Countertops have come a long way from the plastic of the previous decades. Today resin countertops are the choice of the millennium.
Corian, Silestone, Zodiaq, Cesarstone, Zylstone, Granyte, and Hi-Macs are all choices you have in the world of resin countertops and these are names you can rely on for dependability, durability, quality, and price.
Back in the 1960’s DuPont was working to find a solid surface countertop that would work well in both residential and commercial environments like restaurants and hospitals. They were looking to design a product that was stain resistant, bacteria resistant, heat resistant, and yet had the look and feel of marble.
Thus back in 1967 the advent of synthetic marble. It was made from polymethyl methacrylate and it was available in basic white and beige shades. DuPont later called it Corian.
If you are wondering what polymethyl methacrylate or PMMA is, without going into complicated chemical details and having DuPont disclose their Corian trade secret, basically it is an acrylic thermoplastic. Basically polymethyl methacrylate is mixed up differently depending on the manufacturer.
Corian is a single casting which is one of the reasons the price has dropped while the number of colors has risen to more than 80 color choices. Corian also offers the only “true white” on the market.
The solid stone countertops has affected the popularity of the resin counters a bit but they plastic companies continue to fight for their market share. How did they do that you wonder? Why by offering engineered stone.
But it really wasn’t’ the plastic people that created engineered stone rather it was the quarry owners that had all that wonderful quartz that couldn’t be cut into slabs. Or those that had brittle granite on their hands. These were the guys that were to develop engineered stone.
In fact back in 1977 Breton Spa’s from Italy developed a way to use the crumbly rock to make slabs of solid rock that could then be turned into outstanding countertops. And the mix was unique with 94% stone and 6% plastic resin which held the mix together. Often fondly referred to a plastic rock.
Grupo Cosentino from Spain was quick to jump on the band wagon with their own product called Silestone which has been marketed around the world. Soon other companies hit the market such as Zodiaq, Avanza, and Granyte.
Whether it is granite chips, dolomite, quartz chips, gneiss, feldspar, silicates, marble, or igneous stone it all looks great in engineered stone.
The common element among all of these products is the resin. So whether referred to as plastic or resin at the end of the day it’s the same thing. Our world is made up of plastic. Our cameras, televisions, cars, desks, pens, furniture, so why not our countertops? So call it what you like – acrylic, resin, or plastic – it’s all the same and it’s an integral part in solid countertops.
Solid resins like Corian are a little more versatile than the inlayed mixed. Both are easy to fabricate. Visually of course the two have differences. Solid resin resembles marble where as engineered stone resembles granite. Neither is better, it’s all about which you prefer.
So if you are considering replacing your countertops but want to do it on a budget remember the resin countertops are the choice of this millennium!
