What is Laminex?

Laminex is the brand name of one of the world's most popular kitchen benchtop and splashback surfacing products. The Laminex product range is so popular, in fact, that the word is often used in place of the more generic "plastic laminate" and the even longer technical name for all plastic laminate products -- high pressure decorative laminate (HPDL). What do those words mean and why has the Laminex name become synonymous with plastic laminate in Australia?

What is Laminex?

Whether you call it Laminex, plastic laminate or high pressure decorative laminate, the key word is "laminate." All HPDL products are manufactured in a similar way, from layers of paper saturated with melamine and bound together with phenolic resins. Only the top layer is the decorative layer. This technique has remained largely constant for over half a century, simply because it works so well and even modern technology has not come up with anything better for a hard-wearing, low cost benchtop or splashback.

In the past, this decorative layer was produced using then standard printing techniques, but now that digital imaging has become common, it is now used to create an even larger range of patterns and styles. Digital printing makes it possible to create amazingly authentic natural images on Laminex. For example, Laminex or a similar product is now used on bowling alleys because it looks like natural timber, but does not shrink, dent or expand as readily as natural timber.

Aside from being available in an enormous range of colours, patterns and styles, Laminex also comes in a variety of textures. For benchtops, textured laminate is preferable to a smooth surface because it hides scratches, but for vertical surfaces that aren't scratch-prone, a smooth or gloss finish may be preferable.

Laminex, Wilsonart and Formica are the world's largest manufacturers of plastic laminate. These companies have been in business for generations and produce the largest ranges of HPDL products. However, they are not the only manufacturers of plastic laminate and smaller companies have found their market niche in the production of designer patterns.

Choosing Plastic Laminate

Most kitchen manufacturers offer plastic laminate from a variety of manufacturers. When comparing plastic laminates, it's best to choose a few from a variety of brands. If you are looking for a plastic laminate that looks like granite, for example, you will discover subtle variations in the laminates offered by different companies. One may have a colour, texture or pattern that appeals to you more than another. If you're looking for a trendy modern design, a smaller European brand may have something designed by a top European designer in its product range that will give your benchtop or kitchen splashback the designer edge you're looking for.

After you've seen some swatches that appeal to you, try to have a look at a larger sample, to enable you to visualise it in your kitchen better. When you're sure you've found the laminate you want, then you can choose between a variety of edge treatments. The most popular and practical is the "half bullnose" or half-rounded benchtop, but you can choose a square, bevelled or full bullnosed edge if you prefer.

If you're thinking, "Laminex is for budget kitchens only," you probably haven't seen the designer ranges available today or the photorealistic natural finishes that can be achieved. Yes, Laminex and other plastic laminate benchtops and splashbacks are still the most economical, but they are often the choice of top kitchen designers for whom price is not an object. If you're renovating your kitchen or installing a new kitchen, don't overlook Laminex and the other great brands of plastic laminate products. You may find just what you've been dreaming about at a price you won't believe.