight seam that it is
nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Quartz Countertops
With quartz countertops, seams are covered and visible but not highly visible.
Scratch Resistance
Solid Surface Countertops
Cutting on solid surface countertops is not recommended. It is guaranteed that if you
cut on solid surface materials, scratches will result. The good news is that solid surface
materials can be easily sanded and buffed smooth again. It's also a procedure that
homeowners can easily do by themselves.
Quartz Countertops
While it is recommended that you not cut on quartz/engineered stone surfaces, in
reality, they are difficult to scratch with normal use. Quartz countertops tend to be more
scratch resistant than solid surface materials.
Sealing Needs
One of the realities of owning a natural stone countertop is that it needs to be sealed.
Porous stone requires sealing before the first use and periodically thereafter.
But for solid surface and quartz countertops, both are completely non-porous surfaces,
so sealing is never required. The amount of resins in the mix ensures non-porosity.
Cost
Prices of solid surface and quartz countertops are virtually the same. The prices
vary depending on the style and color of the material selected. Prices are difficult to
compare because it is difficult to purchase the source materials alone. Most suppliers
will sell only to licensed fabricators or contractors.
Additional Factors
If a stone-like look and feel is your intention, quartz/engineered counters would have an
advantage over solid surface counters.
If you want a super-contemporary look, then solid surface is the way to go. Solid
surface can even be thermoformed or worked by hand into curvy, flowing shapes,
something you cannot do with quartz counter materials.
Corian weighs about 4.4 pounds per square foot of 12 mm material; quartz weighs
about 6.2 pounds for the same size and thickness. Thus, quartz is about 33-percent
heavier than Corian, which translates to a slightly more solid feeling when installed.
