Why Choose a laminate Counter top?

Everyone has had a laminate or formica counter top. We've never worried about it, never thought about it, and cleaned it with what ever was under the sink. You could make a sandwich on it, place cookies on it... my grandmother even rolled out dough on it. Laminate is in practically every restaurant, school, hospital, doctors office, etc... Pretty much everywhere.

It is board of health approved, and if made right would last over 20 years!
What would your dinning room table look like if you treated it like your laminate counter? Would it last 20 years?

And for 30 years or more. People have been trying to up grade to some new and greater product. Which all cost at least twice as much.

SOLID SURFACE

Seamless and looks wonderful... until it gets scratched. This can happen pretty often, and a professional has to come in to polish out the scratches (for almost the cost of a new laminate top, may we add).

If you damage it you can repair it?

Only if you have a piece from the original slab or saved the sink cut out. It is extermely hard to color match.

Here's the biggie; you have to use trivets for anything that emits heat. Crock pot, fry pan, coffee maker, toaster oven, waffle iron, George Foreman, you name it. Those items and more can go right on your laminate counter without you having to worry about a thing.

GRANITE

Realators tell you your house won’t sell if you don’t have granite.
Tell me, which house did you buy because of the counter tops?
There is no guarantee for granite because its natural; mother nature guarantees it.
Sure it looks great, but you have to seal it twice a year, per consumer reports. Also, it can crack at anytime; when your house shifts and you get that crack in the ceiling, chances are your granite could crack too.

How do I fix my cracked GRANITE TOP? You can’t, because every piece is different.

Its cold to the touch, and sucks the heat right out of your body like floor tile. You have to be very careful with cleaning products; certain products could damage the sealer.

You can put hot pots on it, but it depends how hot. Stove-temperature pots could shock it and crack it. Laminate is postformed at 350 degrees. Which is the average cooking tempture.

Your under mount sinks is attatched to the bottom of the counter with silicone and they can’t even cut the hole right, prducing a lip all the way around my sink that I know have to try and clean. How would you like that in your bathroom?

When I buy a house, the bank wants a radon test done in the basement. That granite counter came from the earth and could have radon in it. What are you going to do when the time comes to replace your cabinets? Save the counters and through the cabinets away? Seems a little backwards.

Finally, granite is not board of health approved in any state for food preparation. Restaurants, schools, hospitals, doctors offices, etc. use laminate tops. Granite is not proper for food preparation in any liscenced establishment, so why would you use it in your kitchen?

SOAPSTONE

Soapstone come from the layer of earth just above asbestos...
We're not even going there.

CONCLUSION

As you can see, other countertops have very many variables that you need to be concerned about. Laminate countertops are simple and worry-free, and have more variety than other forms of countertops.

For years people have tried to replace laminate counter tops with better product. All I have seen in my 15+ years of making 
counter tops is new products being very expensive with little to no benefit over laminate.  Most likely, you have had a laminate counter top and never had to worry about it. After 10 to 20+ years, you're ready for change, maybe a new counter top. With laminate you can 
probably replace your top and still have enough left over for a nice week vacation. I like that idea. Besides, after a couple of 
months do you even know what your counter top is made of? Just like a new car the thrill fades fast, so why not stick with what’s 
proven and works.