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How big is the kitchen? fair size area to cover: 4.2 x 2.9 mtr kit so reasonable size, U shaped.
Some things to consider.
With a big kitchen you may need multiple sheets of the material and some products join far better than others. For example the natural products like granite can suffer from noticeable joins because the joining compount discolours over time). For sure it will have at least three joins I suspect
Corian doesn't have this problem but doesn't like Heat
Will you be putting very hot pans directly onto the surface? You just never know, we are now aware of this issue but if visitors come who knows what they may do never heard of corian, will look into it if its similar to caesar stoneProbably not,but if you do even by accident you should consider Granite or Stainless Steel but steer clear of Corian as it is likely to mark.
Granite can stain over time, particularly as it gradually loses it's polished finish so if you want it to last you've got to polish it every a couple of years. thats no problem for us, repolishing is not an issue
Nearly all materials can be scratched from direct cutting but it's how the scratches show and possible treatment solutions that need to be considered. Corian for example will scratch but scratches in Corian can be filled and the surface returned to as new condition. ill go and see what it is but it sounds like its not what we need
Granite IMO is ageless and gives a quality feel to a kitchen. These days there are many colours to choose from and there are man made granites as well. By comparison the man made materials are colder and harder on the eye, despite attempts to produce natural looking finishes.
It depends on what look you're trying to create, if you're looking for a clean bright look, then the white corian is an excellent choice.
Ofcourse it comes down to $ and some materials could be more suitable to your kitchen shape and size and could end up considerably cheaper than you think so I'd start by getting quotes and decide on the exact benchtop material later.
what is killing us is there is but one place where i live that sells and installs granite...no competition at all so they are expensive..im looking into other options though....thanks for the feedback everyone, appreciated greatly.
I hope this helps