Are all laminates created equal?

[babylonsister]

My DH gave me my (early) Christmas gift, a new kitchen! Well, new countertops that aren't GOLD and a new "gas" stove/oven to replace the O'Keefe and Merritt (2-oven job, w/stove on the side) GOLD electric one I now have. But I do have questions about the process.
Since O&M are no longer in business, I'm going to have to get something different, and I'm sure the sizes won't match up, so I'm thinking I'll need to hire a carpenter to resize the space. Would the appliance place be involved because they'd be installing? I'm thinking we should buy the new stainless oven/stove and get that installed prior to installing the laminate.
I imagine the biggest 'problem' with the laminate is deciding which one you can live with. Are there some that are better than others, and how can you tell?
I hope to get this going after the holidays; all comments or advise welcomed!

[NMDemDist2]

1. congrats!

yeah, i think i'd shop the stove first but are you sure it's not standard?

as for laminates, there's the two biggies Wilson and Formica. can't go wrong with either one and you'll be SHOCKED at how many choices you have in colors

don't forget to take PICS!

[babylonsister]

8. A few months ago we measured and went shopping; couldn't find

anything with the same dimensions, so I don't think it's standard.
And I will be taking before and after pix!

[Stinky The Clown]

2. The answer to your laminate question is: Yes and no

Yes, they are all essentially equal in that they are a high pressure sandwich of paper between two layers of plastic. The paper has the color/pattern and the plastic provides the durability/wearing surface. All manufacturers use essentially the same materials and make the stuff the same way.

Now for the differences. And note that the differences exist even with the line from a single manufacturer. There is little *competitive* difference between manufacturers.

The biggest single difference is the color core laminate against the non-color core. The color core laminate is the kind that is the same coor all the way thorough. The advantage is that it can be edged without showing the black line that's always visible at laminate seams and edges. Unfortunately, this also limits the range of pattern, since the color core is almost all just one color stuff - no patters.

Then there's the matter of surface finish - glossy vs flat vs satin vs textured .... etc etc. This is a matter of aesthetics as much as anything else. I love the looko of the gloossy marble/granite patterns ...... but the glossy is also prone to easily showing scratches. I suspect the textured stuff is the most forgiving.

They now have a line of metallic laminates that look for all the world like copper, brass, stainless, platinum, etc.

Now back to my original yes and no thing ....... there are differences, but the real issue is what you like.

About that stove ....... take pictures and measurements and bring it to an appliance store and talk to them. they can tell you what's needed, what will fit, what won't and what work needs to be done to change it out.

[babylonsister]

9. Lots of food for thought here; I'll be taking notes before I go

shopping. Thanks, H2S!

[Warpy]

3. I love laminate!

One of those HGTV shows tested 3 counter materials, 2 types of stone vs. laminate. The stone failed most tests and was extremely prone to cracking when a standard can of food was dropped on it. They had to drop a bowling ball from about 15 feet to get the laminate to fail. Plus, the laminate is much kinder to dropped dishes.

Check on the "My Room Designer" at http://www2.dupont.com/Surfaces/en_US/ to give you an idea what will look best with your cabinets. There are four types of solid surfaces to chose among, and most reasonable colors (and a couple of unreasonable ones) are represented. You can also see the difference between flat colors and patterned colors.

That will arm you with a clue when you go shopping. You can take the color chips home to see how they'll work with your cabinets.

Congratulations on getting rid of the 60s diarrhea, er harvest gold. Now watch it come back into style in a couple of years.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Hey! Be nice to that Harvest Gold!

We still have Harvest Gold refrigerator in the basement that works as good as the day we bought it (a day at a time when Harvest Gold was still the rage!). It keeps our sodas and some of our white wines at the ready.

Speaking of the colors of that era, one of my sons is still using, as a hand-me-down, our Avocado Kitchenaid mixer.

Those colors seem like cockroaches. they never die. :)

[Kolesar]

5. A thirty-year-old refrigerator uses 4 times the electrical energy of a modern refrigerator

Refrigerator energy efficiency standards have been the shining success of efficiency regulations. You really ought to consider using it only seasonally or buy something new. There endeth the lecture :)

[babylonsister]

6. That's why we got rid of our old one, though it wasn't 30 years old,

only about 12. We were looking to decrease our outrageous electric bill.

[Kolesar]

12. Super! Did you notice any results in your electric bill? eom

[Warpy]

10. That's because Kitchen Aid mixers never die!

I've got a bottom of the line model from Tar Jay that's had ten years of bread and egg whites and is still going strong. It came in any color I wanted as long as it was white.

Fridges are a little more fragile, but often a replaced compressor will give them another decade or two of life.

I only had one diarrh...harvest gold kitchen. I stood it for a year and a half and then I moved.

[NMDemDist2]

11. my stepmother still has her Harvest Gold electric stove/oven and upper

oven all in one unit

she has a top of the line Stainless Steel Bosch dishwasher and a mammoth side by side fridge and when I asked her why the same stove she says "I know it, and I love it. It's never going anywhere"

:rofl:

[babylonsister]

7. Warpy, thanks for that site! It's very cool and gives me ideas! I

decided on laminate after reading how many people recommended it on other threads, you included.
60s diahrrea indeed! I bypassed all references to yellow or gold in 'my room designer'!