9 Powerful Reasons Why You Should Use Laminates for Countertops

Using laminates is one of the simplest ways to save cost if you want to remodel your kitchen. Do you want your kitchen be fitted with wood or stone countertops but can’t seem to afford it? It is incredibly expensive to remodel, however, plastic laminate that look like wood or stone is a good and cheaper alternative.

I hope the thought of countertops from plastic laminate doesn’t remind you of your grandma’s sullied kitchen countertop which is faded because of the sun and is peeling from all corners. In the previous 10 years they have come quite a long way, and they could just be the ideal remodel choice. Below are reasons why you should seriously consider them.

1. Laminates are half as expensive as granite

If you’ve ever received a quote for countertops made of granite, it’s likely that you were stunned by the price attached.

Whether you have a little kitchen or you select a cheap stone, you are likely to get a minimum quote of P100,000. Plastic laminate offers you similar quality at half the price.

2. Laminate counters have a high resistance to heat

It may come as a surprise to find out that contemporary plastic laminate countertops are resistant to extreme temperatures; so much that when tested against granite, Consumer Reports scored them both as ‘Excellent’.

 

3. LAMINATES HAVE MINIMAL EFFECT ON YOUR HOME’S RESALE VALUE

Most homeowners consider the effects of countertops on resale value. Honestly, I think this consideration is silly.

The choice of a specific design is a very personal one. Even though you go out of your way to buy a costly granite selection, your prospective buyer may dislike it, refuting whatever resale worth you considered when selecting your countertop.

If you intend to sale your home sometime soon, it is best you purchase a lasting pattern which you love and which won’t upset prospective buyers because it’s a bizarre shade of blue or cherry red.

Though laminate will not increase the value of your home, a good-looking pattern won’t do any harm either. So far as the kitchen is fresh and in a good state you won’t repel buyers.

4. They are hardly ever stained

The same aforementioned study from Consumer Reports tested them to check how they dealt with stains.

In addition to passing the test remarkably, they were given the highest possible score of ‘Excellent’, whereas the more costly kitchen worktop quartz ranked lower with ‘Very Good’.

5. You can install an undermount sink

It wasn’t so far back that the only option for laminate countertop sink was a ‘drop in’.

However, thanks to advancement in countertops and sinks you can now have a sink undermount.

I actually have some doubts concerning undermount sinks. Top of that list is that now there’s an uncovered edge coming in contact daily with water.

In my experience, I bet that mildew will form over time along the edge and ultimately remove the laminate. Perhaps I’m only an aged man left behind by civilization, and this installation is completely safe and without problems. Only time will tell.

6. Laminates eliminate germs

There are some brands of decorative laminates in the Philippines that have antibacterial protection fused into them.

This doesn’t say that you can allow raw chicken to remain on your countertop, but it helps to eliminate some hidden pathogens that can make us sick. Commercial kitchen homes as well as hospitals have relied on this technology for many years to help decrease cross contamination as well as the spread of microbes.

7. Its edges can be ogee or bullnose

In the 90s, the only choice of laminate countertop edges you had was that of a square. This was associated with a few challenges. First of all, it wasn’t interesting, and then there was a clear black line at every corner running down the counter.

Still, that wasn’t the worst of it. The edges provided the most vulnerable point of the installation since it was the most likely to allow water to sip in. And after a while wetness weakens the adhesive which binds the laminate and wood supporting board, and ultimately, it begins to lift.

Technology has gotten so advanced as to provide some alternatives regarding edge details, and a few of these possess no seams, thanks to the post-forming process, which actually casts the laminate to the wood support.

8. They are easier to maintain

One of the general concerns about natural rocks is that their proper maintenance is of great importance so as to keep them shiny and new. About once annually you need to use a topical sealer to seal them. Though it’s cheap, it can be somewhat of a bother being a chore your list to-do. If you leave them unsealed there’s a higher risk of having permanent stains in your kitchen.

There’s no sealing required with laminates. You just install it and don’t worry about it. Certainly you should not allow spills to remain on your countertop surface overnight, but if there’s an accident it will end up wiping right away.

9. They have much higher impact resistance than any rock

Rocks are known to chip or crack given certain conditions. Accidents are bound to happen, and they can’t take it when you drop heavy ceramic bowls or pots on them.

Laminate, however, can withstand a literal hammering. Whether you drop a cast iron skillet or your hubby decides to drop their tools on it, they would not flinch.