According to an extensive exercise I did for a market research on kitchentops about a year back, solid surfaces ranked #1 in popularity. Kitchen makers recommend it, and consumers even without being prompted by salespeople automatically fall in love with it. Solid surfaces are beautiful!
Here's another example of a solid surface (Credit: Countertop.com)
Before really shopping for a kitchen countertop to deck out my place, I had set my heart on HPL (high pressure laminates). Here’s why I Love HPLs. But once I laid my eyes on solid surfaces and their designs, all was forgotten!
Let me first lay it out for you why this material is so popular.
Pros:
- It’s gorgeous. The designs for solid surface possess ‘depth’ and a stone-like, ‘natural’ 3D effect that HPL can never imitate.
- There is such a wide variety of designs when it comes to solid surface.
- While solid surfaces aren’t as scratch resistant as HPL, scratches are not permanent and can be easily sanded out and polished over.
- It’s made to measure and easily customisable. Because of that, you won’t see seams between slates that you would get with a granite countertop. It’s simply more sleek.
- Because solid surfaces are… well, solid… it’s also a stain resistant material. No need to worry about wine stains, soysauce, mangosteen juices and the like.
- And if stubborn stains can’t get into solid surface easily, neither can bacteria. Solid surface is a very hygienic option as a countertop. Just knowing that gives me peace during food preparation.
- It’s harder than HPLs and can handle impact much better.
- It’s pretty much maintenance-free. Nothing a little soap and water can’t fix, and if we’re talking scratches then all it needs is a little sanding down.
Cons:
- It’s rather expensive on the price scale. Solid surfaces cost a lot more than HPLs, but less than marble.
- It’s vulnerable to heat. So when you’re cooking, make sure you never put a pan or pot fresh off the stove onto a solid surface without protection. Cheap cork coasters have to be easily available at hand, or you’ll risk discolouring that portion of the surface.
(Sidenote: I’ve been trying to find examples of discoloured solid surfaces from heat exposure, but somehow it looks like noone in the world has photographed it. Weird. If you have experienced this, please email me at jade[at]homeat8.com ok. Thanks! 
Thanks for reading! And yes, I ended up placing my order for solid surface as my kitchen countertop material of choice. I also got a granite sink. Can’t wait to see everything installed! *excited*
