Plastic with stone...is he on a mission to reduce the home values in his community all by himself, or do you have to join the club to help him out.

Ok :oP How do you think I feel about it LOL I think it's a terrible idea, because the two surfaces are SO different, and each attract a very different buyer. I hate plastic, and to me, that's what corian is. And you make that ever so obvious when you marry them. If I was doing a walk through for a sale, it would cost you.

I'd rather see a ceramic or stone, even a man made stone quartz etc, than these two materials together. Or better yet (because I don't like "hard" sinks) how about another metal if SS is not a popular surface in your house? Copper is fabulous with almost any stone. And it's not such a bad marriage....I predict the sink and the counter will end up in a messy divorce and you'll pay the settlement out of resale value :oP There's a reason you don't see it much... :o)

I also predict that KD will not end his life a rich man. But he'll line his coffin with corian :oP So he'll last forever...even if we don't want him to.

I'm a KD and I have done it for a client once per their request. This was about 10 or 12 years ago. It actually looked fine and it's what they wanted.

Last year, I did this same customer's vacation/lake home. With this kitchen I suggested Blanco Silgranit (which was not available to them on their primary home). They got a Silgranit for their kitchen and laundry and they love the Silgranit.

If I were you, I would look in to Silgranit. It is much more durable and easier to clean than Corian. And I agree with your DH...I'm not a big fan of stainless steel sinks either...love the Silgranit. Might be a good compromise. You will find that gardenwebbers give great reviews on it as well.

Kompy

I dislike stainless sinks also. I would check out the fireclay sinks (I have a Franke and love it) and the silgranit sinks (many positive comments on them in the forum). I would definitely NOT do Corian with granite. I think it will look bad, and I think it is harder to keep clean than the other choices I mentioned. Just my 2 cents' worth.

I had a white corian sink: hated it! Stained and a chuck was knocked out: scratched.

If you get a REAL good stainless steel: you shouldn't regret. I read several educational material re: care of stainless steel: what to clean with vs what not to clean with. Good thing is to clean dirty dishes and pot & pans right away and clean & dry sink at all times: keeps sink looking great. No soaking dirty dishes: it's about habits: thats the same thing with Marble & Granite countertops; if you are going to have an expensive countertop: take care of it. Change cleaning habits and clean messes up right away.

I like the Blanco sink company 16 gauge stainless steel sinks. Brushed stainless steel.

My opinion only:
~Happy Holidays~

petra granite -that's the main reason for not going with the SS- I wouldn't want to have to wash and dry it every time I used it. I need a sink that I don't have to fully clean after each use. Right now, I have a really old ceramic sink and as much as I hate it, it doesn't look dirty for awhile. I get away with 'soft scrubbing' this sink, 2x a week. I'm afraid with SS, I'm going to have a maintenance problem with the 'buffing' out the water spots.

If I'm wrong- let me know because other than the cleaning maintenance, I love the look of SS. I have a SS refrigerator, but when we remodel, the new one is going to have panels because I got sick of the fingerprints

I have had my new stainless steel sink for about 6 weeks now and I don't find it a real problem to keep clean. Every 3 days or so I spray it with 409 and wipe it down. I don't dry it out after every use! I will wipe off the water that sits on the divider between the 2 sinks, but other than that - its not that hard to keep clean.

My sink wasn't some name brand - it came from the granite company - I think it was 18 guage.

When we replaced our counters with granite we were offered the free stainless steel sink but I didn't want it. I hated the SS sink that came with the house and I lived with it for several years longer than I cared for. It was grungy and stained and water spotted no matter what I did to clean it. It looked like an old nickel.

Thanks to this forum I learned about Blanco silgranit sinks. I've had mine now for about 7 months and I adore it! I got the biscuit color because that's what looked best with my granite sample. I love the looks of it and it is so easy to keep clean.

Here is a link that might be useful: blanco silgranit sink with granite countertops

This kitchen is for you, not for people with a pathological distaste for plastic (I have that distaste as well, I confess). Go Corian if you like it!

