Houston Laminate Counters

Laminate isn't what it used to be. The days of a cheap-looking, weak vinyl-like material are over. Reinforced laminate has added new strength and durability, as shown by the fact that some manufacturers are now offering 40-year warranties with their top-grade laminate. At the same time, the appearance of laminate is improving in leaps and bounds. Nowadays, it's possible to purchase a laminate counter that is virtually indecipherable from natural stone.

Houston Laminate Counters and Houston Kitchen Remodeling
Many homeowners choose laminate counters not as their first choice, but as part of the process of a kitchen remodel. Either during the planning or during the remodeling itself, homeowners realize that the kitchen they planned and their budgetary resources simply don't match. Other homeowners find that they want an upgrade to part of their kitchen remodel, such as custom kitchen cabinets, and make a sacrifice in their kitchen counter. As great as laminate has become, it still can't quite compete with other materials purely based on performance.

Houston Laminate Counter Maintenance
That said, a laminate counter is a beautiful, perfectly serviceable counter as long as you're willing to take care of it. Avoid setting hot dishes on it, chopping vegetables, or dropping or slamming heavy objects on it. Laminate is fairly resistant to water, but don't let standing water go for long periods of time. So long as you prevent these big problems, the small ones should be simple. Wet cloths and simple, non-abrasive cleaners should be used to clean your counter. Periodic waxing will help prevent permanent staining. If all this worries you, keep in mind that even if the worst happened, you could have your laminate counter repaired with specialized filler for a fraction of the cost of replacement.

Cost of Laminate Countertops in Houston
While the performance of laminate countertops has vastly improved, the cost has remained low, making laminate countertops truly the most cost-effective counter on the market. Stone and solid surface counters cost, on average, more than $4,000. Laminate counters, by comparison, usually come in under $1,500. This data comes from ServiceMagic's national tracking of all the home improvement projects we process. Our local data for laminate counters in Houston suggests that may be even cheaper. We routinely see project costs come in under $1,000.

Project Length of Houston Laminate Countertop Installation
Along with cost, ServiceMagic also tracks project length. Of course, as part of a full kitchen remodel, a Houston laminate countertop installation is just one more cog in the machine. Still, it will probably make your kitchen remodel as a whole go faster, more quickly returning to you a serviceable kitchen. Whereas stone and solid surface counters tend to take two weeks to complete, our data shows laminate counters are more likely to be done within a week. Elaborate fabrication is significantly less of an issue with laminate as it is with these higher-end materials.