Cultured granite products easily meet nationally-recognized standards to resist water, heat, stains, burns, chemicals and everyday wear and tear.

What is Solid Surface?

Solid Surface products are manufactured with high performance resin systems such as acrylic and unsaturated polyester. They have very high filler content and do not have gel coats. These materials are used primarily in counter top and wall panel applications.

A design benefit of solid surface materials is their ability to be machined like wood, though special equipment and fabrication procedures are required. They can be precisely cut and bonded to fit nearly any surface shape. Solid surface materials can also be routered for decorative edging which can be applied with specially formulated adhesives. Since the color goes clear through the product, scratches, chips and stains can be easily sanded out.

Solid surface materials are sold under a number of brand names including Avonite, Dupont Corian, Fountainhead, Gilbraltar, Nevamar, Surell and Transolid. A growing number of small producers and fabricators are also offering solid surface materials. According to Kitchen and Bath Business, a leading industry trade magazine, solid surface materials were used on 12 percent of the 4.3 million kitchen construction jobs in 1996.

Cast polymer products are man-made, chemically-bonded, mineral-filled, polymeric materials which are molded and hardened to a solid material in a variety of shapes to meet the design needs of today's homeowner. Cast polymer products are commonly known as cultured cultured granite and solid surface.

Solid surface products are manufactured in a vacuum system with high performance resin systems such as acrylic and unsaturated polyester. With no surface coat and no internal air voids, solid surface can be easily restored when slight surface scratches appear.

How can owners keep the "good as new" look of these products for a lifetime of beauty and service? Just follow these tips:

For cultured granite:

• Use liquid detergent for regular cleaning to remove mineral deposits and soap scum. Restore dull surfaces by using liquid cleaning compound (such as is used for cars), followed by a light application of liquid wax or paste. Do not use abrasive cleaners, steel wool, scouring pads, scrapers, or sandpaper on any part of the surfaces.
• To remove built up hair spray, paint, tar, and difficult stains from the surface, use turpentine, denatured alcohol, or paint thinner. Be careful not to use turpentine or paint thinner on the hydrojets in a spa or plated components- damage to the plastic coatings may result.
• To remove plaster or construction residue, scrape the surface slightly with a wooden edge and wash with liquid detergent. Never use wire brushes or metal tools on any part of the cultured granite surfaces.
• If the stain is from hard water or mineral deposits, try using a cleaner for removing iron, calcium, or other such mineral deposits that are in your water supply. Most cleaning chemicals will not damage the gelcoat as long as label instructions are followed.

• Regular cleaning is easy using a non-abrasive cleaner and a damp cloth or sponge. If the product has a factory matte finish, then abrasive cleaners may be used. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
• Prompt clean up of spills will minimize even stubborn stains such as food dye, tea, fruit drinks, and some juices. For stubborn stains on polished surfaces, use full strength bleach for two to five minutes followed by a general cleaner, then flushed with water. On a matte finish, follow the same procedure or use a bleaching abrasive cleaner.
• Cigarette burns on the surface are usually a nicotine stain or scorch that can be easily removed by cleaning with an abrasive cleaner or buffing with a plastic (not metal), abrasive household sponge.
• Never set hot pans directly on a solid surface. Use a trivet or potholder to protect the top. Using your countertop for a cutting board will result in unnecessary damage that may require professional repair.
• Repairing superficial scratches is a breeze on solid surface products. Sand lightly with 350 grit sandpaper or buff with a plastic (not metal) household sponge. Deep scratches or chips should always be removed professionally.

Today's cast polymer products are made with top-notch raw materials and superior quality control standards. The result permits a total kitchen and bath concept with products that last longer, look better � yet still allow freedom of color and design-versatility at an affordable price.

A : After installing hundreds of different countertops as a builder, I can see why the solid surface countertops appeal to you. All of my customers who have purchased them have been delighted with the material. Solid surface countertops are both beautiful and easy to care for. I feel that they represent a fantastic value.

Solid surface countertops have been available for over 25 years. They are a product of the plastics industry. Plastics, in one form or another, dominate the kitchen and bath countertop industry. The vast majority of plastic countertops are made from thin sheets of plastic laminated to wood or wood by-product substrates. Solid surface countertops are simply that, they are solid plastic.

The solid nature of these materials offers distinct advantages. Colors and patterns are solid throughout the material. These solid surface materials have many of the same properties of wood, which allows them to be shaped and molded into countless shapes and figures. Because the material is plastic, special adhesives allow separate pieces of the material to be welded to one another to make one solid piece. These adhesives actually cause the plastic molecules of one piece to interlock with the molecules of the other piece.

Solid surface countertops do have distinct differences. Different materials are made from different plastics. Some materials are primarily acrylic while others are a blend of acrylic and polyester plastics. Those solid surface materials which have a high content of acrylic plastic seem to have higher performance standards.

Your husband's concerns about durability are, for the most part, groundless. These materials have excellent characteristics. They have great impact resistance. Virtually all of them are nonporous, so they are unaffected by food and liquid stains. These nonporous surfaces also inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, and germs.

