For a lot of people, kitchen worktops are almost synonymous with natural materials such as granite, hardwood and quartz, but there is a relatively new material that is quickly taking the spotlight from them. Corian has been around since 1971,
For a lot of people, kitchen worktops are almost synonymous with natural materials such as granite, hardwood and quartz, but there is a relatively new material that is quickly taking the spotlight from them. Corian has been around since 1971,
introduced into the market by DuPont as the world’s first solid surface countertop. It is a synthetic material that combines resin and natural minerals in a roughly 35-65 ratio.
Until DuPont’s patent ran out around the turn of the millennium, it was the only solid surface material available on the market. Now, it is widely available and Modern Line Ltd has positioned itself as one of the market leaders for Corian worktops in the UK. The company offers the entire repertoire of services ranging from consultation to installation and maintenance. Corian can be used in all types of kitchen installations including countertops, cabinet fronts, backsplashes and even sinks. In addition, it is a popular choice for office reception counters, outdoor benches, interior vertical walls and shower surfaces among an endless list of other applications. DuPont made Corian as a maintenance-free and affordable material for a variety of purposes. As we will see, this quality continues to be a great selling point for Corian.
The company offers the entire repertoire of services ranging from consultation to installation and maintenance.
Corian can be used in all types of kitchen installations including countertops,
Corian has been around for quite some time but it is growing in popularity among interior designers and their customers. Its affordability, flexibility, strength, versatility and aesthetic appeal are some of the most important qualities that set it apart from competing materials.
When selecting a kitchen countertop, most people want a material that is highly resistant to the rigors of the kitchen such as heat, impact and sharp objects. In many other settings including the office, bathroom and outdoor parks, where Corian surfaces are commonly installed, the material is likely to take a fair beating and therefore its toughness will be tested throughout. Corian is just as hard as natural stone without the rigidity that makes those materials easy to crack. The resin and mineral blend that is used to make Corian has a degree of elasticity which absorbs impacts more easily than hard surface materials and is therefore harder to crack or chip. Whereas it is susceptible to scratches and cuts especially when vegetables and other foods are cut on it, it is restorable to its initial gloss with a simple sanding or coating. Corian also possesses a reasonably high heat resistance that allows it to handle temperatures of up to 1000C without sustaining damage. This is enough for most regular hot items but may be damaged by excessive heat such as hot pans from the stove or oven. Placing a trivet between hot utensils and the surface as you would with most countertops helps to prevent such causes of damage.
because it is a synthetic material made with a highly available plastic, Corian is produced at a fraction of the price of natural countertop material. Whereas rival materials such as granite and quartz have to be cut and polished from naturally occurring rock that is relatively rare to find and difficult to process, Corian relies on a simple blending of plastic and minerals. The implication is that Corian worktop prices are extremely attractive compared to most other materials. Installing Corian also takes less expertise and inputs, which further adds to cost savings. If you are a customer choosing to do DIY installation, you get extra piece of mind because shattering from dropping or impact from falling objects is not as likely as with other materials.
In addition to lower purchase and installation cost, Corian is incredibly low maintenance. The material is not as subject to corrosion by cleaning agents as natural materials. Whereas you would require regular resealing of natural countertops, Corian can stay for years without any need to buffer. In the event of a chip, which is highly unlikely, it can be easily filled with epoxy and polished to make the damage unnoticeable. As a result, slight damages that would require lengthy repair or replacement of other materials are easily reparable in the case of Corian. Corian worktop costs are further mitigated by this quality, making the material a great investment well into the foreseeable future.
Corian is non-porous and therefore it does not stain easily. The material can be cleaned with ease for years using a cloth, warm water and soap. For more stubborn patches, a scrub with more abrasive material like scouring pad will be enough. Another advantage of Corian is that it does not support growth of dangerous or decolouring agents such as mould and bacteria. More porous material such as hardwood can act as a reservoir for these organisms especially if it comes into regular contact with water. When left unattended to, these organisms can damage the material or lead to dangerous effects in occupants such as allergies and infections. Corian kitchen worktops are very hygienic for this reason as well as the fact that it does not wear and release ingestible particles that may harm internal organs. With other materials, especially when adequate sealing is not done, micro-particles tend to break away and eventually leach into food or water supply, where they can become a health concern.
MLL Joinery transformed our house and we are so happy with our Corian worktops.
STEP 1
Corian finds application in a wide variety of fitted furniture in different settings including the office, kitchen and even outdoor installations. Corian worktops can be installed in the kitchen, office and hotel receptions, outdoor parks and even gyms. Aside from the numerous applications, the material is available in a wide variety of colours, allowing the buyer to choose one that matches their taste and existing interior décor perfectly. From plain white Corian worktops to complex patterned slabs, one is bound to find a design of their liking. DuPont maintains a catalogue of over one hundred colour profiles to pick from including patterns that are designed to emulate natural materials. Modern Line Ltd provides a limitless chest of Corian worktop colours and custom designs that are made to the customer’s specifications. Using a combination of characteristics, we can manufacture a Corian slab of virtually limitless designs and colour mosaics which fit any customer’s taste and existing décor.