Just get it in a subtle tasteful color. I'm starting to really like my yet unremodelled Corian sink. It dates back to the 80s and it's pink and it's a danm fine sink. Uglier than sin, but there are nice colors out there now.

I always hated Corian because of the plastic feel. But I had never lived with it. Now I've lived with it and I think it makes an awesome sink. It is not cheap and it is not poor quality and if you can make it look good, why the hell not? It's not like a sink's material is something that jumps out at you when you enter a room, and Corian is very sensible in a sink.

I loved my corian counters, loved the seamless sink and the "softness" of it, but it was white and a pain to keep clean. Tomato sauce and ketchup stained it horribly. With two teens and an Italian husband that meant cleaning it with bleach or Comet every day. Pink (or orange) is probably the only sensible color to make those sinks.

Teeski has had Corian and knows the pros and cons, so this is just a style question I think. And I think it can be pulled off, if the pink (and orange) are avoided.

Ok who babies their stainless sinks? The reason I love them, and love our stainless counters (I'm not in the herd mentality LOL if you've seen my kitchen you'd know that). We don't baby the stainless at all.

I will agree that cheaper stainless can wear fairly quickly, but if you go with a 16guage stainless sink (we have a franke commercial) you can use it and ignore it. We do soak dishes, and we wash pots and pans, and ummm what else was up there...oh ya, we DO NOT dry and clean it each time LOL Life is too short. I rinse it with the spray hose after use as you would any sink, and if there's goober I give it a swipe with the sponge, just like any other sink.

I have had corian and didn't hate it with a passion until I actually used it. After havig had it, I quit calling it corian and started calling it plastic. My white corian sink was a total pain to keep clean, and needed scrubbing constantly to keep it white. Yes it was seamless with the counters...but you can get that with many sinks (we have it with our stainless). I hated that freaking corian sink with a passion. It was like washing dishes in 50 year old tupperware and looked about as nice.

ok. i read this and didn't want to respond but i'm with igloochic. contrary to what you might hear, corian stains and is simply not up to snuff when paired with granite or any natural stone. if this is your forever house do what you like. but what will the neighbors say? (joking...) good luck and let us know what you decide.

We have SS sinks and we definitely do NOT baby them! I've never heard of wiping & drying them after ever use!!!! They get rinsed out daily and wiped down once a week by me (along with the yucky GD flange...so glad they are now removable!) and get fully cleaned every two weeks by Maid Brigade. We frequently soak pots/pans/dishes/utensils/flatware in the small bowl.

There is absolutely no need to baby it! Even our old builder-grade SS sink looked fine when we demo'd it after almost 13 years of use. Yes, the bottom was scratched, but it was an even coating and changed the "polished chrome" look to one of brushed. Knowing our builder I'm sure it was no better than 18-gauge, and probably 20! The durability and ease of use (maintenance-free!) are why we went w/SS with the remodel. We did go with a 16-gauge brushed SS this time around, though.

Don'ts: not too bad: I still love the ss: & blanco silgranit is nice as well! this don't I read are pretty basic: there are more positives:

"Don't... Allow food or beverage residue, metal canned products, or mild steel or cast iron cookware to remain on sink surface for long periods of time as this can result in permanent staining of the sink.
Don't... Cut directly on sink surfaces.
Don't... Set hot pans directly into sinks.
Don't... Scour the sink across the satin finish lines. Scouring across the satin finish lines can damage the original sink finish.
Don't... Allow liquid soap or other household cleansers to dry on the surface of the sink. Most brands contain chemical additives, which will affect the finish.
Don't... Use drain cleaning products that contain sulfuric or hydrochloric acid.
Don't... Leave standing solutions of chlorine bleach and water in the sink for extended periods of time. Chlorides, which are found in most soaps, detergents, bleaches, and cleansers, are very aggressive to stainless steel. If left on the sink too long they can cause surface pitting.
Don't... Use a steel wool pad to clean your sink. Steel wool pads have a tendency to break apart and small particles of steel can become embedded in the surface of the sink. The steel particles will rust and will give the appearance that the sink itself is rusting.
Don't... Use rubber mats or dishpans in the sink to protect the finish. Leaving rubber mats or dishpans in the sink can lead to surface rust or possible pitting. Instead use stainless steel bottom grids. If you do use mats or dishpans please remove them after each use.
Don't... Leave wet sponges, cloths, or cleaning pads on the sink. This can lead to surface rust."

