Quartz vs. Laminate Countertops: Which is Best for Your Home?
When choosing new countertops for your kitchen, how do you decide between quartz and laminate? Quartz is more expensive but more durable, while laminate is less expensive and easily available in a wide variety of colors and patterns.
Quartz and laminate are both great countertop options — but they’re also quite different. Below, we’ll walk through each of their pros and cons to help you decide which you’d like to outfit your new kitchen with.
Quartz Countertops
Quartz countertops are made from a combination of quartz and resin to create a beautiful, nonporous, and highly durable slab. Let’s explore the pros and cons of this countertop material.
Pros
The biggest pro to having quartz countertops in your kitchen is that they are one of the most low-maintenance and durable countertop options available. The way quartz countertops are produced makes them stain-resistant, nonporous, and extremely durable. They’re resistant to almost anything that would happen in the kitchen. This means that you can enjoy the beauty of your quartz countertops without worrying about maintenance, upkeep, and other hassles.
Cons
While quartz countertops do add more value to the home, there is a cost associated with a premium product. Quartz countertops are more expensive for the homeowner to purchase. The material itself, as well as installation, make this a more expensive option than laminate. While quartz is very durable and nonporous, it can fall outside of a homeowner’s kitchen budget.
Another well-known disadvantage of this material is that although quartz is extremely durable, it is still sensitive to high heat. If a hot pan is placed on a quartz countertop for a prolonged period of time, it can damage the material. Heat damage to quartz can be very difficult to repair.
Laminate Countertops
To best understand laminate’s properties, let’s first discuss what laminate is actually made of. Laminate consists of layers of kraft paper, decorative paper, and a top protective layer made of resin, all of which are sandwiched together to create a beautiful product with a realistic appearance. The laminate is then adhered to either particleboard or MDF core, creating the thick material that is used for countertops.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of using laminate countertops for your kitchen.
Pros
The design options with laminate are seemingly endless. Laminate designs have become so advanced, they are able to closely mimic a variety of countertop materials like marble, concrete, wood, granite, and more. From bright colors to muted marbles, laminate has you covered. Laminate even does a better job at more realistically showing the sought-after veining of marble and other stones.
In places where it might not make sense to add more expensive options to the home like quartz or marble, laminate can be a great option. Laminate is a more affordable option than quartz, while still offering a variety of realistic designs.
If you’re wanting a unique and beautiful countertop design for your kitchen, laminate can provide you with a variety of options that fit both your budget and your design aesthetic.
Cons
While laminate has come a long way in terms of realistic designs and durability, the top layer of laminate is not as strong as quartz countertops. Laminate countertops can more easily be scratched and dented from sharp knives and heavy objects. Laminate countertops also don’t withstand high heat from hot pans. Unfortunately, burned laminate can’t be repaired.
The Final Verdict: Quartz vs. Laminate Countertops
When comparing quartz vs. laminate countertops, they each bring their own set of benefits and disadvantages to the table. Quartz countertops are nonporous, highly durable, and more expensive, while laminate countertops offer realistic designs and affordability.
Whether you want quartz or laminate countertops, we have them both at Standard Kitchens! With a variety of materials, styles, colors, and brands, you’re sure to find the perfect one for your new space. And if you need help deciding, our kitchen experts are always happy to help. Whether you’re looking for a stunning waterfall edge, dramatic patterns, or minimalist black and white, we have a variety of options to fit your home’s aesthetic. Contact our team for more information.