STEP 2
the malleability of Corian means that it can be produced in big blocks that cover a large section without the need for seams. The elimination of seams gives it a smooth elegant look that is reminiscent of futuristic interior concepts. For areas that have many corners, Corian can be thermoformed into complex shapes without the need to use joints and seaming materials. In the workshop, the plastic and mineral blend that makes Corian is poured into preformed moulds and allowed to solidify and produce a shape that fits perfectly over the apace to be covered. With other materials, sheets have to be cut into smaller pieces that are then joined together to cover the desired area. The best polishing works of such joints cannot replicate the smoothness of moulded Corian and the gaps or lines will always be noticeable.
STEP 3
One novel characteristic that is allowing Corian to keep up with the 21st century culture is its ability to conduct electricity. Due to this characteristic, wireless charging of phones is becoming a common feature that Corian countertops come with. While this might appear to be a gimmicky quality, you might remember that we are living in an era where we are increasingly reliant on our cell phones and electronics regardless of the activity we are engaging in. In the kitchen, you might find that browsing through a recipe list or video as you cook is much easier with the phone resting on the countertop rather than leashed to an outlet is much more convenient.
There are some disadvantages of Corian worktops that you need to keep in mind when you are embarking on a kitchen remodel. The main downside relates to its considerable susceptibility to damage from excess heat and pressure. As we will see, “excess” is the operative word here and it is easy to work around this problem without a lot of extra hassle.
Corian is not the only solid surface worktop material and there are indeed quite a variety of alternatives such as trisone, hanex, hi-macs and staron. These materials are easy to fabricate because of the versatility of plastic and may come with lower price points but Corian is the gold standard of solid surfaces. While it is hard to go wrong with a solid surface worktop, these alternative materials are objectively inferior to Corian in most respects. A trained eye is best suited to differentiate between Corian and other material but tentative inspection of various characteristics will give it away.
First, real Corian is very resistant to breakage and this is one quality that most other solid surface materials are unable to reproduce. This is the main advantage that Corian holds over these materials. The fabrication process created by DuPont and inherited by reputable manufacturers of Corian such as Modern Line combines tentative steps that optimise the quality of the end product in all points. Many of these solid surface materials fail to meet the precision and caution applied in production, and therefore may not replicate the quality that Corian comes with.
One age-old experiment that can help you to tell the real thing is dropping a heavy metal object such as steel ball or hammer on a sample of the material. Whereas real Corian will bend or depress slightly, other solid surface material are more likely to crack, shatter or bend completely out of shape.
Conventionally, authentic Corian comes in thicknesses of 6mm, 12mm and 19mm, which are the profiles that DuPont set for their original countertops. In many cases, counterfeit Corian sheets will fall below 6mm, making them flimsy and unattractive when installed in the kitchen. If the thickness of a sheet of Corian that is on the market falls outside these three sizes, you can consider that a potential but not necessarily adequate proof that the material is something other than Corian.
As a last point to keep in mind, whereas DuPont no longer holds monopoly of their original patent, they provide professional inspection and Modern Line is one of the companies that has been granted that certification. This gives assurance that the company manufactures high quality Corian, and we also offer expert advice that can help you to make the distinction between the real thing and imitators.
As mentioned earlier, Corian, while holding its own impressively, is not completely resistant to damage especially when it comes into contact with extremely hot objects. Remember that the material is partly made from a polymer that warps under high pressure or temperature. If you drop a heavy object or place a hot cooking appliance on the surface, an elaborate scar will likely form. Cut marks from slicing foods directly on the countertop will also leave unsightly streaks which will diminish its beauty over time. This is especially a problem with darker colours which show imperfections more vividly. Using trivets for hot pans and pots that are just out of the oven or stove, and chopping boards when cutting vegetables will help to prevent these deformities. Continuous exposure to high temperature may cause gradual damage to Corian surfaces, so while it is not bound to be a big problem, it is best avoided or the material layered for extra protection. For example, for Corian sinks under instant hot taps, you might want to consider using a metal base such as stainless steel, copper or gun metal. Modern Line offers a maintenance kit with every project and continuous maintenance of your countertop after we have installed it for you to help extend the useful life of your bespoke furniture at a small charge.
Modern Line Ltd is a proudly British manufacturer of fitted furniture with a storied resume that spans more than 15 years. The company prides itself in providing topmost quality products, married with excellent customer service and support to smoothen the installation and life of your customized furniture. At Modern Line, we have a limitless variety of customizable designs for all types of kitchen fixtures including Corian worktops. There is virtually no shape design or colour scheme that our experts are incapable of fulfilling.
The company is constituted of highly knowledgeable, creative and friendly staff who are dedicated, responsive and capable of catering to the customer’s specific wishes. Modern Line is founded on a tradition of excellence that has continued to be cultivated through experience with customers blended with canned knowledge defined by industry standards. The company holds certification from DuPont, which is the ultimate stamp of approval on the quality of the Corian items that we deal in.
If you are looking for Corian worktops in the UK, Modern Line Ltd has you covered wherever you are. Our Corian worktops UK services have been streamlined to ease the logistics of communicating your desired look, putting together the material and delivering and installing the worktop. This allows us fabricate and install Corian worktops in London and most other cities in the UK within days of making your order. Contact us today to talk to our professionals and get free advice and a quote for your Corian worktop installation or maintenance work.
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