Formica Counters
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Formica Counters
My wife and I are building a new house, and the kitchen is pretty large. There is at least 100 sq ft of counter space which is going to be very expensive. We were going to go with granite, but since we're on a fairly tight budget we also have been looking at the new and improved laminates countertops, mainly from Wilsonart. I was wondering if any of you have used them, or have heard any pros/cons.
TIA!
http://samples.wilsonart.com/c-86-passage.aspx
TIA!
http://samples.wilsonart.com/c-86-passage.aspx
#3
They're okay. I use to build these not too long ago while I was between jobs. Stay away from any of the 'high-gloss' ones though. They show scratches and scuff marks a lot.
#4
Senior Moderator
iTrader: (5)
Originally Posted by Scrib
What's the per sq. ft cost on this stuff?
I was just coming in to ask that. My feeling is that granite is probably not much more per square foot, and when you put that into a 30-year mortgage, the difference is incredibly negligible, however, the advantage of having granite (especially for resale) is tremendous...
#5
Not Asian
We have the Wilsonart Granite finish stuff. It looks okay. However, we have squared edges, which is the noticeable part compared to granite. They wanted to charge us $5500 to upgrade to granite. We figured it would probably cost no more than $3000 to have it done. We have a tiny kitchen.
#6
Instructor
Thread Starter
Thanks for the feedback guys. I don't know what it is per square foot yet. We are going to the store today to take a look around. I'll report back what I find.
#7
is learning to moonwalk i
My guess is that the laminate will be significantly cheaper than granite for both materials and labor - maybe 1/2 the price. Still, you need to decide if the cost savings/difference is worth it, especially since you are building a new house which you will likely be in for several years at least.
Another thing is to consider what other material and appliances you are using to see that they go together. If you're putting in high end appliances, maple or cherry cabinets, etc. they the laminate counters would detract from everything else. If you're going with white cabinets and lower/mid level appliances, they the laminate counters would be just fine.
As far as quality of the material, I've seen them use it quite a bit on many of the home improvement shows. They have come a long way in recent years, so I wouldn't be too concerned with how the laminate counters will hold up. They should be fine.
Keep us updated.
Another thing is to consider what other material and appliances you are using to see that they go together. If you're putting in high end appliances, maple or cherry cabinets, etc. they the laminate counters would detract from everything else. If you're going with white cabinets and lower/mid level appliances, they the laminate counters would be just fine.
As far as quality of the material, I've seen them use it quite a bit on many of the home improvement shows. They have come a long way in recent years, so I wouldn't be too concerned with how the laminate counters will hold up. They should be fine.
Keep us updated.
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#9
Instructor
Thread Starter
*update* Okay we went to several stores today and looked around and got some ball park bids. The laminate is only about $8 a sq ft installed. That is a lot cheaper than I thought. The cheapest granite slab is going to be about $55+ a sq ft installed. We never considered granite tiles, but we saw some today that were really nice, and were only about $17 a sq ft installed. We are going to have SS appliances and maple cabinets so I think this is the way to go. I'll keep you posted, thanks again for the input!
#10
Needs more Lemon Pledge
How about concrete? Or Stainless Steel (restaurant kitchen style)?
#11
Administrator Alumnus
It's a personal thing, but I'm not a fan of granite tiles for countertops. I like the idea of a solid, constant surface and not having to worry about grout lines. Something to consider if you haven't.
#12
Instructor
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Scrib
It's a personal thing, but I'm not a fan of granite tiles for countertops. I like the idea of a solid, constant surface and not having to worry about grout lines. Something to consider if you haven't.
#13
Instructor
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by stogie1020
How about concrete? Or Stainless Steel (restaurant kitchen style)?
#14
is learning to moonwalk i
Originally Posted by Pushing_Tin
*update* Okay we went to several stores today and looked around and got some ball park bids. The laminate is only about $8 a sq ft installed. That is a lot cheaper than I thought. The cheapest granite slab is going to be about $55+ a sq ft installed. We never considered granite tiles, but we saw some today that were really nice, and were only about $17 a sq ft installed. We are going to have SS appliances and maple cabinets so I think this is the way to go. I'll keep you posted, thanks again for the input!
#15
The price does seem low. We got a price of around $10/sq. ft for Wilsonart standard countertops, and that did not include installation. I'm assuming the Wilsonart HD is more expensive than the standard line.
#16
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I know I'm a little late getting in on this thread but here are my
We renovated our kitchen a few years ago and ended up going with Sile Stone counter tops and an under mounted sink. Sile Stone (man made, crushed quartz) is similar to granite but only a little more than formica. It comes in full slabs so there are no seams and it can resist hot pots & pans being set on them and don't need to be sealed yearly like granite.
Having the under mounted sink is great and makes cleaning up very simple.
We renovated our kitchen a few years ago and ended up going with Sile Stone counter tops and an under mounted sink. Sile Stone (man made, crushed quartz) is similar to granite but only a little more than formica. It comes in full slabs so there are no seams and it can resist hot pots & pans being set on them and don't need to be sealed yearly like granite.
Having the under mounted sink is great and makes cleaning up very simple.
#17
Instructor
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by TSXEd05
I know I'm a little late getting in on this thread but here are my
We renovated our kitchen a few years ago and ended up going with Sile Stone counter tops and an under mounted sink. Sile Stone (man made, crushed quartz) is similar to granite but only a little more than formica. It comes in full slabs so there are no seams and it can resist hot pots & pans being set on them and don't need to be sealed yearly like granite.
Having the under mounted sink is great and makes cleaning up very simple.
We renovated our kitchen a few years ago and ended up going with Sile Stone counter tops and an under mounted sink. Sile Stone (man made, crushed quartz) is similar to granite but only a little more than formica. It comes in full slabs so there are no seams and it can resist hot pots & pans being set on them and don't need to be sealed yearly like granite.
Having the under mounted sink is great and makes cleaning up very simple.
#18
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Originally Posted by Pushing_Tin
We had Silestone in our last house and liked it. But because petroleum products have gotten so expensive in the last year it now costs about the same as granite. Silestone requires less maintenance and has built in microban, but you just can't replace the unique patterns and colors made by mother nature.
Very true!
#19
is learning to moonwalk i
Originally Posted by Pushing_Tin
We had Silestone in our last house and liked it. But because petroleum products have gotten so expensive in the last year it now costs about the same as granite. Silestone requires less maintenance and has built in microban, but you just can't replace the unique patterns and colors made by mother nature.
#20
Instructor
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by moeronn
So, have you made a decision?
Here is the website if anyone is bored.
http://www.shibumitrading.com/
#21
is learning to moonwalk i
Originally Posted by Pushing_Tin
We are going with granite. We found a place here in town that sells large slabs directly to the public that come pre-bullnosed which saves quite a bit of money. We are still framing the house, but when we finally get them in I will be sure to come back and post pics. We should move in around July 1.
Here is the website if anyone is bored.
http://www.shibumitrading.com/
Here is the website if anyone is bored.
http://www.shibumitrading.com/
Looking forward to updates.