Not at all! Laminate is a great option. While not upscale, it is a very good surface and quite durable. If you can be careful with hot pans, it can last a long time and still look new. The different manufacturers have so many different colors and patterns to choose from.

You're not crazy. I would do laminate under those circumstances.

Laminate offers design options that aren't available in stone or quartz or solid surface, like boomerangs. So I can also imagine kitchens and circumstances where I would want if for a specific look.

My sister put laminate in her kitchen and it looked really nice. Several people that came in thought it was granite. I also put it in my parents house that we remodeled for a rental. There are a lot of nice patterns now that dont look like the laminate I grew up with.

I would consider laminate. I am really curious to see your painted countertops. Did you paint them yourself? Do you have a photo you can share?

Laminate is my favorite. When we replaced our counter top I researched different kinds of counter tops and laminate won. It is a workhorse. When you get pages of problems with other counter tops chipping, cracking and staining, it is a no for me. If you can't pound meat on it, roll out dyed cookie dough, or leave water sit on it I don't want it. No, you can't put hot pots on it or cut directly on it , but you can't do that on a lot of counter tops. There is many different patterns, grades, and edges available.

Cool laminate? Yes. Fun laminate? you betcha. Faux stone laminate? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww nope.

There are undermountedish sinks for laminate now which makes it a whole lot more attractive than it used to be.

My laminate countertops (here when we moved in, probably at least 30 years old) are self-healing. They get food coloring spilled on them and turn pink, and then within a week or two, the stain disappears. I once was lazy and cut noodles on them with a sharp knife that left many, many cut marks, oops. Those marks are gone now too. I swear the plastic eventually just flows back together or something. Anyway, I would consider them for our new kitchen just because they are so very durable and practical, but my husband says no.

@ilikefriday unfortunately I don't have a ton of great photos but here you go! This was part of the first quick "update" we did to our very basic kitchen right when we moved to buy us some time before the "real update" we're about to start. I used the Giani "white diamond" kit at first but it was very cool toned white so ended up adding cream, taupe, and my wall color (revere pewter) to it to warm it up. I used a poly top coat. Early on, I got so many compliments -- it was shiny and looked great (better in person than in pictures). But, I think if I should have been braver and tried an epoxy topcoat instead. They seem far more durable. 4 years later, this countertop does have some wearing through on places used a lot, a few scratches that aren't super obvious if you aren't looking but I see, and stains around the coffee machine. I purposely picked this pattern to hide a lot and it sure has which was helpful

You're at a point in your progress as a family. At an earlier point painting was the choice that fit best. That's not right for where you are now. Laminate sounds good for a while. In a few years you may move or reconfigure your layout. Everything in time. But because it isn't used much, there may not be reports of problems that will exist.

Cleaning Tips for Laminate:
To clean the surface, use a damp cloth or sponge and a mild soap or detergent. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and wipe dry. Difficult stains such as coffee or tea can be removed using a mild household cleaner and baking soda; mixing to achieve a paste consistency. Use a stiff nylon bristle brush, scrubbing (approx. 15-20 strokes) the affected area. Do not scrub so as to mar (damage, scratch) the surface finish.

Stubborn stains that resist any of the above cleaning methods may require the use of undiluted household bleach or nail polish remover. Use a cotton ball saturated with bleach or nail polish remover (acetone), gently rub the stain for up to two minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and wipe dry using a soft cloth. This step may be repeated if the stain appears to be going away and the color of the laminate has not been affected.

Warning:
Prolonged exposure of the laminate surface to bleach will cause discoloration. Always rinse laminate surfaces after cleaning! Failure to rinse after cleaning can cause damage; even if a small amount of cleaning solution remains on the surface. A dry residue may be invisible; however, moisture from cups or drinks can reactivate it, and result in permanently etched scars or stains over time.

Hot pans and heat-producing appliances (such as electric skillets), when set directly upon countertops, can mar the product's beauty. Always use a heat shield, hot pad or trivet.

A Few Notes of Caution:
Acidic or abrasive cleaners can damage laminate surfaces; do not use them. Drain cleaners containing lye will permanently damage the laminate surface. If you spill a drain cleaner, wipe it up immediately and rinse several times with water.

Hair, textile and food dyes can cause permanent stains. If dye should happen to spill, wipe it up immediately with dishwashing detergent or an all-purpose cleaner.

