Q. Can I put a hot pot on my Corian®?
A. It is not recommended. When excessive heat (300°) and pressure (weight) are applied to the surface you may get a 'blush' mark.

Q. What if I do damage my Corian® countertop?
A. Corian® is repairable. Cracked or heat damaged sections can be removed and a new color matched piece seamed in it's place. Each customer receives a piece of color matched material to use in this event.

Q. Can I use my Corian® countertop as a cutting board?
A. It is not recommended. Although minor scratches can easily be removed, regular cutting on your countertop will necessitate more maintenance by the homeowner. Each customer gets a cutting board made from sink cutout material.

Q. Will anything stain my Corian® countertop?
A. No. Corian® is non-pours so nothing permanently stains it. Some items may leave a residue on Corian® that looks like a stain but those are easily removed. Customers receive a Care & Maintenance Kit and Video to show them how to clean their countertop.

Q. Is there any special care for Corian®?
A. Unlike granite, marble or tile there is no annual sealing recommended. Because Corian® is non-porous there is no reason to seal.

Q. What does the warranty cover?
A. Du Pont's 10-Year Warranty covers any failure of a Corian® countertop. This includes material failures or those that may be a result of fabrication or instillation error. It does not include customer abuse (i.e. hitting a countertop with a blunt heavy object)

Q. What is the difference between Corian® and the other brands?
A. Corian® was invented thirty-five years ago. No product has been on the market and tested as long. Corian® has a secret acrylic formula that is entirely unique. The majority of competitive brands are made from polyester resins. Acrylic is superior to polyester in the following ways:

• Greater impact resistance
• Harder and yet less brittle
• U/V stable, won't fade
• Stronger seams (Chemical bond Vs. Mechanical bond)

Other acrylic manufacturers have limited color selections, and inferior acrylic blend and yet are priced similarly. Their inferior acrylic blends are vulnerable to discoloration from common household cleaners (use recommended against in their literature).

Q. Isn't this new solid surface veneer the same thing as Corian® but cheaper?
A. By definition any true solid surface is in a superior product category vs any veneer. This is evidenced by the fact that veneer manufactures continue to produce a 1/2" solid surface and promote it as the "pinnacle" of countertops surfacing.

Corian®, in particular, has a superior acrylic formula that unlike veneer won't be discolored by ordinary household cleaners (Clorox, 409, Fantastik). And Corian® won't delaminate under any circumstances since it is not applied to a full substrate. Because it is solid acrylic and not overlaid to particleboard, Corian® is 'waterproof' not just water-resistant. Whereas water that can easily get behind backsplashes and other areas will damage the particleboard support for a veneer, Corian® will be unharmed.

Q. What kind of impact can the quartz surface withstand?
A. Being the fourth hardest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale, you would have to strike it very hard with a blunt instrument. Note: nothing is indestructible.

Q. What is the heat resistance threshold
A. You can put a hot pot directly onto the surface, however, it is recommended that you use a trivet.

Q. How are "out-of-square-walls" handled when installing Zodiaq®?
A. A template is made for each job, each top is made exactly to what the builder has built, to eliminate gaps.

Q. What if there are outlets where the back splash goes?
A. Outlets can be cut through the Zodiaq® splash, which is 3/4" thick, the electrician may want to move them above the splash.

Q. How is the overhang for bar tops supported?
A. Several flat steel supports are screwed into the pony wall and are painted white or black. The customer may ask to have cabinet-matching corbels used as an option from their builder.

Q. What if the short wall is not level for the bar top to sit on?
A. The short wall is always out of level. Shims are used to level the bar top and the trim carpenter trims below the bare with molding.

Q. What if the Zodiaq® counter top gets scratched?
A. Because Zodiaq® is very hard this is a rare occurrence. Some scratches can be buffed out by the homeowner. Deep scratches require sanding with diamond-grit sanders by a professional.

Q. Can you cut directly on the counter top?
A. You can, but you will dull your knife. It is recommended that you use a cutting board, especially when using a serrated knife.

Q. What can damage it?
A. Heavy objects and hard blows with something like a hammer, steel pipe, etc.

Q. Can anything stain it?
A. Zodiaq® is non-porous, nothing will stain it.

Q. What is Zodiaq®?
A. It's a new category of surfacing materials and a new brand from DuPont.

Q. Okay, so what is it?
A. 93% natural quartz crystals, impregnated with sealer and blended with color pigments to create a stone surface that is non-porous, stain resistant and is color consistent, backed by a 10-year warranty.

Q. How is it different than Corian®?
A. It has the look and feel of natural stone, similar to granite. A Zodiaq® top has discreet visible seams, is hard and cool to the touch, and use drop-in or under-mount sinks. Whereas Corian® has "indistinguishable" seams, is soft and warm to the touch and the famous integral sinks are used.

Q. How does it compare to granite?
A. Zodiaq® doesn't compare to granite. DuPont took the love a natural aesthetics and went a few steps further. Zodiaq® is much stronger than granite, it is comprised of 93% quartz and granite is only approximately 40-50%. Quartz is the fourth hardest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale. (1. Diamond 2. Topaz 3. Sapphire 4. Quartz) With the mixture of a sealer blended throughout the material, Zodiaq® never needs sealing, it comes non-porous and stain resistant. And the 10-year warranty is a wonderful bonus.

Q. What is the process for selecting the color?
A. There are sample boxes and wall hung displays for selecting colors right in your own design center. Because the color is consistent, there is no need to make a trip to the stone yard.

Q. What about angles and L-shaped counter tops, are there seams? What do the look like?
A. Zodiaq® tops do have surface seams. They are color matched using DuPont pigments to blend with the background color of the Zodiaq® top to be "discreet".

Q. Zodiaq® is generally more expensive than granite, why is that?
A. Because it is an improved product. The customer is purchasing "peace-of-mind". Low maintenance, a brand name product with a warranty! DuPont, DuPont, DuPont!!

Q. Who is buying DuPont Zodiaq®?
A. The educated home buyer. We are entering a generation of buyers that have already had Corian and want something different, unique. Zodiaq® offers design flexibility, color and pattern versatility and gives the customer the satisfaction of showing off a beautiful, easy-care and functional kitchen surface.

Q. Is there a warranty?
A. 10-year installed warranty, backed by the DuPont Enterprise that you have come to know and trust with Corian® over the last 37+ years.

Q. What kind of care kit comes with the Zodiaq® counter tops?
A. An easy to follow care and maintenance tips, a plastic putty knife (for gum or such), a chamois cloth (for wiping down) and a small bottle of Greased Lightning (for "gunk" clean-up)