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Should I Choose Quartz Or Formica Kitchen Benchtops?

Quartz Kitchen Benchtops

They are relatively new. Quartz is used in an approximate percentage of 95% along with other products such as resins and pigments, the latter are what define them as synthetic and have had a great acceptance in recent years.

Benefits

  • They have almost no porosity, which means that water cannot penetrate inside. This means that they can be cleaned very easily by wiping a damp cloth over their surface while preventing any growth of mold and bacteria.
  • There is a great variety of colors and shapes. The pigments and resins allow a wide variety of colors and shapes using only different molds and colors, and this allows them to be able to fit in a washbasin without problems or even integrate into the same structure as the dishwasher tray, as well as create any shape and design.
  • They are manufactured in one piece from a mold and this allows to have no visible joints throughout the piece.
  • It is very resistant to scratches and bumps, let’s say they are much more resistant than wood and slightly less durable than the natural stone.

Disadvantages

  • You have to protect against high temperatures. Quartz benchtops withstand high temperatures very well, much more than any wood, but less than stone. They are made from resins and it means that high temperatures can deform or damage them. So do not put pots directly from the fire because you can damage them.
  • When it is damaged, it is very difficult to repair them and above all, it too is expensive.
  • Without being able to give an exact price, since everything depends on the type of benchtops, the shape, the color and the mark, the price could be approximately €300 per linear meter, considering that the width of a benchtop is of approximately 60cm.

Formica Kitchen Benchtops

They are made from wood. Formica is a veneered wood, specifically based on a base of mdf wood or agglomerate and a later plating with resin plates that mimics any texture. Lately they are made of strong and durable resin sheets that support scratches with some guarantee.

Benefits

  • The price is the best advantage of this type of benchtop.
  • It is mounted with easiness and you can even place it yourself with very little effort.
  • They are very easy to clean.

Disadvantages

  • You have to protect them from high temperatures.
  • They’re not very resistant to water. They hold moisture well when the base is made of MDF, but they do not reach the degree of impermeability of stone or resin benchtops.

The price is very low. You can have a piece of 2 meters long by 0.6m wide for just over €50 and price per linear meter oscillates €25.