Compare
Porcelain wall panels vs. solid surface
Touchstone™ is real fired porcelain, unlike solid surface, which is a molded acrylic-and-mineral composite. Solid surface is seamless and can be sanded to remove scratches, but it is a resin, not stone. Touchstone is harder, more heat- and scratch-resistant, with a genuine stone look. Both install cleanly, without wet trades.
Side by side
| Touchstone | Solid surface | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Real 6mm porcelain | Acrylic and mineral resin composite |
| Surface | Fired ceramic, hard and heat-resistant | Resin, softer and heat-sensitive but sandable |
| Look | Real stone-look porcelain | Solid color or molded faux-stone |
| Scratches | Resists scratching | Can scratch, but scratches sand out |
| Seams | Color-matched silicone at the joints | Nearly seamless |
| Install time | One day | One to two days |
Who makes it
Brands in this category include Corian, Swanstone, and HI-MACS.
Where Touchstone wins
- A real fired-porcelain surface, not resin
- Harder, more heat- and scratch-resistant
- A genuine stone look instead of a molded resin finish
The one tradeoff
The one thing solid surface does that Touchstone doesn't: it can be sanded to buff out a scratch. Worth knowing — though it's a resin that scratches in the first place, where porcelain doesn't.
Common questions
For most homeowners, on the surface: Touchstone is real fired ceramic, harder and more heat- and scratch-resistant, with a real stone look. Solid surface wins on seamlessness and on the ability to sand out damage.
Touchstone has a real fired-porcelain face. Solid surface is a molded acrylic-and-mineral resin. Touchstone is harder and looks like stone; solid surface is seamless and can be sanded and repaired.
Yes. Solid surface is a softer resin and scratches more easily, though the scratches can be sanded out. Touchstone is a hard fired ceramic that resists scratching in the first place.
Solid surface is usually a solid color or a molded faux-stone pattern in a resin body. Touchstone is porcelain carrying a stone pattern fired into a vitrified surface, which reads closer to natural stone. Solid surface's advantages are seamlessness and the ability to sand out damage.
The system
See the Touchstone porcelain wall panel system.
Real 6mm porcelain on a patented mechanical track. A full shower surround installs in a day, with no thinset, grout, or wet trades.