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/stainlesssteelsinkcare.html

(I found this by google search) and I have read in the past

My caps here are just to show my comments from the original post I copied. I just couldn't resist because those suggestions would have lead me far away from stainless if I'd never had stainless or seen it in action...so I just want to share my views on a few things...

Don't... Allow food or beverage residue, metal canned products, or mild steel or cast iron cookware to remain on sink surface for long periods of time as this can result in permanent staining of the sink. SO WHAT IS A LONG PERIOD OF TIME? I JUST CAME HOME FROM A WEEK LONG TRIP AND DH HAS HAD A CAST IRON PAN SITTING ON THE STAINLESS SINCE WE'VE BEEN GONE...NO STAINS.

Don't... Set hot pans directly into sinks.
WHY? ONE OF THE JOYS OF A STAINLESS COUNTER IS YOU CAN SLIDE SOMETHING RIGHT FROM THE STOVE TO THE COUNTER, NO DAMAGE DONE. THE SINK WOULDN'T BE DIFFERENT EXCEPTFOR THE BASIC, DON'T PUT HOT WATER ON A HOT SURFACE OF IT CAN BURST THE WATER UP AND BURN YOU.

Don't... Scour the sink across the satin finish lines. Scouring across the satin finish lines can damage the original sink finish.
HEH HEH, WE DON'T CLEAN ON THE GRAIN :) WE SCRUB WHERE NECESSARY.

Don't... Allow liquid soap or other household cleansers to dry on the surface of the sink. Most brands contain chemical additives, which will affect the finish.
WELL WE HAD A BOTTLE OF DISH SOAP SITTING ON THE COUNTER DURING THE REMODEL...IT WAS ALWAYS GRUBBY AND OVERFLOWING AND SAT ON THE COUNTER...YOU CAN'T TELL WHERE NOW SO I CAN'T SAY IT RUINED THE FINISH.

Don't... Use drain cleaning products that contain sulfuric or hydrochloric acid.
I USE WHATEVER IS HANDY..THEY USE BLEACH AND WATER IN COMMERCIAL KITCHENS.

Don't... Leave standing solutions of chlorine bleach and water in the sink for extended periods of time. Chlorides, which are found in most soaps, detergents, bleaches, and cleansers, are very aggressive to stainless steel. If left on the sink too long they can cause surface pitting.
AT THE RESTAURANT WE USED TO HAVE A SINK FULL OF BLEACH WATER AT ALL TIMES. IT WAS A NICE SINK...NO PITS :)

Don't... Use a steel wool pad to clean your sink. Steel wool pads have a tendency to break apart and small particles of steel can become embedded in the surface of the sink. The steel particles will rust and will give the appearance that the sink itself is rusting.
OR MAYBE YOU HAVE A CHEAP STAINLESS STEEL SINK AND IT IS RUSTING HEH HEH (THE LOWER QUALITY ONES WILL).

Don't... Use rubber mats or dishpans in the sink to protect the finish. Leaving rubber mats or dishpans in the sink can lead to surface rust or possible pitting. Instead use stainless steel bottom grids. If you do use mats or dishpans please remove them after each use.
BASIC STUFF...ANY SINK WITH A MAT NEVER REMOVED WILL DEVELOP MOLD UNDER IT.

Don't... Leave wet sponges, cloths, or cleaning pads on the sink. This can lead to surface rust."
THAT WAS MY FAVORITE....I HAVE A SPONGE OR WASH RAG ON THE COUNTER ALL THE TIME....AGAIN, NO RUST :) MAYBE I NEED TO LEAVE IT ON FOR A YEAR OR TWO...

