If you're looking for a beautiful new counter for your kitchen or bathroom, but don't have a ton of money to spend, a laminate counter is usually the answer. Laminate is a beautiful countertop material that is affordable for even the tightest remodeling budgets. Here's what you need to know before you install a laminate counter in a Dallas kitchen or bathroom:
Dallas Laminate Counters and Dallas Kitchen Remodeling
Many homeowners come across laminate counters as a substitute for part of a kitchen remodeling plan. If you have an idea for what you want your kitchen to look like, but simply can't afford to implement this plan, a laminate counter can enable you to get what you want from the rest of your Dallas kitchen remodel. In fact, it may be able to save you enough money that you can actually upgrade other options in your kitchen design. Of course, you can also install a new laminate counter as a stand alone project. It's a great way to spruce up your kitchen without investing several thousand dollars and several weeks of inconvenience.
Dallas Laminate Counter Maintenance
Although it's called maintenance, what laminate counters really need are a little bit of prevention. They don't have the same resistance to cuts and burns. This means you shouldn't try chopping up your vegetables on them or setting down any extremely hot dishes. If you know yourself, and that you have to be able to do these things in your kitchen, you can install a small area of tile or solid surface material to use for these functions.
Likewise, they don't stand up as well to brute force or prolonged water damage. Try to avoid dropping any heavy objects on your laminate counter or letting pools of standing water infiltrate the laminate. This may sound like laminate isn't going to last very long, but the truth is as long as you're a reasonably clean and careful person, you shouldn't have any trouble. In fact, some laminate counter manufacturers now offer 40-year warranties on their laminate counters.
Cost of Laminate Countertops in Dallas
Tons of home improvement alternatives claim to be less expensive or more cost-effective. In the end, some of these alternatives may save you only a few hundred dollars on an installation worth several thousand. Laminate counters, on the other hand, say they're cheaper and deliver on that promise. ServiceMagic tracks home improvement projects all around the country, including every type of counter you can think of. The average cost of a laminate counter is $1,400. Compare this number with the averages for stone counters, $4,800, and solid surface counters, $4,300, and you'll begin to get an accurate picture. This is also why homeowners are more than happy to take a little extra care for their laminate counters.
In fact, in Dallas, we've yet to see a laminate counter project go over the $1,500 mark. For a top-grade laminate for a large kitchen counter, you can spend more than this limit, but you'll have to try to do it. Expectedly, this type of large kitchen counter with a quality stone slab can approach, and even exceed, the $10,000 mark.
Project Length of Dallas Laminate Countertop Installation
As you might expect, the lower cost of laminate is reflected in reduced installation times. Whereas a solid surface or stone countertop must go through an extensive fabrication and delivery process that can take more than two weeks, most laminate counters are completed from start-to-finish in about one week. This includes the time it takes to sort out the details of your counter dimensions, color and texture options, and the installation itself. Talk to several Dallas laminate countertop professionals to find someone you can trust for a price that fits your budget.

Marcus Pickett is a professional freelance writer for the home remodeling industry. He has published more than 600 articles on both regional and national topics within the home improvement industry.