Laminate Countertops
 

Hi looking to install luxury laminate countertops in my rental. Seeking recommendation for supplier?
Thank you

Most people who replace countertops, go with granite or quartz. There is really no such thing as "luxury" laminate. Plastic is plastic. A company called Ultimate Granite is one of the largest and best companies. Personally, I would use quartz.

There was a similar thread in the past "Luxury vinyl flooring".

Ken: "I'll take Kitchen Decor for $600.

Alex: "Luxury Laminate Countertops"

Ken: "What is an oxymoron"

Go to a new jobsite/new open house. Developer is still selling laminate countertops. 6 months ago we saw them in a 700K new home. Determine who GC contracts with.

One red hot pan from the stove on laminate can ruin your day.
Been there, done that!

The Home Depot!! Excellent Service and the contractor is great. Can't beat the Home Depot Guarantee. They stand behind all of their work.

Granite or Quartz in the kitchen because of hot pots, laminate in the bathrooms, simple no hot pots.
Granite is double the cost of laminate and Quartz is Triple the cost of laminate.

Be very careful of laminate even in the bathrooms, I had about 1 cup of water leak out of a container on the countertop, unfortunately I had not noticed the "sealer" had a slight crack, and the water soaked into the MDF causing it to swell almost 1/8" raising the sink, about $2000 later, we had 3 new counter tops (2 in the master bath, 1 in the guest bath).

Just asking, not trying to draw ire from others, but doesn't granite generate radon, and also call for various chemical polishes and stain removers, etc. ? Seems the laminate we've had in many houses was easy to maintain with soap and water wipe. Just one opinion, but with the experience we've had in several homes, would definitely continue to chose vinyl, but to each their own !

Hummm ? Not sure why one would do that (just place a "red" hot pan on a counter of any type, but, have had the experience of inadvertently sitting a pan hot pan (popping corn the old fashioned way...LOL!) down suddenly on my vinyl counter, had no effect on it at all ! Maybe laminates come in different qualities ? We've rented condos at the beach that all seem to have the same, kind of off white counters, and have noticed all kinds of burns, marks, even what looks like cigarette burn marks on them. Never have had anything like that in laminates we've had ? Must have something to do with the quality/grade I guess ?

It is true that granite can emit a small amount of radon gas, but granite countertops have never been linked to any radon health issues. And, placing a hot pot on any countertop is not a good idea and can cause damage. Granite and quartz can crack from the heat. But, granite and quartz are more durable than laminate, and will increase the value of your house. I don't think that most people do any sealing or other regular maintenance on their granite countertops. Some laminate countertops are more attractive than others, but they are all made of plastic and have basically the same lack of durability. I would never replace countertops with laminate, if I could afford to use a stone material. My opinion.

Stay away from Laminate top are not used as a very good way to sell a home or buy one.

Laminate
 

Laminate has come quite a distance since we were kids. Go online to find the mfgrs and their installers locally. Armstrong has some impressive products to compete with quartz and granite.

Laminate countertops
 

You might want to invest in granite countertops if you’re renting. Laminate will burn if they put a hot pot on it or if they smoke & they do even though they say they don’t. Also knives cut through laminate if they slice anything without a plate underneath. Been there, done that. I don’t rent anymore.

Your Cabinet Source, Inc. Leesburg 352-728-3806 --high end laminate.

iMO granite is so ugly and so passé, I would rather have laminate. My first choice would be quartz, but the OP didn't ask what he should get, he asked about laminate. I got my solid white laminate counters at IKEA in Orlando. Got a handyman to install them. I love them because the laminate wraps around the edges. I've had them for 7 years with zero problems......

Had our house built in 2002, put in very good quality laminate. Twenty 1 years later still beautiful, no cuts, burns, things people said would happen. Still love the countertop we picked, still glad we went with laminate, bathrooms still look beautiful too. As far as when we sell, you can't chase what you think buyers will want. Every buyer is different. A buyer can always change things to their tastes. A friend put in a new walk in shower in the guest bathroom because everyone told them it would help sell their home. Guess what? Most said they wanted a tub for their visiting grandkids. Make yourself happy, don't chase supposed buyers for your home down the road, trends change every day.

To all the people dissing laminate I can tell you we've had many houses (some we built) that had it and never an issue. Some of it, from a distance it's hard to tell if it's laminate or stone. I'm sure accidents happen but we've never/ever had anything happen. Granite should be treated despite what some say. IF I were to replace our counter-tops and could afford it, I'd go with quartz. BUT OP.....go for the stuff you're thinking about. I've seen it in many homes here! For pricing of the laminate---I'd go to at least 3 places to compare before making a decision.

I would never buy a house without a tub.

Hey! Why all the countertop-shaming. Geez. Sounding a bit snotty this morning. Be nice.

First of all, the OP said “rental” — makes sense to me. Why spend a fortune on countertops for a rental. If later on the owner wants to change to granite or quartz or whatever comes along next, it would be a whole lot easier to demo a laminate top.

As far as granite goes, I have seen pictures of granites that could end up becoming deal-killers in a house-for-sale. One was an absolutely dizzying pattern that could disorient somebody first thing in the morning.

I — myself — chose a granite during the “Tuscan phase” of design so popular during the first part of this century. I thought it was gorgeous, even though if I dropped my vitamin, it would disappear into the swirls and twirls and I would have to feel for it. Those countertops definitely drove the room. We sold that house years ago, so I don’t know if my “statement” choice is still there. If we still lived in that house, I would want to get rid of that granite that I had been so sure I would love forever.

Anyway, OP, go forth and find that laminate. Makes sense in so many ways.

Boomer




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Formica has luxury edging which looks great:
Attention Required! | Cloudflare

What about CORIAN ? Before coming to The Villages I wanted CORIAN. The Contractor I spoke to convince me to get WilsonArt. It was a solid surface just like Corian except it was a little thinner.

Thanks for a non judgmental and interesting reply ! I "get it". We each have our own experiences and reasons for the things and materials we like most. I consider granite very monotonous, every model home I see it in seems pretty much the same. Maybe it's just me, but it seems to all be some variation of gray, or brown. Had such great experience with laminate, don't think I'd get anything else unless we finally had a negative experience (like the commenter who had the water go into crack and ruin the whole counter ! Had one home with a beautiful laminate, in a blue, and trimmed with actual OAK wood edges. It was stunning, but was not practical due to easy damage to the wood edges. After that, went for the "beveled" look edge, attractive and VERY durable... but sure loved the look of the real wood trim ! ! I think the day will come when people see a house with granite counters and think how out of date, like avocado or gold appliances once THE latest in kitchens., or that trendy new "shag" carpeting that was such a joy to try to CLEAN....LOL !

I'm flabbergasted by some of the responses to this thread. I built high-line custom homes for 10 years and still do some high-line commercial construction. I would never use a "laminate" in a counter-top, but decided to ask a few friends ... maybe I'm the crazy one?

I asked 10 people today, what they would think if they saw a "For Sale" or "For Lease" ad and the kitchen had "laminate" counter tops. Without exception, everyone had the exact same answer:

"I would skip over that one and look for something else. I would assume the home hasn't been updated since the 70's".

Ask a professional or just with what you like or what you can afford.

We had Wilsonart High Definition laminate counters installed in our kitchen ten years ago and it still looks great. Since we are seasonal, cost was a definite factor in our decision to go with the laminate. It has held up well and still looks new, just wipe it down with a sponge and water. Good luck.

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Homeowners should never expect to recover the full cost of any upgrade. If you recover 60 percent, you are doing well.