While Corian is a very tough substance and is resistant to heat, it is important (as with all countertop materials), to minimize direct heat exposure to protect your surface and investment and keep your worktop looking beautiful indefinitely.
Corian is not a flammable substance. In fact it’s key component, Alumina trihydrate, is used as a fire retardant. Corian will not burn – but at high extremes of temperature the resin used may discolour or even melt. Corian is thermo-formable – which gives designers the ability to mould it to almost anyshape, a very desirable characteristic for a substance that is to all intents and purposes synthetic stone. This does mean though that you should never expose it to temperatures over 100 degrees C. (really, you don’t want to expose any worktop to such temperatures, especially laminate or wood which have much less heat resistance).
It is inadvisable to ever place hot pots and pans directly on the worktop. A pan may in the course of cooking get very hot indeed, far exceeding the boiling point of water.
Always use heat trivets or hot pads when placing hot objects on any surface and use a trivet under portable heat generating appliances such as a toaster oven. Also allow cookware to cool before placing it into a Corian® sink.
If you are ordering a new or replacement worktop, you can get stainless steel pan-rests built in. These are a permanent and attractive feature of your worktop and can reside for instance on the worktop next to the hob. Expecially useful if you are liable to be harassed or forgetful when cooking!
But accidents do happen – and this is where Corian’s remarkable properties really come into its own.
For a start it is ‘solid surface’ – this is jargon really for it having the same colour and finish all the way through, meaning that discolorations from the application of excessive heat can be sanded away.
You can ask your Corian supplier to do it for you (that’s what I’d do!) or have a go your self. An enterprising DIYer would need: a light abrasive cleaner, a non-scratch pad, light sandpaper and an electric sander. Note, this technique only works on superficial scratches or marks, for more drastic measure see later in the article.
Firstly wash countertops in the area that has normal surface scratches. Use a light, abrasive cleanser and a non-scratch pad such as Scotch-Brite. Use light circular motions, and then rinse off with a damp cloth. Apply pressure only lightly.
Restore with a 400-grit sandpaper on a wet surface when the cleanser doesn't get all surface scratches with light pressure only.
Check the sanded area to make sure the edges of the area where you have sanded blend in with the rest of the counter top. Lightly sand the edges, if necessary.
If the discoloration remains, contact a Corian dealer or stonemason, who am sure will be able to help.
With drastic damage, with Corian you can replace sections. Corian has the great advantage that is is man-made, so has remarkable colour fidelity, and even many years on from the time of its manufacture a colour virtually identical can be matched for you. If a small part of the work-surface is a bit trashed, you don’t have to replace the entire worktop – just the area that is damaged. This really is a job for the professionals, I wouldn’t recommend it for the DIY expert. One reason is that the bonding glue used – industrial cyanoacrylate, is unavailable over the counter, and the industrial stuff has been shown to outlast even the Corian it is bonding. A professional also would have the knowledge and tools to ensure that the join was seamless – and you will not even realise that there had ever been damage to your worktop.
So, there you have it. Corian is a remarkable material that is many ways a perfect solution for your kitchen, and with a little care and easy maintenance can last a lifetime.
Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Alex Winwood
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