She's had and likes Corian. She's not asking if it sucks. She's asking if anyone has mixed it with granite.

By the way, I agree that stainless is about as perfect a sink as you can get. Drywall compound scours out nicely as does anything else you get in there. It's always my first choice (but I totally understand why one might like Corian--it performs really well). SS is much easier to keep up than, well, any other material, especially Corian. If you can keep up Corian, SS would be practically self-cleaning! SS appliances somehow get fingerprinty, but GOOD SS doesn't--think regular old flatware. We don't worry about prints on that do we? My frying pans don't get prints, even the ones with a mirror finish. (Not that I'd recommend getting a sink with a mirror finish!)

I rinse my SS sink with liquid dish soap here and there. I use Bon Ami once a week just for the heck of it. We have a water softener, so we don't have hard water stains. I don't wipe out the sink. It doesn't look perfect because its wet most of the time, but most sinks are wet all the time.

It looks darn good most of the time. My mom has rust on hers because she is old school and insisted on using steel wool.

Here's a picture of a white Corian sink with granite. Looks great, IMHO. It's not mine, although I do have a Corian sink and countertop that I love.

Here is a link that might be useful: Corian sink with Emerald Pearl granite

To be clear guage is a measure of thickness not quality. Guage will not determine how the appearance of your sink holds up over time except in relation to denting (according to Consumer Reports if you drop a 5 pound weight into a 24 guage sink it behaves the same as an 18 guage sink). 20 guage is fine for household use, 18 is more than adequate and 16 is really overkill but if you can get it for the same price why not? Thinner of thicker none will effect how your sink performs in terms of scratching, corrosion, or spotting.

In terms of appearance you should look at the Type of SS, 304 is most common but I have read 302 is better because it contains more carbon than 304 which makes the stainless stronger (strength of the steel will make it more resistant to scratching and corrosion not the thickness). Your other big issue is finish - satin finishes are considered to age better than mirror ones.

If you like Corian get Corian, in term of re-sale if your sink is a deal breaker then it just wasn't meant to be (probably would have been a low ball offer anyway so your better off).

We have a white Corian sink integrated w/Corian counters and we're really happy with it. We've had it about a year now and nothing has stained. I think if you like a Corian sink w/granite you should go for it.

My only concern about the Corian sink is that they recommend not pouring boiling hot water into it--this situation comes up for me more than I thought it would: it occurs whenever I steam veggies or boil noodles, potatoes, etc. DH and I have found creative ways to try to lower the water temp that actually hits the sink, but it's mildly annoying.

Have you looked into Silgranite sinks? Seems like that would be considered a more equivalent pairing w/granite counters. I'd consider it if our Corian sink fails since Silgranite seems to have better heat-resistant properties.

I wasn't going to post, just keep my thoughts to myself, cause I'm worried I'll be flamed. But if Igloochic can be so gutsy and blunt in her responses, then why should I be a coward? (You go girl!). My reaction to Corian is that my parents re-did our kitchen with Corian, and I am, shall we say, "of a certain age". At the time, the early '80's, Corian was the latest thing, and my parents were getting a cutting edge kitchen. But, in short order, it looked stained. Then, in just a few years, it looked dated. I have never seen something look dated that fast. Even avocado green took a good 10 years to look dated. I apologize to the people who have Corian now, but to me it says, 1986. To the OP, have you seen a NEW kitchen with a Corian sink anywhere? I am also concerned about the OP's KD; you might want to find one with more varied and current ideas.

I have a stainless steel sink, and slightly hard Lake Michigan water. I do have the water spots. I knew about the water spots in advance, but chose stainless anyway, because the other advantages outweighed that one disadvantage. You know, sometimes the TKO thing can make us too crazy, and I decided, in the scheme of things, that water spots weren't so bad.

I might also look at Silgranit sinks, as they have been praised so much by so many on this forum. If I were to do Silgranit, I'd go for the Anthracite color, which will hide everything, and won't get stained. There have been differing reports on whether the lighter colored Silgranit stains or not.

