Choosing Laminate Countertops Colors
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As a home owner who is ready to redo their kitchen countertops, you may be leaning towards choosing laminate. Laminate is a great middle of the road choice for countertops.
They are strong enough for most abuse in the kitchen, but weak against knives. They are affordably priced, but can scald if hot pans are placed on them without protection. Laminate countertops colors and designs are only limited by imagination but they can stain. As you can see, there are certainly pros and cons to laminate, but overall, it is a good product for a small to medium budget.
Choosing laminate countertops colors can be quite overwhelming because there are so many of them. Your first order of duty is to keep a few things in mind. Laminate scratches easily as mentioned above and unless you are impeccable in the kitchen, laminate countertops colors that are dark will definitely show scratches. |
If you are unsure if your laminate countertops colors will show scratches, you can obtain a small sample from your local supplier and simply run a steak knife over it. You shouldn’t gouge it or anything, just use the same force you would use when cutting something. Another test you should do is to drag the rough bottom of a ceramic coffee cup over the laminate. A third scratch test you should do is to use a pizza cutter.
Compare the scratches that are now on the sample and decide if that is something you can live with. If you want a deep, dark color, there are very likely some patterns available in the same color that will hide scratches much better than solids. Another option if you really can’t get away from wanting the solid color is to choose a color core laminate that has the color running throughout. The only problem is that color core laminate is more expensive than regular laminate by 3-4 times. You can also choose a matte finish over a glossy finish to hide scratches as well.
Once you have chosen a few laminate countertops colors, you should bring the samples home and see how they look in your kitchen. To start this process you should put them on your current counter or place where you will see them every day, both in the morning and evening light. Leave them there for several days and look at them. You may find, like many do, that you don’t like a particular color as much when you actually see it in place. If you just aren’t getting a good idea from the small samples, contact the store and see if a larger sample is available. You can also get a bit of paint mixed up of the exact color and paint a board to make a “mock counter”. Place the board on top of your current counter in the new color to get a great idea of what the new counter will look like.
You may want to get second opinions from friends or family if you are still unsure. If you really need help, you can probably hire a designer to come in to help you finalize your laminate countertops colors.
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