Do not work with oven cleaners on an unprotected countertop. Wipe spills away promptly and rinse several times with water.

Rust removers contain harsh chemicals, which will quickly cause permanent damage. If a spill occurs, wipe off all residue immediately, wash thoroughly with soapy water and rinse several times.

Steel wool and other abrasive pads will damage the laminate face. Do not use them for cleaning and don’t store steel wool pads on your countertop; the metal can rust and leave stains.

Toilet bowl cleaners contain harsh chemicals that can cause permanent damage. If spills occur, wipe up immediately, wash surface with soapy water and rinse several times.

IMO I would do laminate before quartz both are fake one costs as much as real stone no brainer .

We put laminate and love it. We would not be able to get a return on our investment if we had gone with quartz or granite. I LOVE them. They are easy to clean and they look great.

@dan1888 thank you for all the helpful info!

Thanks for sharing the painted laminate photos. It looks like you did a fabulous job. It has lasted 4 years. That is a great success considering the price of a can of paint. I have 30+ year old laminate. I like the idea of both paint and epoxy.

PCC I believe the better choice of words would be man-made.

Laminate😊

Skitt, it sounds as though your countertops may actually be linoleum, which is known for its self-healing properties. It was a common counter material at one time also.

Linoleum on counters

No, my countertops are definitely just some kind of ugly fake granite laminate. That hide *everything* and are totally bulletproof.

With the family circumstances you describe, Laminate sounds like a perfect choice to get you past the kid stage.

I miss my old kitchen laminate counters sometimes. They were so easy. I still have it in my laundry room.

If you want, post a photo of your kitchen and let us all help you choose a color or pattern!

Oh and your minivan comment made me Lol!

YOU CAN'T PAINT LAMINATE!!!!

Okay, so you can. I wanted a laminate backsplash. Some of the patterns are just great.

(Having scorched my current counters, it's a good thing I didn't do laminate for that. Some of us are just incompetent. :P )

Fori, You can paint just about any surface. Almost.

Until you can show me a reason not to? I'd do Corian. The original. The no stain, no worry, you can have it sanded and refinished after ten years if need be! .

Will give you a great look , it was THE "solid surface" for quite a while and only lost favor when everyone on planet Suburb went to speckles or yogurt swirl granite.

The truth of late teen is not much different than childhood.......just add bigger and sloppier friends. : )

It won't stain. It's not porous, ( hygienic) it's no seal, no nothing easy. From anything they are eating or making. Bunches of whites and other colors.

I'd do it over laminate in a heartbeat. It's still in my own kitchen and honestly I still love it. Seams if you have them.....can literally disappear.

Show the "victim" kitchen.........?

@JAN MOYER when I google Corian I find corian quartz, solid surface, and high performance porceline -- which do you have experience with and love?? Would love to look into further...

I'd go for corian. I got them in our kitchen 6 months ago and am so in love with them. They never, ever stain no matter what sits on them and for how long.

@Kendrah looks so beautiful! Love it!

@litz2013

I have, and am talking about DUPONT Corian.

"Does DuPont make Corian?

Corian® solid surface offers design versatility, functionality and durability. Supplied in sheets and shapes, it can be fabricated with conventional woodworking tools into virtually any design. It is the original solid surface material made only by DuPont."

My point ( made below as well ) Is that I do not in any way, baby my tops. They've been in here since 2007, and the reason? I wanted an absolutely plain white surface and an offering of a white not too icy, and not too warm. I did not want lowly laminate : ) So mine is "Cameo White"

This ,remember, was a point in time when marble and granite RULED. Granite, and the infamous brown speckles were everywhere, including the bathroom in you local grocery. It took nearly a decade for granite to even begin to be overshadowed by quartz ( engineered stone)

https://www.thespruce.com/solid-surface-vs-quartz-countertops-1821253

Another vote for Corian solid surface in this situation!

Don’t waste money on quartz. I give it five more years.✅

Personally, I like granite (speckled and otherwise). But I also like wood/butcher block. Depends on where - and on what day of the week. :) Real stone and wood are my personal preferences. But Formica is fine with me, too.

If you want counters that you don’t have to worry about, do the laminate/Formica or Corian. Either one. Corian is considered by some to be more upscale.

