# corian doors



## jason frizzell (Jul 11, 2011)

hey all

has anyone made a corian door? if so any tips would be gratefully recieved. its for a plant on kitchen 

many thanks 
jason


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Corian isn't used (at least I haven't seen it done) because the stuff is so heavy and expensive. It's tricky to get fasteners to hold, and depending on the color and amount of light, fasteners can show a shadow in the material.












 







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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Can't help but wonder what a "plant on kitchen" is?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*me also*



Hammer1 said:


> Can't help but wonder what a "plant on kitchen" is?


there are plants as in manufacturing plants and then those that grow in soil. 
Plants on a kitchen? Maybe plants in a kitchen? :blink: bill


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## Ken Dolph (Jul 12, 2011)

*Corian Door*

I have made many cabinet doors of Corian. It is not a problem. As to man doors, they would be heavy but could be done. For information on working with Corian see http://sites.google.com/site/coriartinc.

I hope this helps
Ken


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Ken Dolph said:


> I have made many cabinet doors of Corian. It is not a problem. As to man doors, they would be heavy but could be done. For information on working with Corian see http://sites.google.com/coriartinc.
> 
> I hope this helps
> Ken


Your link says:
*Not Found*

*Error 404*










 







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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Try this link. 
http://sites.google.com/site/coriartinc/Home


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Corian is also very fragile. As a door I can see it easily being broken. 

I will be interested in seeing the original posters explanation of what he is trying to do.

George


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## jason frizzell (Jul 11, 2011)

hey ken

did you use 12mm matieral? as all doors drawer fronts need to be handleless so was considering making them up to 19mm but only a strip all round on the inside of door would this work?

many thanks
jason


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## Ken Dolph (Jul 12, 2011)

*Corian Doors*

Hammer1 

Thanks for fixing my typo.

GeorgeC

Actually, when it was still available, 3/4" Corian will stop a .357 Magnum from 15 ft. Though it is more brittle than wood, it was originally designed as industrial wear surface. It is tougher than most people think. It is used structurally in many projects, eliminating the need for a frame in things like tables and chairs or monumental artwork.


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## Ken Dolph (Jul 12, 2011)

*Corian Doors*

Jason

We must have been typing at the same time.

Yes that is exactly what we did. The drawers in this case would not have been a problem but they needed to match the doors. The doors had Blum hinges which require about 14mm depth. We used 3 hinges on the doors as they were large and weighed too much for Blum specs for two.

I think it was overkill on the hinges.

I hope this helps.


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## jason frizzell (Jul 11, 2011)

ken

i agree on the hinges i have used the squirell fixings before and can vouch for there strengh. did you just leave the inside of doors with recess? not worried about drawer fronts or appliance doors, i have a very fussy customer

jason


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## Ken Dolph (Jul 12, 2011)

*Corian Doors*

Jason

We left the recess. They appeared much like a panel door (with rails and styles) would on the inside. 

You do not need to bother with squirells. Just drill your pilot holes 1/32" smaller than the *Full* diameter of a sheet metal screw. If you think you need more strength or if the screw is going to be removed often then use Heli-Coils and machine screws. I know that the brass T-nut in the squirell is not stronger than Corian and a Heli-Coil. And it is a lot easier to install.


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## Ken Dolph (Jul 12, 2011)

*Corian Doors*

Jason

You can go here to see the kitchen

http://www.edge-media.com/greene/html/greene_house_virtual_tour06.html


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Ken Dolph said:


> Jason
> 
> We left the recess. They appeared much like a panel door (with rails and styles) would on the inside.
> 
> You do not need to bother with squirells. Just drill your pilot holes 1/32" smaller than the *Full* diameter of a sheet metal screw. If you think you need more strength or if the screw is going to be removed often then use Heli-Coils and machine screws. I know that the brass T-nut in the squirell is not stronger than Corian and a Heli-Coil. And it is a lot easier to install.


An average upper cabinet door (15"x30") would weigh approximately 28 lbs. Using integrated hardware, like heli-coils, or brass inserts would likely show in some instances. 

I would suggest if a Corian door is needed, to use 1/2" plywood and laminate the backside with white HPL (Formica). Clad the edges and front with 1/4" Corian. The cost and weight would be considerably less. 












 







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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Shades of the 70's. Used to do a few laminate kitchens in those days. Everything old is new again with a few minor changes.


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## Ken Dolph (Jul 12, 2011)

*Corian Doors*

Cabinetman

Corian weighs about 4.5lbs.sqft. the doors you mentioned would weigh about 14 lbs. Though the 1/4" trim would add some. If you look at the doors in the kitchen on the link they were much larger. The Blum hinges were the deepest hardware and they did not show.

