Wilsonart®

Countertops can be made from lots of materials, but if you want the best selection of colors and patterns, and the lowest price, laminate is your choice. There are hundreds of laminate colors and patterns.  With laminates’ low cost and always-up-to-date patterns and colors, changing your countertop to be right in style with today’s trends is a piece of cake. Selling your house and want to make your kitchen sparkle for potential buyers? A new laminate countertop may have a much greater impact on sale price than a coat of paint.

Laminate and food preparation
Countertops come into direct contact with foods. The less porous the countertop, the less likelihood that bacteria will be trapped in the surface. Laminate performs well here, as the surface is non-porous. Solid surfaces and engineered stone countertops are non-porous as well. Natural stone and concrete need to be resealed every six months. Laminate is easy to clean, and spills like wine and spaghetti sauce come off will little effect

Wear and tear
Countertops are meant to be used, so expect normal wear and tear with your laminate countertop. Heat will cause the most damage. Put a hot pot on laminate, and you might leave a scorch mark. A good rule of thumb with any countertop is that if a pot is too hot to handle, don’t set it down on a countertop; use a trivet. Heat won’t hurt a granite countertop, but acid will. Leave a lemon slice on a granite countertop or spill a little vinegar, and the granite top will need to be resealed to make it safe against bacteria. Not so with laminate.

Laminate is a strong material, but it won’t resist a determined attempt to cut it with a knife. Knife cuts can go through the color layer exposing the brown underlayment. These cuts cannot be repaired, so be careful and use cutting boards. Solid surfacing can be repaired, but only by a professional. Laminate is not bullet-proof, but it can take a beating. Like tile, granite and engineered stone, if you chip it, you may not be able to repair it completely. But it’s a lot less expensive to replace, if the damage is severe!

Edges

Click here to see the available edge types for this laminate surface.

The price tag

• Low initial cost.
• Easy and inexpensive to replace.

Ninety Percent of laminates are roughly priced the same. High texture and high gloss usually cost more, but aren’t recommended. To find out what your laminate countertop investment will be, please contact us