But do what is best for ’You’. The next person will likely rip out whatever you put in, anyway. People really love to complain about ”what the previous owners did“ - no matter what is there in the space. Complaining and ripping places apart gives many folks a reason to live.

@Lizt - Mine is Dupont Corian. It is also made by Wilson Art, Hi Macs, and a few other main brands that are escaping me. You can walk into almost any Home Depot and get 2x2 sample pieces in the drawers below the display. They often have many more options in the drawers than on the displays, though it can be quite picked over too. I do think the look of it quite depends on the design. I think some of the colors and patterns are really cheap looking and ugly.

I ended up finding a local fabricator, went to their shop, the guy gave me two gigantic scraps to take home and play with. I wrote on them in ink, pencil, left over night eggs, balsamic vinegar, red wine, ketchup, coffee, and tea. They all came up with ease and no staining. I think it was $800 for my material and install. (Plus a $600 fee to come into Manhattan for template and install but surely you won't have that problem!)

I'm also wondering if for a cheap temporary fix you want to use contact paper on your current counters. In our former home, our kitchen project was delayed 6 months and was during the period of time we only had plywood countertops. I covered them in cream colored contact paper and they get. They held up, no problem . We kept joking - do we really want to spend the bucks on marble ... the contact paper was only 50 cents per sq foot!

You can get any sample : )

https://coriandesignsamples.colors2u.net/product-category/corian-solid-surface/page/4/

I had laminate tops for many many years. I'm a messy cook. They held up great! I also had a Corian top ( solid surface is the proper category name ) in a rental I was in. LOVED it - could clean any sort of mess, spill, marker etc off it.

The laminate tops were less expensive. So that is what I would look into.

Do the right thing for you and your family.

Good luck - you did an excellent job painting your tops btw!

Love mine too & use a glass see through hot pad.

you don't like granite?

this, below, is the blue flower granite above, but in a leathered finish. no one is hurting this.

look for some nicer colors in a slab yard. just saw a pic of a basalt countertop.

comes in all shades from deep black to a very light gray

this stuff is cooled lava, so its pretty tough.

Even formica has a laminate of it

You need to price out the options - Formica, Corian, granite (many are not as expensive as you might think). These are the ones that kids normally can’t kill. But I agree that teenagers are as deadly as little ones when it comes to being sloppy. They will make their own sandwiches and snacks and really make a mess.

If you show a photo of your whole kitchen, you’ll get a lot of good ideas for colors in these materials. I am betting this next new countertop will be a long-haul worker for you.

I am over 60 years old and had Formica in every home I have lived in. I am getting Quartz when I renovate this kitchen, but in 60 years I have managed not to burn or stain or cut into my countertop. My current kitchen has the same Formica countertops and backsplash that it had when it was built in the 1960s - the old Formica with the metal edges. Still looks like new,

I did get solid surface for my bathrooms and am going to get quartz for my kitchen, but I don't think there is anything wrong with getting Formica or laminate.

I had one house with a textured laminate and I would not do that again. The kids had to use something under their papers when doing homework or coloring because of the texture and rolled cookie dough got stuck to the texture.

I have a new home and went with laminate. Budget was not and issue with me but went with laminate anyway for easy maintenance and easy replacement if nesscary. I had Quartz in my previous home . Sure the quartz was pretty but weighed a ton. We had to replace some cabinets due to damage and it was impossible to do on our own because of the weight of the countertops. It takes a whole team of men to move and not cheap. I'll stick to laminate.

I'm thankful for this post. I've been sleepless several weeks over our kitchen reno. Quartz and Quartzite are the latest raves, but after having laminate for 25 years without issues and performing Quartz stain tests with our samples, I'm disappointed. My stainless steel pots caused marks immediately that wouldn't easily come off of the Quartz without significant scrubbing. So I'm going to have to work harder now and worry more - no thanks. I just want to live life in my kitchen without constant stress. Off we go back to the big boxes to see what will work.

Was Silestone in the mix?

Having kids that cook definitely makes your journey more “durable” focused. Hang in there.

Yes for laminate countertop I have it it's my second one keep it neutral people can be picky and they like neutral more it seems and even if you sell it has is you know it might be okay cuz sometimes they don't like a certain color they rip it out anyway or if they don't like the kitchen they rip everything out don't stress yourself out