I am in the process choosing new countertops. I checked the local kitchen sales place and they were promoting staron over corian. The price of staron seems to be 25% less than corian but as for other features does anyone have ideas on it? If corian and staron matched one to one then I might have to go with staron for its price.
saravana
On 18 Oct 2003 05:38:04 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@quadrantsoftware.com (Saravana) wrote (with possible editing):
You should also check the real thing. Last time I checked, I could buy granite in multiple colors for less than corian. There is a place that sells is just across the border in Canada and they will cut it and deliver and install it.
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This suggestion sounds like something you'd read in CONSUMERS REPORT. They'll do an article on insurance, rate one the best, and then in ( ), they'll say it's only available to retired commercial fishermen or something like that. Or they'll name a particular peanut butter as the best in the world, but it can only be bought in Broken Axle, Arizona. I assume you suggested the place in Canada because they'll deliver and install in anywhere in the states.
OK, Larry. Spill the beans. How can I find those guys in Canada?
EJ
On 18 Oct 2003 16:29:59 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@aol.comic (TOM KAN PA) wrote (with possible editing):
Sorry if I confused you. The point of my post was to suggest that the OP also checks the local price of granite, marble, or whatever. I can only speak from my experience, which is that the synthetics are now more expensive up here (in northern NH) than the real thing. Perhaps it's the same where OP lives - he didn't mention his location.
Why would anyone want Corian when they can have marble for about the same price???
who in their right mind would want marble as a kitchen countertop? it'll look nice, until you cook the first meal. if you're just taking pictures of kitchens, it's a good product.
Corian is less brittle than Granite
Charlie,
Why wouldn't it look nice after you use it in a real world situation. I have a laminate countertop that I keep in excellent condition and do lots of cooking.
please reread. a marble countertop would be a disaster. it will absorb everything spilled on it. i don't know about you, but when i cook, i tend to get things on the countertop. laminate is completely different. it's plastic, as is corian.
ymmv.
On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 22:41:15 GMT, "houseslave" wrote (with possible editing):
As Charlie said, marble stains easily. However, that is not true of granite.
I don't think anyone actually addressed your question.... But it seems Staron is essentially a clone of Corian, produced by Samsung Cheil Industries in South Korea. Now I'm sure both DuPont and Samsung would object to that "clone" characterization, pointing out all kinds of subtle differences in composition, manufacturing and so on. But both are simply acrylic resin with "mineral" inclusions, and will probably behave about the same. Certainly there will be less variation than between different types of commercial "granite" (which are often entirely different stones).
Offhand, I would say Corian's advantages are in selection of colors, finishes, accessories (like sink bowls), availability of repair materials, and number of installers. Staron's advantage, of course, is price. It's clear also that Samsung Cheil is working hard to expand Staron's offerings and dealer base, to offset Corian's advantages there. So it's really your choice.
Personally, while I think Corian-type material works well in bathrooms, I'm not so fond of it for kitchen counters. But this subject has been beaten to death, so I'll let it go.
I just got a Staron countertop installed. I asked the guy who made and installed the countertop the same question. Here is what he told me:
1) All countertop makers buy Staron for the same price while Corian's price to the countertop makers depends on a purchasing volume: the more they buy, the cheaper it is. This make 'smaller guys' less competitive. You will get more personalized attention from a small installer, so advantage goes to Staron. 2) Staron is more heat resistant. 3) Staron is cheaper by 10% on average. The price depends on the size of speckles. More it looks like real stone, more expensive it is. Corian's prices seem to be more color-correlated. 4) The edge on a Staron board looks a little duller than the top part. With Corian there is no such issue. I personally observed that but it does not bother me. 5) Staron is a about 30 years 'younger' than Corian so it might be a bit 'more advanced' 6) If needed, you can cut both materials on a table saw and clean up the edge with a router and a 1/2" staright bit. 7) I have seen a vast number of Staron color samples so I can not see Corian's advantage in that department. 8)You can not stain Staron with orange juice. Consumer Reports claimed they could stain Corian. I tried both materials by leaving a juice puddle on the surfaces for 3 days. To put it bluntly, either CR lied or they shop in a Chernobyl supermarket for orange juice Overall my installer prefers Staron over Corian. Me, I was very impressed with the countertop. But only time will tell the overall quality of the productThanks for your response. I appreciate your feedback and the price difference made me to prefer staron over corian. From the quote it looks like corian cost 25% more than staron.
Saravana
Thanks for your response. Atleast in my area (South eastern massachusetts) staron has been promoted heavily and sold my most counter top vendors over corian. I made my decision to go with staron because of the price difference and that it matches corian in most aspects.
Thanks Saravana
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