I'm not sure anyone can tell the difference between a (clean) Corian sink and an enameled cast iron (which are my favorite for looks and feel but I break things in) without getting really close.

It's just a sink. It has to be good to work in, not hard to clean, and durable. It should look good but nobody is going to come into your kitchen and say "your sink doesn't match", unless you have a few of the above posters visit, in which case they will probably be pleasantly surprised.

Frankoma - please don't hate me, as this forum is to express differing opinions, but the photo you linked to looks to me to explain why NOT to have a Corian sink with granite. In that photo, the granite looks elegant and expensive, the faucet and other fixtures are lovely, the backsplash is meticulously thought out. But then there's that plastic sink. I just think it ruins the look of that kitchen. The refinement and elegance of everything surrounding that sink is negated by the Corian IMHO.

I like AstridH's idea of fireclay. Teeski - give fireclay a look.

Fori, really you couldn't tell the difference? I could in a heart beat! First, one is shiny and the other dull plastic...it's a quick glance issue at best to tell the difference. Also the coloration is much richer on enamel verses corian and like products.

That said...I wouldn't have enamel because I use too many crystal glasses and good china. I seem to have an abusive tendancy with these items when washing I guess because I break them far too easily. That's why for me, metal rules :O)

And if this poster went into the kitchen with a granite and corian mix...she'd find something to compliment. I'm not a total beast. The poster asked our opinion. I often see things I dislike when visiting other kitchens (as do many TKO's) but believe me, no one would ever know. It's never hard to find a compliment if you look for one, and they go so much further than insults.

But if I'm touring your house for purchase....my agent will hear why I'm low balling, in blunt detail. And that would probably get back to folks...but that's the real estate market. Only the strong survive :oP (and they survive better if their homes are well appointed). If I go into a lovely home, with lovely fixtures, kitchen all complete appropriately, etc....I normally don't consider offering for it. I like to take advantage of great properties with design mistakes I can fix. Corian counters are always a quick drop in price when I tour a house.

Maybe I'm "of a certain age" as well heh heh akchicago

igloochic : I totally agree with you!: I would personally only go with a Blanco or Franke (just my opinion)

(I think the cheap cheap SS brands: like what is in apartments have to be the bad ones. I live in an apartment now: and my ss sink looks : not so good! I polished it: and waxed it and it looks better: yes it has sum rust: and I used grout & tile cleaner: worked! Not recommending that !!!!! lol!!!!! Lime and rust away: pretty much: it's stained a bit : more shine vs less shine: I waxed the sink: water rolls right off down the drain& sink surface looks better! LOL! I don't recommend that either: I did it because I wanted to: and it's an apartment!)

My father inlaw has ss from 1971: it looks ok (SS) but I couldn't tell you what brand. It's scratched up a little bit & probably stained: meaning parts are have more shine vs. less shine. No rust! 37 years old! (I would replace it if it were my choice, because I like the Blanco Platinum Axis 6s W/int. Drainboard Drop In - 511-738
Even though it's a the drop in: but I like the features: I like it! Blanco Platinum Axis 6S with integal drainboard on left drop in sink //Features ://Bowl Depths: 7" x 5 1/8" //Fits in 27" Cabinet Space //Cutout Size: 38 3/8" x 19 1/16"//L: 13 3/8" x W: 39 3/8" //304 Series 18 Gauge Stainless Steel//Comes complete w/ overflow connection, st. steel colander with safe grip handles, safety sliding cutting glass board, 3 1/2" pop-up waste for the main bowl & 3 1/2" basket strainer)

Also: about the Kohler sinks: cast iron: from 70's and 80's : my Dad was a customer home builder: he installed Kohler tubs, sinks, toliets and they looked brand new at all times. We had red, yellow, green, peach Kohler kitchen sinks: and red, black, green, peach vanity sinks: birthday bathtub: 2 of those: peach and red:
They looked brand new until we moved out: (we lived in three different custom homes growing up that my Dad built)
But: we were never allowed to have pots, pans, dishes or glasses ever sitting in the sinks. The sinks were always emptied. We were taught: use it, clean it, dry it and put it away: or put in dishwaser.

