Your choice of benchtop is one of the most important decisions to make in building out a kitchen. But with so many options out there, it can be hard to nail down exactly what you want! We’re here to help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of one possible choice of benchtop material in particular – laminate.
Take a look on here with us to learn more about this material, and why you should consider installing a laminate benchtop in your brand-new kitchen!
WHAT IS A LAMINATE BENCHTOP?
Laminate refers to a manufacturing process. One where the manufacturer's choice of material is layered onto itself and bound together with a glue or another binding agent. This is a highly versatile way to create hardy materials that don’t cost the world to make.
When it comes to kitchen bench tops, the laminates you’ll find here are typically some core material that is encased in these layers. The laminate actually being the outer shell. This laminate shell is usually made up of approximately ten layers of paper that is impregnated with a resin and pressed together. Those ten layers are then finished with an outer material that gives us the look and feel we’re after.
THE ADVANTAGES OF A LAMINATE KITCHEN BENCHTOP
At Rod’s Kitchens, we love working with laminate materials for a whole host of reasons. Firstly, when it comes to building out a kitchen, the sheer versatility of laminate is hard to match. Laminate benchtops can be made to look whatever way makes the most sense to you in your kitchen. A broad range of tones, textures and finishes can all be achieved with an inexpensive top layer, making it easy to develop a look you’ll love for years to come.
Laminate benchtops are highly durable. We’ve seen laminates that were installed 50 years ago looking brilliant as ever. And you’d be hard pressed to find any evidence of impact related wear across a laminate surface. But perhaps the most important of all is the ease with which laminate materials can be installed and maintained. Both for us as installers, and for our customers seeking to keep their benchtop looking great for years to come.
THE DISADVANTAGES OF A LAMINATE KITCHEN BENCHTOP
All materials have their drawbacks – and while we love using laminate materials in kitchens of all shapes and sizes, there are some drawbacks you should be aware of.
The first is that laminate won’t tolerate heat the same way that you might expect stone benchtops to handle heat. A laminate kitchen benchtop can burn, blister or brown and show signs of wear if exposed to the hot underside of a pot or pan.
The second is that you have to be careful where the joins are around your sink. Laminates are typically made with a composite material inner that can swell if water finds a way in. This can cause your benchtop to de-laminate and cause other problems.
Finally, rolled edge laminates tend to need to finish in a squared end. This isn’t typically an issue with kitchen benchtops that adjoin a wall, but they can pose an issue for those looking for a uniform edge around an island benchtop or similar kitchen layout.
GET IN TOUCH WITH THE TEAM AT ROD’S KITCHENS
Economical, versatile, and durable enough to last for many years to come – laminates are a brilliant material for kitchens of all shapes and sizes. Of the 300 to 400 kitchens that we install each year, roughly 40% make the choice to go with a laminate benchtop – and we couldn’t be happier for it. As it’s always our goal at Rod’s Kitchens to give our customers the opportunity to build a kitchen they’ll love.
To find out more about what we can do for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch! You can reach out to the team at Rod’s Kitchens today by calling (07) 3094 8800 or filling out a contact form today!