Why is laminate so expensive

Just found this old picture of my kitchen from when we first bought the house. Fake Granite or Chinese Granite Q. Dear friend,just allow me to inform you that there nothing to be called fake granite. The price depends on the country of origin mainly. As for the Chinese granite it self,as you know nature is not an ISO certified factory,it means there is no consistency in the natural product,so you can find the A grade as well as the worst grade of the same material in the same quarry ,so it all depends how much the buyer wants to pay for.

I hope I was able to help in some of your questions. Ubatuba is definitely cost-effective head to head against Wilsonart HD or fx. Great choice if you like it and if it works in color palette. Absolutely worth looking at a slab and bringing a sample home.

Anything you see online or printed, regardless of material or color, is not going to be the same in person in your lighting and with your finishes.

To illustrate, I found a sample of Wilsonart quartz wife and I liked from online pics and liked in person. Picked out two other samples and placed all three side by side against the white subway tile we want for backsplash. What we had as first choice, which looked great standalone, is now discarded.

And we used the visualizer to imagine what it would look like in kitchen yellow walls and bathroom SW Ebbtide; not necessarily to use in BA but that color walls and furniture in living room and dining area. At this point, comparing to backsplash and wall and cabinetry color, one color has emerged as my favorite. Like I told my fabricator, I'm not the kind of person who wants granite or quartz just for the sake of having granite or quartz.

If I'm going to the expense of a pro install and a more expensive material, it is going to be a finish I really want. Working through the decision tree, we need to decide low contrast or medium contrast. I know what I would choose if it was not a joint decision. Very good info to keep for everyone. Thank you all so much again for your comments and support.

I've realized this really is not a standard installation for sure and gave me the confidence but at the same time I just can't wrap my head around how our builder and another builder across the street installing 3cm this way?? They really don't know better or are they not telling something?? Other fabricators in town told me they don't install 3cm that way and all agreed this is a bad installation.

Creative Design Cabinetry asked what city and what builder and I can only tell you now it's in Bakersfield, California central California. This isn't the only issue we are dealing with the builder as I mentioned before. To be fair, people working for the builder are very nice individually and we enjoyed working with them.

And probably they do not have enough manpower to oversee all constructions well. I truly appreciate you all who have shared the knowledge and opinions and given me so much support.

We don't know what's going to happen but I'll keep you all updated as it progresses. Hope you can follow me there and give me your opinions! Like Save. The selections really were few and none of them really went with my tile floors in the bath and laundry : I must make a decision SOON. Thanks for any suggestions or advice! I appreciate it! Mom23Es 9 years ago. I'm a KD. ILoveRed 9 years ago. Go to a cabinet shop and check on Corian--you might be surprised at how much money it saves you. The solid surface stuff is often almost as costly as lower grades of granite or other stone.

The higher end granites are much higher. Hang in there! Off the shelf laminate at lowes or HD is by far the cheapest thing out there. Buy a stone cutting tool. DIY it. Just need some strong help to move the stone. Not sure where you are on your decision but wanted to share this story on laminate. Related Stories. Corner drawers, appliance garages, platter storage and in-counter knife slots are a few details you may not want to leave out.

By Rock Paper Hammer. See what upgrades you can expect in 3 budget ranges, from basic swap-outs to full-on overhauls. By using a small amount in a strategic way, you can get a luxurious look without the expense. By Mitchell Parker. Put these inexpensive but invaluable fixes on your to-do list before you put your home on the market. Whatever color or pattern your heart desires, this popular countertop material probably comes in it.

See what goes into laminate flooring and why you just might want to choose it. Every slab of this natural stone is one of a kind — but there are things to watch for while you're admiring its unique beauty. Mehr entdecken. Quartzite seams? Click that link to find out. Anyway, want our advice? Just have a professional do it for you.

DIY carpet installation is almost never worth the trouble. Find a flooring store near you to feel out your options. Just peel and stick, like the name implies. Laminate, on the other hand, is much easier to install. The pressure of the interlocking planks keeps it in place.

Certain laminate products even require it, whereas some types of laminate already come with an underlayment layer below the base. It all depends on the product you purchase!

But in most cases, an underlayment will address the traditional disadvantages of floating floors —creaking, underfoot feel, etc. All of that to say, installing laminate is a much easier DIY project than installing carpet. When it comes to carpet, you have so many choices—in pile, material, backing, underlayment, etc. You can really go in any direction you want. Looking for a super-soft floor in a low-traffic area? Think about going with a wool cut pile. Need to carpet a high-traffic, high-wear area like an indoor-outdoor hallway?

Think about nylon or polyester loop pile. Laminate is easier to recommend for specific applications. These days, you can actually buy snap-together tile flooring , which is almost as easy to install as click-together laminate!

As we mentioned before, laminate is great for any situation requiring durable, scratch-resistant flooring. High-traffic area like a hallway? Go with laminate. Have dogs or kids running around? CONS — Even though laminate is more durable, it is not as visually appealing. Lower qualities of laminate may have artificial-looking wood grain textures. From minor accidents to excessive wear and tear, laminate and hardwood have advantages and disadvantages.

PROS — Hardwood can be repaired by sanding imperfections and refinishing. This gives it the edge over laminate, in that it will last for years. If you buy flooring that comes in individual pieces and snaps together, you may be able to replace individual boards — although, depending on sunlight and age, the new piece may not match properly. In addition to price, durability, and repair, you should also consider the best and worst places in the home for both types of flooring.

Hardwood flooring is both beautiful and fairly durable, especially in lower-traffic rooms like bedrooms and dining rooms. But, if you have pets or a lot of foot traffic, your hardwood floors might show scratches and wear over time. Basements and bathrooms with a lot of moisture are also not good places for hardwood flooring. On the other hand, continuous sunlight can fade your hardwood flooring overtime as well. While it withstands moisture better than hardwood, it should not be in a regularly wet area of the home.

Because of its topcoat, laminate flooring typically does not fade from sunlight as quickly and noticeably as hardwood flooring and can be used safely in rooms with large windows. Both hardwood and laminate flooring have their merits and pitfalls. Hardwood comes with a higher price tag, but they are easier to repair and last longer than laminate.

Laminate flooring starts at 6 mm and will usually go as high as 12 mm. The thicker the board the more expensive the laminate would be. This does not mean that a 12 mm board is of better quality than a 7 mm board. The way a laminate floor locks together is important. There are different locking systems that each has their own laying techniques.

This system requires a row of boards to be fitted end to end, and then for the whole row to be locked onto the previous row together can require 2 people to use this system. This system is easier and quicker to install, each board is laid the longest side first, keeping the end aligned, the ends simply are pushed down which automatically locks via a small strip on the end.

The 5G system is slightly more expensive than the Valinge system as the manufacturing process with the locking strip cost more. This is a simple locking system. The board can either be locked in by putting the boards at an angle and then pushing the boards down or the boards can be put side to side and tapped together with a tapping block.