"Engineered Stone" is a Great Alternative to Genuine Stone Countertops

There was a day when kitchen designers and homeowners didn't obsess about countertops.

The divide was a pretty simple one. The wealthy had marble or some other high-end stone, while the rest of the world settled for Formica, that long trusted but easily damaged colored or patterned veneer.

Chances are it's what is on your kitchen counters right now, even if it has seen a marked improvement from the 1970s palate of sickly yellow and avocado green. Nowadays, the tried and true counter surface is available in a variety of stone patterns that, at first glance, can mimic the high-end surfaces.

But, as with most decorating trends, mimicry is no longer enough for the modern-day homeowner. Looking like stone isn't sufficient, and because more people of more modest means are aspiring to the things of the moneyed classes, kitchen designers are throwing into their plans counter surfaces like concrete, granite and real marble.

At the same time, people have realized that those surfaces are not only expensive, but require more maintenance than they might like. As the real and "poured stone" (concrete) surfaces have increased in popularity, so too have the "engineered stone" surfaces that offer all the benefits of genuine stone, but also feature the ability to incorporate custom colors and patterns into the mix.

The most famous of these surfaces is Corian, originally introduced by DuPont as a long-lasting, custom option to real stone. It's a blend of natural elements and pure acrylic polymer that results in a super-hard surface that's resistant to heat, chips, scratches and stains. Scratches that do occur can be removed using mild abrasive cleaners or - for deeper nicks - a light sandpaper. The non-porous surface keeps liquids from penetrating, making spills easy to wipe up and preventing the growth of bacteria.

When it was introduced more than 30 years ago, Corian was immediately considered the gold standard for counter surfaces, and for good reason. The almost limitless range of custom options, the material's versatility and its ability to be combined effectively (and beautifully) with other materials made it a natural choice for new and remodeled kitchens.

Since then, other companies have sprung up to manufacture similar materials. Meganite, a company that has been making engineered surfaces almost as long as DuPont, offers a material with all the same features and benefits of Corian, but at a lower price.

Regardless of which company manufactures your engineered counter surface, it's a great, low maintenance way to go when moving beyond Formica. Sure, you'll be paying more, and no, you won't have the "home show" cache of being able to say you have granite (the hip surface of the moment), but you will be able to get years of enjoyment out of beautiful, custom counters.