How Expensive Is Corian????

[TheDetailDoctor]

I am fitting a new main bathroom in our house & wanted a Corain worktop.

Went to MFi, purely to look at samples & the guy there tells me its £400-500 a running meter, is this about right?

[shirt]

it is expensive, but i would try a specialist supplier over MFI as i can;t imagine MFI shifting much in the way of volume.

google corian [uk search] and the top ten should include worktop suppliers selling from £300-350 ish, more if you want something fancy/shaped.

[GuinnessMK]

The material cost is quite high, but the labour in working it and fitting it is going to be the main cost (IMHO).

Try Staron as an alternative product. Alternatively have a look through your yellow pages for shopfitters etc who can do bespoke joinery. Send them MFI's drawing and what material you want your worktop finished in and ask them to quote.

HTH

Mike

[MrVelox]

http://www.builddirect.com/Corian-Vanity-Tops.aspx

They ship worldwide. Bought it from them before when redoing a kitchen.

[Tuna]

When we were thinking of going for corian for our kitchen, our plumber asked us if we really wanted a work surface that looked like the sink in a public toilet. It's not quite that bad, but you have to think carefully about which colour to choose.

[mel]

Corian is purely a trade name and there are dozens of alternatives, as stated Staron is one (Samsung) but add is Avonite, Wilsonart, Hi Macs/Volcanics (LG), Velstone, Formica, do a web search for "solid surface fabricators" local to you and be preparred to have your mind blown by the extent of the choice.

The biggest problem is that the industry is a bit of a closed shop and most fabricators will only specialise in one or two brands as the manufacturers license the fabricators and won't sell the product to un licensed companies who haven't paid to do their courses and training, which is a complete con as they're all very easy products to work with. Oh yes and it is relatively expensive but competitive when compared to alternatives. Wierd factoid of the day is that McDonalds fronted most of the money to develop the product commercially and at one time were the exclusive user in their restaurants.

[Justayellowbadge]

mel said:

Oh yes and it is relatively expensive but competitive when compared to alternatives.

I'm not sure it can be both.

[richardxjr]

We fitted corian-lookalike and feel-alike MAIA worktops at a fraction of the price.

I really rate it, totally invisible join and can be fitted by a (decent) regular joiner.

[mel]

Justayellowbadge said:

mel said:

Oh yes and it is relatively expensive but competitive when compared to alternatives.

I'm not sure it can be both.

Yes alright fair one, I'll try again, it's eeeer expensive ish for what it is but cheaper than granite or composite granite but more errrr expensive than laminate but then again it's better and more flexible to work with than laminate but doesn't look as good as granite but you can do much more with it errrrrr, does that make any more sense? not really does it? Oh b0llox. JK Rowling thinks it's dirt cheap but the big issue seller down the road couldn't afford it, nope still no good, alright how about it sounds expensive when you look at what you get but is actually cheap compared to....., nope still not working...............OK it's fucking expensive alright!

[Justayellowbadge]

mel said:

Justayellowbadge said:

mel said:

Oh yes and it is relatively expensive but competitive when compared to alternatives.

I'm not sure it can be both.

Yes alright fair one, I'll try again, it's eeeer expensive ish for what it is but cheaper than granite or composite granite but more errrr expensive than laminate but then again it's better and more flexible to work with than laminate but doesn't look as good as granite but you can do much more with it errrrrr, does that make any more sense? not really does it? Oh b0llox. JK Rowling thinks it's dirt cheap but the big issue seller down the road couldn't afford it, nope still no good, alright how about it sounds expensive when you look at what you get but is actually cheap compared to....., nope still not working...............OK it's fucking expensive alright!

Actually, Mel, I think I have to take it back. Was perhaps being too pedantic.

A Maserati, for instance, is relatively expensive. But compared to alternatives, (Porsche, Ferrari et al) it is priced competitively.

So I see what you mean.

[TheDetailDoctor]

Justayellowbadge said:

A Maserati, for instance, is relatively expensive. But compared to alternatives, (Porsche, Ferrari et al) it is priced competitively.

