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Replacing countertop with Corian (solid surface)

BruceMc
Explorer III
Explorer III
New years project: Replacing MDF (WasWood) countertop with Corian (aka Solid Surface) material, including a new sink. We needed more counter space and less sink, as the original round/deep sink was nice, we had very little counter space. After getting a couple bubbles in the was-wood, we decided to go to the effort to replace the countertop, the dinette table and bath counter with solid surface material:



Plan:



I'll post more as I complete the project, however, you can see the progress starting with image Gluing the counter top.
2016 Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLEC Chevrolet 6.0L
11 REPLIES 11

Planeteer
Explorer
Explorer
Very nice!
2021 Gulf Stream 197BH

BruceMc
Explorer III
Explorer III
Kitchen is finished!





Backsplash:



Detail around the window:




The bath vanity countertop is next. I'll soon have a 10x13 oval stainless sink, and will post pics once it's complete.
2016 Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLEC Chevrolet 6.0L

BruceMc
Explorer III
Explorer III
Thanks T18SkyGuy!

The story continues On Forest River Forums ...
2016 Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLEC Chevrolet 6.0L

T18skyguy
Explorer
Explorer
Beautiful work Bruce. Thats a nice winter project since it's raining all the time here. I'm in the valley too. Thanks for sharing.
Retired Anesthetist. LTP. Pilot with mechanic/inspection ratings. Between rigs right now.. Wife and daughter. Four cats which we must obey.

BruceMc
Explorer III
Explorer III
I finished the backsplash trim today:



Installed:



Corner detail:



Right side with metal tile held in place; this is the material I'll install beside/behind the stove tomorrow:

2016 Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLEC Chevrolet 6.0L

BruceMc
Explorer III
Explorer III
D.E.Bishop, thanks! I'm certainly not concerned of cracks, or I'd have found a different material. I've done formica counter tops, but had never liked the results. This gave me an opportunity to try a medium I'd never used before so I thought I'd try my hand at Corian.

Our main issue with the setup in our Sunseeker was the dismal lack of counter space due to the large sink: (sink removed in this image; I was resealing the area due to the water leak which caused the bubbles & spongy spots)

2016 Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLEC Chevrolet 6.0L

D_E_Bishop
Explorer
Explorer
I think you are doing a great job but I am sure for every 100,000 successful uses of 1/2" solid surface material there are two or three unsuccessful uses of anything you wish to consider at any thickness. Nice Job and don't worry about the naysayers.
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to go". R. L. Stevenson

David Bishop
2002 Winnebago Adventurer 32V
2009 GMC Canyon
Roadmaster 5000
BrakeBuddy Classic II

BruceMc
Explorer III
Explorer III
Thanks Ron!

Regarding the cracks, it probably depends on the size of the panel, how it is mounted and supported, and if there are any odd binding pressures. The material must be treated like glass - if there's a chip in the edge, a crack can run just like it does in glass.

The material I'm using is 1/2", or more correctly, 12mm. I added 1/4" shims to the tops of the cabinet to bring the top up to the same height as the original in order for the stove to fit w/o modifications.

As it's 1/2", I built up the edges to create 1" / 24mm around the perimeter using contrasting material:





We've never needed a large sink in our campers/motorhomes. I put a small pan or bowl in the bottom of the big round sink, fill it with a pint or so of hot water and soap. Then as I wash dishes, I rinse them with a small stream of hot from the faucet, which sometimes runs back into the pan/bowl. My wife takes the rinsed item & drys it, then puts it back where it belongs.

I guess this is due to my sailing days where I learned to conserve water, and the early camping days where we would consume only 5 to 10 gallons of potable water over a week for a family of five. We used local stream or lake water for dish washing and baths.
2016 Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLEC Chevrolet 6.0L

theoldwizard1
Explorer
Explorer
ron.dittmer wrote:
Our rig SEEN HERE has Corian counter tops as shown in some of the pictures, but the material is only a 1/2" thick.

1/2" is "standard" for Corian. They typically double up the front face to make it look thicker.

I have a friend who cracked her Corian TWICE ! They upgraded her to 3/4" which is considered "commercial".

ron_dittmer
Explorer
Explorer
Our rig SEEN HERE has Corian counter tops as shown in some of the pictures, but the material is only a 1/2" thick. We never had a problem with it, and nobody on the Phoenix forum has either....that I know of. Our stove top and sink are both surrounded by Corian. It has been a very good material.

Nice work there BruceMc, but I would surely miss having a bigger sink. I know, I know, it's all about trade-offs. 😉

theoldwizard1
Explorer
Explorer
All "man made" solid surfaces are quite durable, but they can crack from extreme heat or flexing of the substructure.