The Spruce / Kevin Norris
Solid surface countertops have been around for decades and are a mainstay inkitchensand bathrooms.
Homeowners who want to upgrade from laminatebut who still want anaffordable countertopoften gravitate to solid surface material.
What Solid Surface Is
Solid surface is a synthetic countertop material that contains both minerals and resins.
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
It is a homogeneous, through-body material that feels smooth and silky.
It can be buffed to a matte finish or up to a high gloss.
Visually, solid surface lacks the depth of natural stone or evenquartz.
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
Solid surface does resemble stone far more than laminate does.
Also, unlike laminate, It is a solid color all the way through the material.
Those minerals are a bauxite derivative, aluminum trihydrate (ATH).
ATH is a kind of fine, white powder that helps solid surface maintain its smooth consistency.
Contrast this withquartz counters, which are about 10 percent resins and the rest minerals.
These minerals sometimes include marble and granite industrial waste and even ground-up mirrors and glass.
Solid surface materials began with DuPont’sCorian.
When you slice granite open, you will see a wild, chaotic conglomeration of particles forming the slab.
While this is beautiful, it offers multiple avenues for cracking and breaking.
Acrylic vs. Polyester Solid Surface
Polyester-based solid surface counters are less expensive than acrylic-based solid surface counters.
Some brands come in both acrylic and polyester versions.
Polyester solid surface counters tend to impart more vibrant colors than acrylics.
Acrylics work well if it’s crucial that you do any special fabrication work, like thermoforming.
But the term solid has another meaning.
This homogeneity is key in the high-abuse environment of a kitchen.
With this, there are no layers of laminates that can de-laminate.
This is essential if you gotta repair deep chips and scratches.
This throw in of tile is best for high-traffic areas since this quality helps to hide scratches.
Solid surface is affordable by a majority of homeowners.
Others such as wood andceramic tilehave limitations.
Wood is porous, hard to clean, and can develop a slimy feel.
Ceramic tile, on an individual basis, is hard and non-porous.
But when installed in numbers, grouted seams make food preparation more difficult.
Except for invisibly welded seams, solid surface is smooth all the way across.
Expensive and prone to cracking, even the popular granite and marble options are far from perfect.
Solid surface will never experience the same through-body cracks that sometimes affect natural stone.
Laminate surfacessuch asFormicaare a sandwich of paper or fabric impregnated with resin, all of that glued onto particleboard.
Laminate easily chips and its appearance lacks depth.
Solid Surface Maintenance
Solid surface material scratches relatively easily.
Work progressively higher to finer grains.
Many fabricators like to finish by sanding with a Scotch-Brite pad.
Avoid high-speed buffing of solid surface as this can cause the surface to melt.
you could expect to pay between $10 and $80 per square foot for the material.
By contrast, granite and marble will cost around $50 to $200 per square foot with installation.
Solid surface countertops are a midrange option that offer a stone-like look without a stone countertop price.
Sink cut-outs and range cut-outs are made with a saw or router.
Then, the edges are sanded smooth.
Adjoining solid surface slabs are glued end-to-end.
The top is sanded down and honed to the desired finish.
Solid surface installers will have to create a sink cut-out to accommodate the sink.
As this is waste material, most installers will oblige.
DIY Installation
For the most part, solid surface countertops are not very DIY-friendly.
it’s crucial that you be an authorized retailer to purchase many brand-name solid surface materials.
Along with that, solid surface materials are difficult to fabricate without special tools and expertise.
Plus, some simple fabrication such as cutting straight lines or creating sink cut-outs can be done by do-it-yourselfers.
Want to install your own kitchen countertop?Wood countertopsare relatively easy to fabricate and install.
Solid Surface Brands
When Dupont’s patent expired, other companies rushed in to make Corian substitutes.
A solid surface countertop is easy to maintain and looks timeless.
Their most significant value is they’re nearly as durable as granite, marble, or quartz.
Solid surface countertops have many advantages.
They have seamless joints and are not porous, resisting stains and bacteria.
They’re hard, impact-resistant, and require very little maintenance.
They’re easy to clean, and scratches can be sanded and buffed out.
It is softer than granite and can get scratched.