Laminate vs Stone benchtops

Benchtops are one of the most functional and used areas of a kitchen and renovating your kitchen area can be the easiest way to add value to your property. According to   Houzz Kitchen Trends Study  94% of homeowners plan to upgrade their benchtops when they commence their kitchen renovations, which raises the question, Laminate or Stone? Although Stone benchtops are more hardwearing, scratch-resistant, and durable, laminate benchtops are available in unlimited patterns and styles and they can even mimic the look of stone, but the price difference can have you torn between the two. So read below on which benchtop is the perfect choice for your home. 

Laminate Benchtops

Advantages
Laminate Benchtops is by far the most cost-effective compared to the other materials that can be used for benchtops such as stone. In fact, the affordability of laminate is a big factor as to why it is so popular. However, with that in mind, the price can vary with laminates as well, if you choose to buy the premium options.

Laminate offers sheer versatility when it comes to appearance, enabling you to make your kitchen benchtops whatever design you desire, which makes Laminate hard to compete with. It offers a broad range of tones, textures, patterns, and styles enhanced with an inexpensive top layer, which will give you the perfect look suited for your home. Most laminated benchtops are made from materials such as MDF board, ply or chipboard that can be replicated to look like wood, marble and even the stone finish.

The laminate style benchtops also weigh less than other benchtop materials which can make it easier to install, which can be very handy for both you and the installer, especially if you are putting it in your whole kitchen.

Disadvantages

However, laminate is not as durable as some other materials, like stone, and will typically only be in top-notch condition for its first ten years. They are susceptible to scratching, scorching, and burning and unfortunately, the surface can lose its shine over time.

Some types of laminate, like the premium versions, are waterproof, however, regular laminate benchtops are not water-resistant and can be damaged if water seeps into any cracks or scratches it may have. Not only is laminate vulnerable to water but also to heat. It is not advised to place hot pans directly on the surface, nor can you prepare food directly on the laminate. This can be a major setback when considering Laminex as once Laminex is damaged it is not replaceable.  

Stone Benchtops

Before I talk a bit about stone benchtops, I need to explain that there are different types of stone materials you can get that can make their advantages and disadvantages vary. Granite and marble stone are very well admired for their elegant appeal, they are natural materials so their colours and patterns will all vary. David Onesti, the Director of CDK stone said that "Marble has been the pinnacle of elegance for centuries and makes a beautiful statement in any kitchen yet Granite has had a resurgence because it's very hard-wearing." On the other hand, we have engineered manmade stone products such as Essastone Caesarstone and Quantum Quartz which all offer a vast colour range that is more consistent with their colour and durability.

Advantages

Stone is a unique and stunning material that is almost impossible to match. Stone can give a luxurious feel to any kitchen, bathroom or laundry and will be a centre piece for each of these rooms. All Stone is well known for its beauty and elegance it is sure to add value to your property. Simply use the link below and see how it would change the look of your house.

https://www.caesarstone.com.au/visualiser

Stone is a very long-lasting material and if properly looked after, can last a lifetime. One of the most well-known and obvious benefits of stone is its quality. It is waterproof and able to withstand high temperatures due to its heat resistance properties. It can be easily cleaned and is not only stain-resistant but also very scratch resistant. It can withstand a hard- hitting and still won’t degrade over time. In fact, the Ceasarstone surfaces are made up of about 93% of natural quartz aggregates which is one of nature’s hardest minerals, along with organic pigments and polymer resins which makes it more durable than any of the natural stones,

Disadvantages  
As I stated earlier Stone benchtop can be a lot more expensive than laminate. In fact, they could double the price of what your laminate is worth. For example, in my own personal experience I was torn between building my home with either of the two benchtops for my 3.5m long and 1.4m wide benchtop and I was quoted a $3,300 price increase if upgraded to a stone benchtop. With that in mind also, Granites can be as low as $165/m² (supply only) while marble can cost up to $2500/m²

As I have also noted earlier stone is unique in the way it presents. This can make it difficult when one or more slab is required as they may not be able to be perfectly matched, because every piece of stone looks different. This can be an issue if an offcut of stone was used for part of your kitchen, and in the future when you go to renovate there won’t be any remainders of the off-cut left to match the original piece in your kitchen.  Whereas this is not an issue with Laminate benchtops as they provide consistent finishes and are easily attainable if extra parts or replacements are needed.  



Overall, Stone is the most popular choice for kitchen benchtops, especially in houses that are worth more. However, this debate can be argued heavily over personal taste. On one hand the luxurious feel of Stone can add value to your property over time and is more scratch, water and heat resistant, whereas Laminate can bring more consistency and choice to your household for half the price.