Even if the wood part of your suggestion was stabilized, the Corian would expand and contract and expand with temperature. There would be some cupping from time to time. Those doors over the stove could eventually fail. We saw this in early use of Corian as a laminate over MDF for motor-home counters. About 1999 the manufacturers went to unsupported 1/2" as the standard and the failures ceased. 

As to the cost, 1/4" Corian is almost as expensive as 1/2". The time and trouble to clad plywood would make this a more expensive proposition. 

i hope this helps
Ken


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Ken Dolph said:


> Cabinetman
> 
> Corian weighs about 4.5lbs.sqft. the doors you mentioned would weigh about 14 lbs.
> 
> ...


Corian does weigh 4.5 lbs/sq ft *for 1/2" material*. For 3/4" material, it's .062 lbs/sq inch. IMO 1/2" Corian would be impractical for doors. It's expansion and contraction parameters are greater than for 1/4".

I hope this helps.












 







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## Ken Dolph (Jul 12, 2011)

The doors we did were 1/2" with an extra 1/4" strip 2" wide to make a 3/4" reveal and to make it thick enough for the Blum hinge barrels. We did not use Heli-Coils though they would have been invisible. 

See:Greene House Virtual Tour06 The doors have been in for about 2 years when the picture was taken. This is a working kitchen of a professional chef. That is why we made them the plywood originals did not hold up. The customer installed them. She did an amazing job of measuring the doors. We are about 600 miles from the installation so she did everything.

The weight of the plywood would be about 4.5 lb. 1/4" Corian - 7 lb. Laminate 0.5 lb Total 11 lb. Savings 3 lb. Actual density depends on the pattern of the Corian. So it may be less. For the 15" by 30" door.

Coefficient of thermal expansion is identical for the same pattern regardless of thickness. It is a physical property of the polymer. It is .00036"/1"/20 degrees F. (normal range for living space). That is .0108" over the 30" door. Or about the same as average wood over normal humidity changes. So you can double the effect on changes from a warm dry atmosphere to a cool damp one. This is why DuPont does not allow Corian to be firmly laminated to any dissimilar structural material.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

cabinetman said:


> Corian does weigh 4.5 lbs/sq ft *for 1/2" material*. For 3/4" material, it's .062 lbs/sq inch.


OOPS...I made a mistake. Correction. For 3/4" material it weighs .045 lbs/sq inch. A 15"x30" door would weigh 20.25 lbs.












 







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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Ken Dolph said:


> Coefficient of thermal expansion is identical for the same pattern regardless of thickness. It is a physical property of the polymer. It is .00036"/1"/20 degrees F. (normal range for living space). That is .0108" over the 30" door. Or about the same as average wood over normal humidity changes. So you can double the effect on changes from a warm dry atmosphere to a cool damp one. This is why DuPont does not allow Corian to be firmly laminated to any dissimilar structural material.


I have my doubts about humidity swings for an interior kitchen that would affect either Corian, or any other substrate. I've never had a movement problem with the securing of Corian, like a countertop to the top frames of base cabinets, and even around a cooktop or over a stove (even with the foil tape). Or, in using it for a full backsplash in those same type of areas with heat swings from ambient temps to cooking situations. 

I've laminated it (as an endsplash) to plywood as a siding to oven cabinets where they butt to a countertop. No problems doing that. Some of those installations have been in use since the 70's.












 







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## Ken Dolph (Jul 12, 2011)

*Corian Doors*

Corian mounted with silicone over open frames is a proper installation. There is enough flex in 20 feet of cabinetry to absorb the .1" expansion of the counters.

Corian is not effected by humidity. The plywood is. If the wood expands (moist, humid) and the Corian contracts (cool), simultaneously, the door will cup in. If the wood contracts (dry) and the Corian expands (warm), simultaneously, the door will cup out. Hot and moist or cool and dry is fine since both materials (wood and Corian) move about the same amount.

The Corian counter is not over the stove. Corian doors may be. When two dissimilar structural materials are bonded together the total unit will bend because of the forces acting in opposite directions. 1/4" does not hold up to this abuse as your 1/2" + wood sides splashes would. And the forces are multiplied by the length and width of the door as opposed to a 24"x5" side splash. 

Again this is a failure documented by DuPont. We have been repairing cracks in Corian tops for more than 16 years. The worst are in substrate installed 1/4" Corian but they even happen in 1/2" Corian laminated to a substrate. In proper installations we seldom see cracks unless someone sets down an extremely hot item or defective appliance.


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