Laminates are by far the most popular choice of finish for furniture and other interior works.
In today's blog, we will discuss at all that you need to know about laminates.
Laminates: Types, Finishes, Applications & Pricing
How Laminates Are Made?
Laminates are made of Kraft paper treated with chemical resins that form the hard base. This paper base along with printed decorative sheet and topmost protective covering is pasted together under high pressure to from a laminate.
Looks & Varieties:
Because laminates are basically printed sheets, they have the most number of varieties in looks. These looks or prints are mostly inspired by other natural materials & solid colors.
You can find decorative laminates inspired by wooden textures, stones, metals, fabrics etc. More recently they have introduced ones inspired by rattans and fluted panels. Apart from these, you also get a great deal of solid colors if you wish to go for a flawless painted finish.
Finishes:
Laminates come in different feels such as suede finish, popularly know as SF finish which is simple matt feel. Similarly you can find super matt or satin, textured, high gloss, anti-marks finish etc.
Depending on your budget you can select your desired print in these different feels to achieve more premium look for your interiors.
Applications & Advantages:
From furniture to wall paneling & ceiling to flooring, you can use this versatile finish in number of ways to amp up your interiors.
The biggest advantages of laminates are that you can introduce the variety of looks in your interiors to generate the interest and they are far cheaper than the natural materials they are inspired by.
In fact, they are the cheapest among all finishes and easiest to apply. They do not required a highly skilled person to do the job.
After the application, laminates are almost zero maintenance and easiest to clean. They are highly resistant to impact, scratches and other factors that may degrade their look and appearance.
Pricing and Budget Suitability:
Because you can find the best variety of looks in laminates for lesser price compared to real materials, they are most suitable for budget interiors and for surfaces which are extensively used and require being low-maintenance.
In Indian market, you can find most laminates in all varieties and feels in price range of Rs. 60/Sqft to Rs. 250/Sqft.
Drawback:
Although laminates are printed, if you choose carefully the ones having high quality prints, they are quite good in terms of achieving the original look of the inspired material. For example a quality textured matt laminate inspired by wood or terrazzo etc.
The only drawback you can find in laminates is its edge finishing when they are pasted edge-to-edge, especially on furniture. It’s pretty sharp even after skillful application. This could be resolved with post forming or 90 degree bendable laminates, but it has limitations in terms of applications and therefore can solve this problem to certain extent only.
The Verdict:
None-the-less, laminates, in our opinion are the most versatile solution to achieve any desired finish with any type of budget. It has numerous advantages with only one drawback we could think of and therefore they are most used and most popular interior finish available today.