What are the key differences between laminate and real wood surfaces?
Last Updated on May 13, 2021
Although transforming your kitchen is exciting, it can also be challenging and stressful with so many important decisions that you need to make.
One of these is settling on a kitchen worktop that complements your unique kitchen. Are you more interested in timelessly elegant wooden surfaces or something more contemporary like a laminate worktop?
Read on to find out more if you’re pondering these different styles and materials and need professional assistance and direction. Our family-run, self-sustaining business, House Of Worktops, comes with several years of industry experience and can help you choose what’s right for your space!
Appearance
Choosing between wood and laminate boils down to personal style and preference.
A wooden oak finish in a kitchen is timelessly beautiful, but might not fit your ultra-modern style or your budget. There’s also less variety of styles from which to choose.
What you get is a block of solid, high-quality wood, which we know isn’t everyone’s first choice.
On the other hand, laminate comes in assorted styles and colours, including white, grey and black. Some of these surfaces resemble real wood without the higher price tag, while others are glitzy and glittery.
Materials
Laminate isn’t made from pure wood but consists of different layers.
A highly dense, handcrafted chipboard, which is the core of the product, is located on the inside and wrapped in decorative laminate before it’s covered with a protective coating.
Conversely, timber worktops are made with staves bonded together. Each stave is made from 100% wood and resembles the material’s natural finishing, the grain, patterns, golden hues, and unique lineations.
Maintenance
Laminate worktop works best for busy and messy households since they require less maintenance. They’re easy to clean and don’t need additional treatments. However, be mindful about placing heated pots and pans on these surfaces as it can lead to possible damage, warping or melting of the worktop.
Wooden worktops require extra care to maintain their flawless appearance with regular oiling. Clean mess and spills with warm soapy water, and dry thoroughly.
Repairs
Wood is longer-lasting because damages can be more easily repaired whereas laminate repairs are trickier. Our specialists might be able to perform minor fixes on the decorative laminate, although we can’t make full guarantees.
We recommend that you sand down the affected areas and add a few coats of oil for wood damage. This is done so that the treated site resembles the rest of the worktop. If the damage is severe, you may need to sand down the entire space.
Price and durability
If you’re on a budget, a laminate worktop is the cheaper option.
That said, by spending a little extra, your wooden worktops might last longer than laminate alternatives. And with a bit of spit and polish, will continue to look beautiful.
Why should you choose us for the job?
With over 20 years of experience, our small business is known for its use of supreme-quality materials, ecological practices, and flawless final products.
We offer a broad range of styles to accommodate your individual needs and personal style!