Comments on: COUNTERTOPS: First there was PaperStone, now there is EcoTop

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:46:29 +0000

We are rebuilding a new cottage – passive and green. We used Richlite in CA and thought it was a fine product. But we are concerned about the cost in the NE. We live in midcoast Maine now and were told that a paperstone product would be more expensive than granite to install here. Any comments re: cost compared to laminate, butcherblock, corian, granite, etc.?

By: Erik Bakkom

Erik Bakkom — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:55:52 +0000

Beware if you buy the black EcoTop material. It cannot be sanded and then refinished. We sanded ours last year and the installer showed us the correct process and how to refinish it. The finish now rubs off within a couple days (not weeks or months) and instead of a black countertop we have a dull blackish gray countertop. We are really unhappy with this product and the manufacturer does not reply to our correspondence at all. I guess they don’t care. Stay away from EcoTop, go with a more reliable company.

By: COUNTERTOPS: 12 materials to choose from…which are eco-friendly? | Absolute GM

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:48:44 +0000

[...] plastics include: Richlite, IceStone, Vetrazzo, EnviroGlas, Paperstone, Squak Mountain Stone and EcoTop. Eco-Friendly: Highly eco-friendly. Do look for low-VOC resin usage, and in the case of paper [...]

By: Reed Holmes

Reed Holmes — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:04:08 +0000

California shopper,
What did you attempt to clean it with? My experience is that it does show some signs of staining with a hard enough substance, but can be cleaned with bleach. Goof b gone will also work on anything, i had Sharpe marker all over my counter after my kids homework, and was difficult to wipe off with standard cleaners but couldn’t stand up to goof off. The biggest concept i really like is that it can be sanded to get rid of things such as beet juice and Sharpe marker, and will not change color like my old PaperStone. With sanding, there is no way it can be permanently stained. Love it

By: California Shopper

California Shopper — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:35:55 +0000

I got some EcoTop samples and worked on trying to stain them before I committed to using them for my kitchen counter. I succeeded in getting some stains using beet juice. They weren’t very noticeable on the darker colors, but they didn’t completely clean off of the lighter colors. I admit that I left the beet juice on them overnight, but still that could happen if I didn’t notice a stain right away. I originally wanted to use a lighter color, but now I have to decide if I want to use a dark color of EcoTop or something else.

By: Mrs. G.

Mrs. G. — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:32:33 +0000

Mr. McGovern,
Thank you for your comment. I am glad there are some negatives on this list, because I am always weary of companies that only list positive feedback. Now I know what could happen.

By: Mrs. G.

Mrs. G. — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:22:14 +0000

Wow, never knew Starbucks used it. Where is this product manufactured? This sounds good, but waht about stains? How s it sealed?

By: Jonie Psyerbylski

Jonie Psyerbylski — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:02:13 +0000

We put in Espesso Brown EcoTop last year after looking at every recycled product on the market. We love it! We had one of the other paper products before we liked it but it changed color in spots especially where the sun came in the window. We were happy to see that after a year we have seen no color change with EcoTop. This product wears very well & doesn’t scratch as easy. We would recommend this product to anyone.

By: Roman Scott- Tacoma, WA

Roman Scott- Tacoma, WA — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:53:23 +0000

The differences between these products are very significant. The Resins, the fiber sources, and the pigmentation process is what differentiates these products. Those all also happen to be very significant with regards to UV stability, toughness, and the LEED rating system. EcoTop is bullet proof with regards to stain resistance, UV exposure, and water absorption. It will also obtain more points toward any level of LEED project than any other counter top product as it meets more of the criteria.

The EcoTop product has the best durability rating comparing all three MSDS’s, as EcoTop is a bamboo/recycled paper fiber source with a VOC free 100% water based resin. Sure these products seem similar that they are in the paper based category, but the ideas that come with them can certainly be tracked with one individual. Joel Klippert introduced paper based products into the counter top category, created PaperStone shortly after, and eventually enabling himself to create EcoTop. Like any line that is created, the next product in the same category is obviously made to be better and can be backed by multiple third party certifications, MDSD’s, and its performance in the field.

By: Robert McGovern

Robert McGovern — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:36:50 +0000

I have fabricated and installed eight kitchens, three bathrooms, and a coffee house worth of Paperstone. Two of the installations are now exhibiting spontaneous delamination (one set of panels was beginning to split while still on the delivery pallet.) You can pull te material apart with your fingers, like a deck of cards. Both the customer service and the resin infusion QA have declined since Paneltech took over.

So hoping to move away from PStone, I spoke with Joel, obtained a set of Ecotop samples… and guess what? Some of the sample chips are showing the same incipient delamination that Paperstone exhibits. Watch out! I’m on the hook for over $30k in installed Paperstone; hate to see anyone get burned like that. I’ll be presing the Paneltech folks tomorrow, but without much expectation they will make things right.