Replies

1. 
   USAnigel | Sep 04, 2006 06:05am | #1

   Why not refinish the corian? Its not that hard to do. I would liquid nails 1/4" backet to the tops before the tile if you must cover the corian.

1. 
   user-106154 | Sep 04, 2006 06:10am | #3

   The corian is cracked at the corners and it looks ugly!  I guess the guy who installed it years ago didn't fit it right.  Why the airspace between the corian and the new tile?

   Jim

1. 
   BillBrennen | Sep 04, 2006 09:56pm | #6

   Jim,The cracks in the Corian could doom any tiles directly set to the Corian. Solid surface moves too much for large format tiles. I think you risk either cracking or popping off when the Corian moves.Bill

1. 
   user-106154 | Sep 05, 2006 11:37pm | #9

   Thanks for the help.  The majority of the replies said to remove the corian or at least put backer over it.  What do you think about installing 1/4" backer over the corian with construction adhesive instead of thinset.  Construction adhesive is pretty stick stuff.

    

   Jim

1. 
   BillBrennen | Sep 06, 2006 07:14am | #11

   jim,What you propose might work. I just don't know. I agree with the others who recommend either repairing the Corian that is there, or tear it off and build a substrate of proven stability. Redoing it is so easy, why gamble with unknown issues?Bill

2. 
   USAnigel | Sep 05, 2006 04:37am | #7

   Airspace? i meant hardi backer to install the tiles on. Corian do make a repair kit for cracks and a good guy could fix it for you. But if its just whit I can understand why the change.

2. 
   calvin | Sep 04, 2006 06:07am | #2

   I did a tile inlay with white modified thinset.  Sticky stuff.  Worked well.

   As for a whole top?  Beats me, but I guess it would work.

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   Quittin' Time

    

3. 
   davidmeiland | Sep 04, 2006 08:19am | #4

   You should call the manufacturer of the thinset you want to use and see if they will approve thinsetting to Corian. My guess is that they will not, and that you should remove the Corian, install new plywood subtops if needed, install cement backer board, and then your tile.

4. 
   VaTom | Sep 04, 2006 09:30pm | #5

   Corian's not very porous.  Maybe start with a 2 part primer.  Ardex P 82 is amazing stuff.  Available from serious stone/tile shops for "non-porous substrates".  Works with thinset very nicely.

   PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

5. 
   DougU | Sep 05, 2006 05:44am | #8

   Jim

   It cant take you all that much time and money to remove the corian and replace with ply/backerboard and then you'll have no concerns about what may or may not happen down the road.

   Doug

6. 
   Frankie | Sep 06, 2006 01:47am | #10

   Why are you making so much work for yourself - and only to get an installation with grout lines (think scum build-up, stainind and clean-up) and tiles whose edges (sink) will need to be polished or otherwise addressed?

   Instead, using an orbital sander, refinish the existing countertop. As for the cracks in the corners - get a few joining kits from Corian for the color countertop you have. They have a very short pot life, but if you have your ducks in a row, you can fill in the crack so that they are "good enough."

   Much less work than installing CBU and tiles.

   Frankie

   Experiment with the placing of the ingredients on the plate. Try the mozzarella on the left, the tomato in the middle, the avocado on the right. Have fun. Then decide it goes tomato, mozzarella, avocado. Anything else looks stupid.

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1. 
   user-106154 | Sep 07, 2006 09:13pm | #12

   Thanks, Frankie, sounds like a quick fix for the short run.  Then I can decide what to do later.

    

   Jim