Are modern laminate worktops any better than the ones of old?

[IndecentFeminist]

Am going though various designs for new kitchen, and keep hearing that the new laminates and compact laminates are better than they used to be. More waterproof, tougher etc.

Does anyone have any experience with them? I think I want to stick with wood but now is the time to be thinking about all options.

We’ve just put in compact laminate and I’m really pleased with it. So far seems pretty hard wearing. Our kitchen fitter did have to bring in someone different to fit it though

Also meant we could have the sink under mounted

I don't know about compact laminate, but I was pleasantly suprised at the different Duropal laminates I looked at for my utility. There were some nice matt and semi- matt, slightly textured finishes that didn't at all resemble the shiny, plasticky fake looking stuff I expected (and had inherited in previous kitchens).

I went for a stone effect Duropal in the end, but I quite like the look of some of the wood effect ones too (and would consider them in future). I wouldn't have real wood worktops personally, despite how pretty they are - I find they mark very easily (even with occasional oiling). We rely on glass worktop protectors in the kitchen, because any drips/wet cup bottoms/sink splashes that are missed or not wiped up immediately leave marks on the wood.

Oh sorry, you were asking about durability - I haven't had any problems with the Duropal yet (no marks are left when cleaning off general liquids, household spills/dirt etc - much better than the real wood), but I haven't tested it with really stainy stuff (managed to avoid spilling Tumeric so far) and I use a chopping board, so not sure what would happen if one of the kids used a a knife on it for example!

i went for duropal square edged carrerra marble effect laminate worktops and well impressed with it looks good not over shiny like the old ones were and a spray and wipe gets it looking good again in next to no time the laminate is wrapped round the worktop in one piece so no worries about the edging peeling apart

We had duropal fitted three years ago. It has been pretty good. Nothing has stained it even though it is white. There is however a surface scratch that you can see in some lights. I don't think wood would have been any tougher though and would have been higher maintenance.

Whatever you do don't get real wood - it's a bloody nightmare to keep looking decent and will not around the sink if you're not fastidious. Ridiculous idea for a surface in the second wettest room of the house.

Interesting, thanks all. I'd love ceramic or quartz/granite, but that's out of the price range.

We have this one
www.worktop-express.co.uk/solid-laminate-worktops/white-quartz-solid-laminate-worktops
I love the sleekness of compact laminate. Our breakfast bar is oak wood though just to give a bit of warmth and a different texture as it were.

With laminates and I assume that means a hard surface with a dense chipboard like material underneath, you need to worry about edges and joins.
If moisture gets to the chipboard material it swells.

Your sink / tap area and the edges around the cooker concern me because the edging strips are the weak spots.

If I could go back i would have got granite/quartz (appreciate you have a budget issue OP ) because of the little bumps under ours around the sink and one of corner joins. You can’t see them but I know they’re there !

We have compact laminate and I love it
Hard-wearing, heat proof to about 200°,and waterproof. As pp said it means you can undermount your sink.

Re sinks - can draining grooves be cut into solid laminate? I think real quartz etc will be out of our price-range too.

Yes we have draining grooves in our compact laminate

A good Egger or Duropal laminate worktop will be pretty hardwearing and you can get a square edge profile that looks more contemporary.
If you go for a timber worktop: use Osmo Polyx oil to proof it. And consider not having oak which is prone to black marks due to tannins.

I’ve heard good things about composite laminate. We’re designing our new kitchen and that’s what we’re considering. Another bit of advice against wood. We had oak in our last kitchen and I loved (and still love) how it looks. But it was a real pain. We’ve recently moved and currently have a big standard old school laminate worktop. It’s not hugely nice but it’s been such a relief not to have to worry about everything I put down on it!

normally newer stuff is a bit shit compared to the older types. The laminate worktops we replaced were the only part of the old kitchen still in immaculate condition!

Check sizes. Our new worktops are the same width as the cabinets beneath, which means there's no overlap to catch crumbs in your hand and they all end up on the floor. Not sure if this is standard modern crap design or if it can be avoided.

don't buy thin laminate worktops, they WILL sag despite what salesmen tell you. And yes, wood is only for people who really love extra housework.

Our compact laminate overhangs so not sure why yours wouldn’t unless it’s a different measurement or the kitchen fitter had to bring the unit forward for some reason.
I don’t see how ours will end up sagging as they sit on top of the unit tops as it were?