My aunt has a $200 white kohler drop in kit sink: won't mention the model: I feel bad about that: but it's true: looks terrible!//1 year old: looks TERRIBLE! Stained within 2 months. Don't understand: not a $1000 sink.

I personally like the SS: with SS appliances:

I hated my corian sink: stained within a month or two!
~Happy Holidays~

(My Grandma was a firm believer in cleaning with Vinigar: raw lemons, baking soda, rubbing alcohol and a little bit of Dawn soap.) Not so good for granite! Ok for SS!
To much acid and too much chemicals for natural stone!
LOL

*****I have heard 2 customers complain about their "granit" sinks: Lowes/HD brand: they hated them! they replaced them. They both said too hard to keep clean: but hey everyone is different!

Best choice is to get what you like, what you and DH can compromise on, and what you want to live with. You know what kind of care a Corian sink will require. Your DH doesn't like SS. At some point, most things will be more out of style than in style so you should get what you like, not what everyone else likes.
In my observation from participating and lurking on this forum, Corian is not a popular choice for counters or sinks on this forum (I remodeled a year ago so not too active on the forum any more).

I chose what I liked and could afford, and am very happy with my decision. I'm glad that I didn't end up getting only what was most popular on this forum. On the other hand, I learned a lot about all my options and this forum is what allowed me to feel good about the decisions I ended up making. Even when people don't share the same opinion as me, I find that I've learned more having had the opportunity to read so many perspectives.

teeski, to answer your original question I have seen a swanstone sink (which is just like corian) with a Cambria quartz contertop. My girl friend does not like stailess steel nor did she want granite. I think it looks fine and most of all SHE likes it and that's all that counts. If you like a corian sink go for it. Swantstone also makes a quartz product sink. I myself had stainless steel at work and would never have one. It was noisy and always looked dirty. But that is just MHO.

Both Franke\Kindred (same company) and Blanco manufacture a number of 20 guage sinks (along with 18 and I assume 16).

Steel manufacturing is a highly regulated industry. It my understanding that composotion of SAE rated 304 stainless used by Blanco will fall within the same composition parameters as the 304 used by Elkay or any other company that specifies that SAE grade. Finishing will vary from company to company but I have never noted a dramatic dfference in a brushed satin finish from company to company and certainly not enough to make me pay more the same basic material because Blanco is stamped on the sink somewhere.

Teeski, like your husband I really dislike stainless sinks -- I'm in love with my new fireclay farm sink -- have you considered vitreous/fireclay as another option?

The qualities that I like about my Corian sink are the way it feels and sounds - smooth, "soft" and quiet, and there's nothing about it that cries cheap to me. I think it's just about a perfect sink material (melle sacto, Dupont's website says boiling water is okay, but they recommend running cold water from the faucet at the same time. I've never had a problem draining pasta water, etc. by doing this). Mine is Glacier White, same I believe as that in the pic I linked to, which is the brightest white they make. It has never failed to scrub up like new in the two years I've had it, with a cursory scrub at that, and believe me I don't baby it.

I'll be the first to admit that many Corian installations can look dated, and if you want to use it the color and application should be carefully considered. But still it's a terrific surface material, and the OP is only considering a sink. I don't think a white (for example) Corian sink will be visually all that different from any other white sink; it will be matte rather than shiny and go "thunk" instead of "clink", but it's still a white sink like all the others.

Long story short, teeski, pick a color that compliments your granite, then look for it in the material that functions best for you.

Happy Holiday!

Of course I could tell the difference. Most people won't even look long enough to take note of the material, though.

teeski I agree with frankoma and everyone else who is in favor of the idea. In the long term I feel it best to make it disappear instead of stand out. In terms of color what will match your granite enough to give an overall effect you will like?
-David

So what did you decide? I am now in the same delema.