Corian, wood, and marble are three different materials with significantly different compositions, strengths, durability, and costs associated with each of these materials.
*Corian is a manufactured material, made of acrylic polymers and bauxite. *Marble is a natural stone occurring in nature, made of carbonates. It is treated, shaped, and polished before installation in homes.
*Wood is naturally occurring, and every wood has different properties based on deriving from vivid plants.
In each home, temples differ, but the feeling remains the same, that of spirituality. A mandir or a puja room, a space designated for prayer, is an integral part of many Indian homes. Temples are like homes to gods and goddesses and thus should be well lit and clean. It also serves the purpose of helping the devotees concentrate and be peaceful while chanting the mantras, delving them into a state of meditation. When selecting a temple for their home, the prime factors to keep in mind are its durability, aesthetics, stain, and heat resistance, to name a few.
Here is our take on each of these factors and which material justifies according to use:
For designing temples or mandirs,
1. Aesthetics is based on one’s style, taste, and coordination with the existing elements in the space. Marble is a natural stone with its cold touch and finish, and the same goes for wood. While Corian is seamless, consistent, and comes in various finishes and textures. Corian gives multiple colour and texture options to choose from. However, one might like any of these three, depending on their preference. Thus, our verdict would be that each of the materials has its underlying beauty, and one might like any of them.
2. Seamless: Of Corian, marble, and wood, the only seamless material leaving no joints on any edges is Corian. It is thermoformable (I.e., it gets shaped on heating) and can get shaped in a plethora of designs. It is not made of small structures combined; instead, it is a homogenous material and a single unit. On the other side, wood and marble are not seamless because they get assembled by nailing or sticking different pieces together. Thus, Corian stands out in this feature of being seamless.
3. Manufacturing Time: To everyone’s surprise, the Corian temple can be made in a couple of days or even less. Whereas a below to average marble temple also needs weeks to manufacture. The same is the case with wooden temples. White surface promises to deliver Corian temples even in 2-3 days if one has an urgent requirement for the same. We understand the importance of Murat and Griha Pravesh for Hindus and so do commit to deliver at the last moment itself.
4. Porosity: Porosity is the quality or state of being porous (having minute spaces for letting liquids pass). Corian, on the other hand, is a non-porous material and doesn’t let fluids pass through it. Wood is quite porous; it swells up, absorbing liquids and cracks on drying up. Marble is not as porous as wood but is lightly porous and requires sealing by sealants at regular intervals. Thus, only Corian is non-porous and suitable to use with liquids.
5. Stain Resistant: Wood and marble get easily stained because of their porous natures and are tough to maintain. Corian, on the other hand, because of its acrylic polymers and bauxite composition, is easy to clean with a damp, soapy cloth. Marble needs to be sealed regularly to make it stain-resistant to a certain extent. Wood is very prone to get stained by water as well. Therefore, stains like that of raw turmeric, sandalwood, and vermillion commonly used in Indian temples are easier to clean with Corian than marble and wood. That also makes marble & wooden temple look dull for a long time.
6. Designing: designs in mandirs like domes, rounded pillars, and engravings are possible with all three materials. However, engraving wood and marble is an expensive and time-consuming affair. Also, minute details are not possible because of a lack of good artisanship during times. While making them, Corian is reasonably straightforward, and one can come up with endless designing ideas which might not even be possible in marble and wood. This is possible because of the malleable and thermoformable nature of Corian, which helps it be shaped in any design with no single joints.
7. Translucent: Corian is a see-through, i.e., it lets some amount of light pass through it. This causes the lighting of the temple to produce a warm, soothing ambience with mellow colours. Wood and marble are opaque and don’t let light pass through them, causing poor dispersion of light and not making the temple look well lit. One can also add different tones of colours in Corian temples with other coloured lights. The benefit of using Corian for backlit is that the design & lighting option can be done on a single sheet by engraving or chiselling the 6 or 12mm sheets.
8. Lighting: Embedded lights under the edges are very trending during the times. Backlit lights, warm lights from behind the idols, or any statement piece is also an ongoing fad that adds to the modernity of the space. Corian gives the freedom to play with lighting ideas and reflects the lights in a very dispersed manner because of being translucent. At the same time, marble and wood also give us the flexibility to create niches for placing lights. Though all three can have lighting fitted in them, Corian disperses light like none.
9. Reparability: when it comes to reparability, Corian is very easily repaired in case of stains, cracks, or dents. Cracks and stains can be sanded away as Corian is one homogenous material running through from its length and horizontal section. Grinding marble is very time-consuming; it requires repolishing and treating with sealants, and wood cannot be sanded at all. Cracks in Corian can be filled and repaired. At the same time, marble requires changing the whole surface, and broken wood/ply can only be temporarily fixed.
10. Heat resistance: Corian is resistant to heat up to 212-degree Fahrenheit. Marble is highly heat resistant, with temperatures ranging from 480 Fahrenheit and above. Wood is flammable; hardwood, like teak and mahogany, takes longer to catch fire because of its density and thickness. Thus, marble makes up to be the best heat-resistant material.
Our verdict by comparing the three materials through their pros and cons would be that White Surface Temples made of Solid Surface Corian is a new age modern material and stands out in designing options, easy Maintenance, reparability, aesthetics, and much more. Marble though heat resistant, is not easy to maintain plus limits the designing potential of temples. Wood stands unsuitable as it is easily stained, unrepairable, not termite and mould-free, and requires high maintenance.
