Compare
Porcelain wall panels vs. solid surface
Touchstone™ is real fired porcelain, unlike solid surface brands such as Corian, Swanstone, and HI-MACS, which are molded acrylic-and-mineral composites. 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 |
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 brands like Corian, Swanstone, and HI-MACS are 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.
Corian and Swanstone are solid-surface brands: molded acrylic-and-mineral composites that are seamless and can be sanded to remove scratches. The Onyx Collection is a related but different product, a polyester-resin gelcoat closer to cultured marble. Touchstone is real fired porcelain, so it is harder and more heat- and scratch-resistant, with a genuine stone look instead of a molded resin finish.
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.