A unique property of these solid surface materials is their ability to be easily repaired. Scratches can be buffed out by hand. Cigarette burns can be sanded away. Severe damage to the surfaces can also be repaired in virtually all instances. To the best of my knowledge, no other countertop material can make similar claims.

Solid surface countertops do have a slight drawback. Excessive, concentrated heat can damage the surfaces. However, this problem is frequently overcome with the use of decorative trivets made from the scrap material from the sink and cooktop cutouts.

You do have other alternatives, however, no single one seems to have as many advantages as solid surface materials. Natural stone products, such as granite, can be difficult to repair. Solid color laminate plastics offer fewer advantages, yet cost virtually the same as solid surface materials.

Artificial stone products, because of their composition, do not seem to perform as well as the plastics. Remember, as with many other things, you get what you pay for!

Solid Surface Countertop Materials

Summary: Advancements in plastics technology within the past twenty years have brought new, durable plastics into our kitchen countertops. These solid surfaces have dropped in price and include the granite and slate surfaces we see today - with excellent resistance to stains and weight. These countertops are not only beautiful, but easily cut, installed and withstand household kitchen traffic.

Products which are technologically advanced often are very expensive when first introduced into the marketplace. Solid surface countertops were by no means an exception. These materials were very expensive 10 to 15 years ago. Today, solid surface materials are still somewhat expensive, however, the price continues to drop each year. Even at current price levels, they are a tremendous value. These materials offer many advantages over other countertop materials.

Many solid surface countertops that are currently available are, for the most part, primarily plastic. There are other solid surface materials, such as cultured granite, slate, marble, concrete, etc., however, these materials don't perform like the plastic compounds. The plastic compounds have superior stain resistance. Many of them have tremendous impact resistance (it's tough to crack them.) Some of them can be seamed together into one solid piece using special compounds. Many of them can be repaired easily. Certain plastic solid surfacing materials can be bent into curves.

The overall performance characteristics of the solid surface countertop materials made from plastics depend upon the type of plastic from which the countertop is made. There are differences in the chemical makeup of the different plastics. Some of the countertops contain acrylic plastics in varying quantities. While other countertops are a blend of polyester plastic and acrylics.

The 1990 Modern Plastics Encyclopaedia states that "Acrylic is selected for many applications because of a unique combination of properties... good surface hardness... exceptional weatherability... chemical and environmental resistance... and excellent mechanical stability..." Based upon this information, one might assume that those materials which have the highest acrylic content quite possibly will outperform the other materials.

Our experience with these countertop materials has been extremely favourable. They are very beautiful and easy to care for. Because they are solid, colors and patterns are uniform. Scratches and minor burns can be sanded out. Virtually any edge treatment is possible, as these materials work just like wood. You can cut any shape you like on the edge. When installed by professionals, it is virtually impossible to determine the location of seams. These characteristics are simply not available in any other countertop material that we are aware of.

Many of our past remodelling jobs included solid surfacing materials. Each and every customer was pleased with the material. Not one customer has ever regretted installing the solid surfacing materials. I suggest that you give them serious consideration as the material for your next kitchen or bath countertop.

Minor scratches and burns can often be buffed out using readily available abrasive cleansers, very fine sandpaper, or a 3M Scotch Brite pad. However, do not attempt to buff scratches or gouges unless you receive specific instructions from a local distributor. Each solid surface material has its own distinct method of repairing scratches, burns, gouges, etc.

Most of the solid surface manufacturers provide a very nifty maintenance and repair kit on new installations. If you do not have one, determine who made your countertop and see about getting one. Check out the manufacturers' web sites for excellent care and maintenance information. As you can imagine, they want the countertops to look brand new at all times. What better selling tool, than your satisfaction!

Solid Surface Countertop Manufacturers

• Aristech Acrylics
  Acrystone Solid Surface.
• Corian
  Corian is a solid, nonporous material which contains a unique blend of natural minerals and 100 percent high-performance acrylic.
  
• Avonite
  Avonite is a nonporous homogeneous blend of polyester/acrylic alloys and fillers.
• Formica Solid Surfacing
  Solid Surfacing is a fully densified composite material of modified resin and mineral filler.
• Cerata - Hartson Kennedy
  Cerata is an isophthalic/neopentyglycol resin with acrylic modifiers, ATH fillers, pigments, matrix chips and catalysts.
• Florenata
  Non-porous, seamless countertops.
• Wilsonart Gibraltar
  Gibraltar is a homogeneous blend of polyester and acrylic resins, fire-retardant fillers and proprietary coloring agents.
• Swanstone
  Swanstone is a homogeneous, nonporous reinforced, modified acrylic filled with natural minerals.
• Centura
  Centura is a polymerized mixture of polyester resin and hydrated Alumina.
• LG HI-MACS Volcanics
  Acrylic solid surfaces.
• Lippert Corp.
  Solid surface countertops and sinks.
• Meganite
  Non-porous, homogeneous solid surface countertops.
• Samsung
  Staron 100% acrylic solid surface countertops.
• Askilan
  Askilan is a fibre reinforced, temperature resistant composite material, like those developed and used for aircraft and space applications.