Kitchen countertops have come a long way since the fifties when the plastic laminate Formica came of age. The inexpensive laminates still dominate the kitchen and bath, but they come in dressier, more glamorous forms and designs. Granite and marble, as well as hundreds of types of imported and domestic decorative tiles, have become more readily available. But homeowners, builders and designers are turning more attention to the heavy duty, versatile solid-surface materials, such as Corian, Fountainhead and Surell, Avonite and Gibraltar.

They’re costly, but their composition opens a new world of flexibility. Unlike the plastic laminate, which consists of several layers of paper bonded with resin to about one sixteenth- inch thick, solid surfacing is just that a solid, almost seamless nonporous surface. Made of acrylic or polyester resin or both, it is molded into flat sheets varying in thickness, generally, from a half- to three-quarters inch. 

Because they take up so much horizontal space, counters make a big visual impact on a room. But function can’t take a back seat. People demand a lot of kitchen countertops. They set hot spots on them, slice and chop vegetables on them, assault them with stains, yet they hate it when they become scorched, scratched or marred. They want them to last a lifetime. For both beauty and function, many homeowners, designers and builders today are choosing solid surface materials, even though they can cost four to five times as such as plastic laminates. Homeowners like solid surfacing because it is extremely durable and most manufacturers offer a 10 year limited warranty if it is installed by an approved fabricator.

Designers like solid surfacing because it lends itself to all sorts of decorative treatments. The main fault of plastic laminate is that only one of several layers of resin permeated paper provides color and pattern. So nicks, burns and scratches reveal dark sub surfaces, and damaged countertops cannot be repaired. Solid surfacing, however, is almost impossible to damage, but the beauty of them is the color runs throughout, so even if they are damaged they can be repaired.  Most minor burns and scratches can be removed from solid surfacing with an abrasive cleanser, and more serious cuts can be sanded and repaired (the counter top comes with a repair kit). Or in case of extreme damage, a chunk of the counter top can be cut out and replaced, leaving imperceptible seams. Solid surfacing comes in blocks in varying widths that are cut and shaped much like wood. It can. Be used with a wide variety of decorative treatments including surface inlays and decorative edges. Inlaying a strip of the material in a coordinating color along the edge is one of the most popular accents.

Designs can also be sandblasted into back splashes. Corian, an acrylic resin product introduced  n 1971 by Du Pont, was the first solid surface, and many builders and designers still prefer it. Avonite, Gibraltar and Fountainhead are made of a mixture of polyester and acrylic. All solid-surface materials come in a variety of colors and faux stones. Color is added to the resin mix. The material can also be streaked to imitate marble. But most colors are muted or neutral – various whites, off whites and beiges. Corian comes in 28 colors while Avonite, 30. Solid surface materials can be used for countertops, back splashes, kitchen and bathroom sinks, vanities and tub and shower enclosures. They are available in matte, semi-gloss or high-gloss finishes.