OK, that's the answer, I'll buy a Maseratti instead of a worktop, not sure how good the basin & taps will look on the roof though?

[Davi]

I'd go to a stone mason and find out how much it would cost to have it done in proper stone - can work out considerably cheaper and you get the real deal, rather than just the waste from the stone industry stuck in plastic at an inflated price.

[Tuna]

Davi said:

I'd go to a stone mason and find out how much it would cost to have it done in proper stone - can work out considerably cheaper and you get the real deal, rather than just the waste from the stone industry stuck in plastic at an inflated price.

The downside is that stone is a much harder surface - much easier to break a glass putting it down on a granite worktop than corian. You also can't get your sink built continuously into a stone worktop.

[Davi]

Tuna said:

The downside is that stone is a much harder surface - much easier to break a glass putting it down on a granite worktop than corian. You also can't get your sink built continuously into a stone worktop.

you are right about the continuous sink, I think it's a naff idea so always forget about that! As for hardness, fair enough it is a bit less forgiving but you can buy a hell of a lot of glasses for the difference in price.

[Simond001]

richardxjr said:

We fitted corian-lookalike and feel-alike MAIA worktops at a fraction of the price.

I really rate it, totally invisible join and can be fitted by a (decent) regular joiner.

I also have maia worktopts. Ideal for short joints (corners, long runs) but not so good when you need two lengths back to back for an island.

Not sure if it was much cheaper than Corian though, something like £800 per length plus fitting and joining kits. I know mine came out at just over £8k without labour. Looks good though, and great that you can rub scratcheds out.

(and boy do they scratch easily)

[cardigankid]

Agreed - if I were you I would bin the Corian and get some granite, so much nicer. Get it recessed for a hardwood chopping board.

Corian will last - some of the equivalents I have seen in hotel toilets don't, but in the end its just going to look like plastic.

[TheDetailDoctor]

Davi said:

I'd go to a stone mason and find out how much it would cost to have it done in proper stone - can work out considerably cheaper and you get the real deal, rather than just the waste from the stone industry stuck in plastic at an inflated price.

Really???? That's a surprise.

It's only a length 1565 x 375mm with a cistern acces hole & cover, and a hole for the pipes to & from the counter top basin.

[Rower]

If you like the stuff just for a work surface and can justify the price fine, I had it in my kitchen and incorperated a bowl which is moulded out of the same material so no gaps, joins etc, but it stained like crazy and the only way to clean it is with an abrasive like powder, the sink also cracked and consequently leaked and could only be fixed at enormous expense ! I chucked the lot !! Horrible stuff !

[Davi]

TheDetailDoctor said:

Davi said:

I'd go to a stone mason and find out how much it would cost to have it done in proper stone - can work out considerably cheaper and you get the real deal, rather than just the waste from the stone industry stuck in plastic at an inflated price.

Really???? That's a surprise.

It's only a length 1565 x 375mm with a cistern acces hole & cover, and a hole for the pipes to & from the counter top basin.

We had quotes for corian, but also shopped around a bit for granite - the price of granite tops vary massively from place to place, style to style, plus complexity of cuts. Some places came in much more expensive for granite but ended up getting a quote (from a recommended source) that was much less than 1/2 the price of Corian (think it was nearer a third)

My parents entire kitchen only cost about £5k in granite, and there is about 20 times as much granite in that as you are looking for with several cut outs for sinks, taps, hobs etc. Shop around a bit.

[richardxjr]

Simond001 said:

richardxjr said:

We fitted corian-lookalike and feel-alike MAIA worktops at a fraction of the price.

I really rate it, totally invisible join and can be fitted by a (decent) regular joiner.

I also have maia worktopts. Ideal for short joints (corners, long runs) but not so good when you need two lengths back to back for an island.

Not sure if it was much cheaper than Corian though, something like £800 per length plus fitting and joining kits. I know mine came out at just over £8k without labour. Looks good though, and great that you can rub scratcheds out.

(and boy do they scratch easily)

8k?

You can get Maia for under £100/m, though some kitchen retailers may well mark it up 'a bit'.