Saturday, May 9, 2009

Done, done, done!

This is for MC and others that have e-mailed me to ask about the outcome of my kitchen Counter top project

I'm happy to say that it's over! Especially after the drama I encountered with the contractor Costco assigned to our project. As of late last night, I am finally moved back into my kitchen. It was the fourth time I have moved into my kitchen in this house! With any luck, it will be the last time!

Perimeter counter tops are Corian Rain Cloud with integrated Corian #874
sink in Corian Glacier White. Island Counter is also Corian Glacier White

My favorite things about the whole project are the sink and the island

I doubled the work space on the island with the new top and I love it!

Corian's Rain Cloud is everything I hoped it would be. Looks a lot like
Carerra marble without the care and maintenance issues of Carerra marble

Much than formica and even a little better than the tile
we originally put over it during our first remodel!

He's always wanted Corian. I've always wanted white carerra
marble. This Corian Rain Cloud makes it work for both of us!

Now that all the tile is gone, just think how much money I will
save on windex and paper towels! I expect my new counter
tops will begin paying for themselves in less than 90 days!

I used to avoid this counter space but now that it's a bit wider and a
little deeper than it was before I find myself using it all the time! The
only thing left to do in my kitchen is to paint. I'm tired of this Yellow!

The integrated sink system is fantastic... Hen and pig think so too!

A blog post from me just wouldn't be a blog post without a mention
about the beautiful trees and the bloomers around the house!

9 comments:

  1. I love your kitchen!! i've been looking everywhere for s/o who likes the corian rain cloud, so i can get off my carrara marble kick.
    did u do 3x6 white subway bs? i may do carrara subway tiles with the rain cloud...not sure. do you have staining issues or anything neg about the corian?
    thanks!
    Kim
    4laymans@bellsouth.net

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your kitchen!! i've been looking everywhere for s/o who likes the corian rain cloud, so i can get off my carrara marble kick.
    did u do 3x6 white subway bs? i may do carrara subway tiles with the rain cloud...not sure. do you have staining issues or anything neg about the corian?
    thanks!
    Kim
    4laymans@bellsouth.net

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello, Kim!

    Thank you so very much for your kind words about my kitchen!! I am so happy to share everything I know about this Corian product so please feel free to ask ANY question!

    I love subway tile and think it's the perfect compliment to my rain cloud counter tops - and of course, cararra! So... my husband installed the subway tile backsplash you see in my kitchen. They are the 3X6 subway tiles by Daltile, purchased at Home Depot for cheap-cheap! VERY easy to install, (so he tells me - all I did was watch!) and it only cost us $280.00, which INCLUDED the mastic adhesive necessary to put the tiles on, AND the grout too! If you can do it yourself, I highly recommend you install your own backsplash, (if you decide to go with subway tile) because the estimate we got from a tile guy was over $1,000.00 - Crazy expensive, and money better spent elsewhere!

    Your rain cloud counter top will NOT stain. Tomato sauce, mustard, lemon juice, tea - Everything that ruins cararra.... I've spilled it all, and NOTHING stains my counter tops or my Corian glacier-white island!

    I use Lysol (spray) Kitchen cleaner to clean my countertops - it brightens them right up, without dulling! And, to remove TEMPORARY stains from things like the frozen blueberries I add to my CLEAN program diet shake every morning, (they're always rolling out of the bag on me!) I just dab a little Soft Scrub onto a damp paper towel and buff the splotches right off!

    Honestly, there is no down-side to Corian Rain Cloud, except that it doesn't look exactly like carrara. And, I would tell you if there was! The only two thing I must mention, which no one told me... Is that you cannot pour boiling water into your sink without developing hairline fractures in the corners. Fortunately I read about this fact before I damaged my sink!

    This can be a pain when you need to drain pasta, but I've learned to either transfer my pasta from my pot into a big bowl right on the stove top (using a big strainer spoon or pasta claw) - or, I'll add cold water to the pot to bring the temp down before I dump the water into the sink.

    The other tip I have for you is to place rubber sink mats into the bottom of your sink(s) - They say you can't chip corian but I have a little pit in my big sink and I've had a rubber mat in it from day one. It could just be from the tip of a knife... But it bothers me now because unless I bleach it, there's always a little dot I can see on the bottom of my sink where ick collects.

    I've never found a rubber sink mat to fit the small disposal sink on the left side so I just cut a larger mat down to fit.

    Any way... You take care, thank you again for popping over to my blog, and if I can help you further, don't hesitate to ask!

    Best wishes,

    ♥Janet
    www.thearmymom.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi, I know you completed your kitchen a while ago, but I wanted to see how your rain cloud countertops are holding up. Also, what thickness did you use and are the edges just slightly eased? Just trying to navigate the world of countertops:).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous - Counters are holding up fantastically! In fact, I was just thinking that yesterday as I was wiping them clean - no stains, chips, cracks... Nothing! We love them and even after almost 3 years we're still satisfied with our decision. In terms of thickness, the thickness is a standard thickness (don't quote me, but I want to say it's a quarter-inch) However, you can choose your edge and thickness (drop from counter top down) of your edge. If you read some of my early posts about the project I like to a magazine kitchen which is what I based the look of my edge on. But really, with Corian, you can do anything you want to suit your kitchen and your mood. The only thing that no one shared with us that I am very glad I learned before we had a problem is that with Corian sinks, you cannot pour hot water from the stove into them without causing hair-line fractures in the corners and around the drain hole. It makes draining pasta and boiled eggs more difficult, but when you know this, you just adapt. :) Feel free to ask additional questions here or via e-mail at: jcbridge@aol.com

    In the meantime, happy Counter Tops!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello! Thank you so much for posting about Rain Cloud. I have a farmhouse porcelain sink, so will not need a sink. Other than the hot water in the sink issue......people seem to say corian scratches easily. Have you had any issues? Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi, Jana!

    Thank you for checking in... Corian does scratch and scuff easily. Now, they (Corian) want you to know that it can be buffed out to look like new, but the fact is, Corian does scratch, it does scuff and it does dull over time with regular use.

    I hope this helps - if I may assist you further, please let me know! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Jana, How are the countertops doing now. You say that they dull over time, does this mean that at this point, they don't look as new and pristine as when you got them. I am considering them and thought I would check with you first?? thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Anonymous... Yes, Corian does dull over time but it's only due to use. Please see more current posts on my blog and you'll see that although Corian can dull, my counters are still as beautiful today as they were the day they were installed. I keep them this way by using cutting boards and doing my best to limit scraping dishes across them. I cannot say Corian requires any more or less care than other products, I'm just the type of person that likes to keep things in perfect condition - So I do whatever it takes! :) Good luck and please let me know if I may assist you further!

      xo

      Delete

Readers who comment ROCK!

xo