Is Laminate a Good Option For Kitchen Benchtops?

One of the most important decisions you will make in your upcoming build or renovation is the choice of kitchen benchtop. The kitchen is the place where families and friends come together, food is prepared and memories are made. As the centrepiece of the kitchen, the benchtop is the focal point that combines and completes the other facets of style and design. It is easy to understand why homeowners want this feature to be perfect.

However, with so many great options available, deciding the ideal benchtop for your particular space and requirements is often difficult. Weighing the pros and cons of the available material options will make the decision process easier and help avoid a costly mistake.

The following information will feature the advantages and disadvantages of a laminate benchtop.

History of Laminate benchtops

Laminate is a material you can see everywhere in your day-to-day activities. From public bathrooms and kitchen benchtops to office and restaurant tables, laminate is a highly functional material used in both commercial and residential fit-outs for decades. Laminate is an innovative material created by several layers of resin-filled paper being pushed together. Overlayed with a top layer that provides a stunning visual finish, laminate is a popular choice in Australian homes.

Invented in 1909, laminate’s initial function was to insulate sheeting for electrical circuit boards. Also commonly known as Laminex or Formica, the official definition of laminate is “a man-made decorative material that is applied to the surface of a substrate”, and the material is also technically known as “thermosetting high-pressure decorative plastic laminate”.
At the end of WW2, laminate was introduced for use in general public functions such as residential furniture. People were searching for cost-effective and affordable options for their benchtops, and laminate quickly became a popular choice.

The 1950s provided options for laminate benchtops that were functional but not enticing in design. They were plain yet practical. However, by the 1960s, laminate had made significant advancements and now offered a wide range of colours and styles, including marble-look designs, metallic threads, and timber and fabric effects.

While past eras avoided anything that seemed fake or mimicked a natural and coveted material, laminate benchtops introduced what was recognised as a design revolution that offered excellent and affordable options to complement residential and commercial spaces.

Laminate Benchtops: A Budget-Friendly Choice

Making significant design advancements over the years, laminate benchtops have become a highly sought-after option due to their affordability to the everyday person. Without compromising visual design or modern style, laminate benchtops are a cost-effective choice that provides the look of coveted materials such as stone and timber yet are available at a budget-friendly price point.

Laminate From Laminex

In 1934, Rob Sykes took laminate to the next level in his suburban workshed in Melbourne. Creating decorative laminates, Laminex as we know it today evolved into a broad and popular variety of colours and designs to suit any residential or commercial space. Recognised for its superb and reliable quality, the vast range of options from Laminex are globally inspired and include engineered stone, modern laminates, acrylic surfaces, timber panelling products and more.

Priding themselves in providing products for real life, Laminex offers hardworking surfaces that age well and provide excellent functionality in high-traffic spaces such as kitchens, laundries and bathrooms.
Visit Laminex for more information, expert advice and quality Laminex products for your upcoming build or renovation.

Laminate Benchtop Pros

There are many reasons why more and more people are choosing laminate benchtops for their personal builds and renovations. One well-known advantage of laminate benchtops is their versatility and ability to be designed to fit your individual style. When it comes to colour, patterns and designs, laminate provides an incredible amount of choice. Using an inexpensive top layer, laminate benchtops are available in an extensive range of textures and finishings that ensure you can create the ideal benchtop for your desired space.

Alongside their versatility, laminate benchtops are highly durable and require low maintenance. With exceptional heat and impact-resistant qualities, laminate benchtops can stay looking fresh and pristine for decades with little to no upkeep. Laminate benchtops deliver class and style to a space while providing reliable functionality, perfect for high-traffic areas such as the kitchen or bathroom benchtop in a busy family home.

Laminate benchtops are hard-wearing and have a nonporous surface, reducing bacteria, mildew and mould build-up. They are also safe enough to prepare food directly and require no specialist cleaners.

Offering an elegant and stylish benchtop at a fraction of the cost of a marble or stone benchtop, laminate benchtops also provide ease of installation due to the comparable reduction in weight to that of its stone competitors. This bonus advantage encourages many people to choose laminate as their benchtop preference.

Laminate Benchtop Cons

Though laminate benchtops have so many advantages, there will always be some disadvantages to be aware of. Though known for its low maintenance, this would be limited to average to high usage of the benchtop. However, a disadvantage of a laminate benchtop is that it can not tolerate heat the same way a stone benchtop can. Laminate benchtops can experience damage or even look burnt if extreme heat is applied, such as placing a hot cooking pot on it.

The need to be aware of the sealing around the edges of your laminate benchtop is essential. As laminate is a composite material, the benchtop will swell if water gets in and will cause the benchtop to de-laminate.

Finally, as laminate is made from artificial materials, it may not be the most environmentally friendly option for some families.

Laminate: A Great Solution For Your Kitchen Benchtops at MKN

If you are looking for an excellent solution for your new kitchen, you cannot go wrong with choosing laminate for your kitchen benchtop at Modern Kitchens Northside. At MKN, we love making beautiful kitchens for our clients, and our team of experts can show you how a laminate kitchen benchtop can assist in bringing your dream kitchen to life.

No matter what design and style of kitchen benchtop you desire, we will custom-make them for you onsite. Our wide range of colours and designs available at Modern Kitchens Northside will ensure that you choose the ideal laminate benchtop to suit your style, budget and functionality requirements.

An exquisite benchtop can completely transform a kitchen while providing a practical surface to work with. Offering notable advantages in versatility and affordability, it is no wonder that more Australians are choosing laminate for their kitchen benchtops.

If you crave the beauty of stone or timber finish benchtops but dislike their price tag, laminate could be the perfect choice for you. Stylish, beautiful and practical, laminate benchtops are an ideal solution for a cost-effective option that does not compromise on quality, modern design or style.

Call Modern Kitchens Northside today on 07 3889 9054 to book your free consultation with our team of experts.

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