What is laminate countertop

Enroll For A Military Discount! Postformed (or literally formed after being laminated to the substrate) high pressure laminate countertop , often referred to as plastic laminate countertop is a material made more of wood product than plastic. After years of being vilifie laminate countertops have surged back in popularity. At one time, laminates held a firm position as the manmade materials countertop of choice.

But this position was challenged with the introduction of solid surfaces such as Corian. Later, another competitor came along: quartz countertops. Granite countertops might be holding strong as the most popular countertop material, but it might not be an option for some budget-conscious homeowners.

Though laminate is attractive to those watching their budgets, durability should be considered. Countertop experts explain the good and bad about laminate countertops. Replace your old kitchen countertops with quartz, granite, solid surface, laminate and more. Countertops installed by the professional contractors at The Home Depot.

A laminate countertop installation is basically a grade-school cut-and-paste project writ large. You build the substrate, cut out the laminate , and paste the two together with contact cement. Plus, it can be shaped without any visible seams for a smooth surface look and feel. The most common is called “post-forme” which means that the top is formed from a single piece of laminate that’s shaped into a backsplash at the rear and a rounded edge in front.

What makes laminate a good choice for countertops ? It’s flexible and can be used in a variety of ways and in a variety of spaces: a kitchen, bath, work room or laundry room. The laminate installation includes seaming two pieces of laminate together, cutting laminate , attac. How to install new sheet laminate over an old countertop.

The substrate might be particle board or plywood. A typical kitchen with square feet of countertop area costs $210-$90 not including professional installation. Brown Kraft paper (the same as paper grocery bags) is used for the bottom layers. Scratches and burns account for the demise of most laminate countertops.

So: Don’t use your countertop as a cutting board. Avoid laying hot pots and pans directly on a laminate countertop. For an affordable and decorative countertop , plastic laminate is a perfect choice. Formica is one brand of many you can choose for laminate counters.

Laminates easily scratch, scuff, wear down, etc. The top layer is a protective melamine resin layer. All of these layers are sandwiched together to make a countertop surface that is light, cheap, and easy to work with while being aesthetically attractive.

Some home buyers turn up their noses at laminate kitchen counters but laminate has its advantages. Architectural Remnants On Sale! Major Buyout Molding Sale Now. Westinghouse company invented a laminate product with phenolic resins to serve as an industrial insulator.

The inventive engineers left Westinghouse to create the Formica Company and soon the laminated plastic was being used widely for radios and other electronic devices. Choose from a wide variety of styles, patterns and finishes and enjoy all the ways laminate makes life easier. Template, layout and fabricate laminate countertop with basic edge. Add sink and faucet cutout.

Install and secure countertop. Includes planning, equipment and material acquisition, area preparation and protection, setup and cleanup. It’s a made of a mix of plastic, paper and board. It’s often called Formica, a trademarked term that has become a generic word for laminate.

These countertops are available in a wide variety of colors, textures and patterns, ranging from options that look like marble to ones that mirror the appearance of stainless steel. We offer a variety of laminate , solid surface , and quartz countertops , as well as in-stock laminate countertops to match any style. Plastic laminate has an unfairly earned reputation as being ‘cheap. Yes, it is less expensive than most other materials available, but there is a place for everything, and for laminate, that place is in the kitchen, especially if you have a tight budget. However, only those with a matte or fine matte finish should be used for countertops.

Find our Lowest Possible Price! The chart below compares the main characteristics of the most popular countertop materials in the market today. Price: Each surface material ranges in price, some being more dramatic than others.

Read on to find out which countertops are the cheapest and which are the most expensive. The kitchen countertop is one of the most important components of the room. It needs to function as a cutting surface, storage area, and decorative element in the design of the room all at the same time.

Many different materials can be used for the countertop. Two of the more popular are laminate and granite. The general process for manufacturing laminate plastics is to add a resin to multiple paper layers which are subsequently bonded together into a hard surface. Read this article for advice on preparing the work area, sizing and laying laminates, and completing the countertop project. While laminate counters may be less popular than granite countertops these days, you’ll still find them in a lot of homes and apartments.

Many homeowners still opt for this countertop material because, as ConsumerReports notes, laminate is affordable and just as sturdy as many more expensive countertops. I explained all about the process of installing DIY laminate countertops HERE. With a Karran sink, you just lay the laminate sheet right over the top of the whole sink, then cut it out later. Trace the dimensions for the countertop onto the back of the laminate piece. Use the wall as one of the long straight edges of the laminate sheet rather than the front edge of the countertop.

The cost to install a 100-square-foot slate countertop averages between $7and $1800. Slate is a har nonporous material with a subdued finish. With an extensive selection of laminate countertop colors from all major manufacturers, the possibilities are endless.

Each color embellishes countertops with distinct patterns, movement and textures.