We spent a lot of time considering our countertop choices for Canada’s Greenest Home. It’s an area with many options, and many factors to weigh when trying to make an environmentally sound choice. Ideally, the countertop material must be durable, aesthetically pleasing, stable, renewable and/or recyclable and not off gas any chemicals into the home.
After much deliberation, we chose to go with a material called Paperstone. This type of countertop is made from 100% recycled paper fibers (complete with FSC certification), bound with a phenolic resin to create a solid, dense material that is certified food safe by NSF and resistant to high temperatures and abrasion/scratching.
One of the main attractions to Paperstone is its workability. It can be cut with typical woodworking tools, allowing us to do our own installation. We were able to shape the pieces we needed, make the sink cut-outs and bevel the edges of the material easily.
Paperstone came in a range of attractive colours, and can be finished with natural sealants and waxes.
The phenolic resin binder gave us some cause for concern. While the material does not contain any petro chemicals or off gas in the home, the resin ingredients are not environmentally benign. However, the company documents its handling practices very convincingly and has received numerous awards for its sustainability initiatives. We would like to see the company apply for Greenguard certification to ensure its claims of zero off gassing are confirmed by a trusted third party.
We obtained our Paperstone from Living Rooms in Kingston, Ontario, allowing us to work with a supplier we know and trust. This is always an important part of any product decision. The material comes in large slabs, and we bought a 5×12 foot slab from which we cut the pieces we needed.
After a lot of use (and abuse), we have been extremely pleased with the performance of the Paperstone. We gave it an initial waxing prior to use, and have not refinished it after 10 months. It is impervious to water, easy to clean, and very scratch and dent resistant. The dark charcoal colour we chose has a nice depth to it, and doesn’t show any signs of staining or wear. Areas around the sink, where many countertops begin to show signs of failure quite quickly, don’t seem vulnerable to deterioration at this point.
The countertop draws compliments from almost everybody who sees it. It looks and feels unique and attractive. While it is not inexpensive, the initial workability of the Paperstone allowed us to do the installation ourselves, saving money. And its apparent durability means that its an investment that will last a very long time. If you can afford it, we would recommend it as a good choice.
