"fred" wrote in message
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On Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 12:03:09 PM UTC, michael adams wrote:
"fred" wrote in message
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On Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 8:38:49 PM UTC, newshound wrote:
On 17/01/2015 17:16, wrote:
On Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 12:31:27 PM UTC, wrote:
On Tuesday, 24 February 2004 19:51:30 UTC, Rachel wrote:
My question is : Has anyone had any experience of covering the
existing worktops using FABLON ?

Fablon type sticky-back-plastic won't be anywhere near hard-wearing enough.

Alternatives might be:

linoleum
http://www.svane.com/svane---uk/fors.../linoleum.aspx
http://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-uk/...inoleum/bt4vgq
http://www.tsbooker.co.uk/Worktops/L..._worktops.html

tile over it with worktop tiles and waterproof grout

surface over it with stainless steel

If it's just the cooker area that is going to need expensive special worktop,
you
could cost up getting that done in steel by a fabricator and use cheap ordinary
worktop for the rest. Cheap ordinary worktop is probably cheaper than anything
else.

You can also of course buy melamine laminate on its own and apply to the
existing
worktops, especially if you can de-assemble them rather than relaminating in
situ.

Owain

Surely lino is rapidly damaged by hot pans


NT

Melamine (e.g. Formica) is quite heat resistant (unlike genuine lino or
the modern vinyl replacement). I havn't seen Formica for ages but it is
(or used to be) a good fix for shelves, worktops, or work benches which
see heavy duty. No good on modern style radiussed worktops though.

While Formica is still in business what probably did for it was the
fact that they manufactured their decorative laminate sheets in so
many different patterns and colours. Which may have been economical
at some point but was hit by the rise of the modular kitchen
manufacturers who made their own. So that their prices nowadays
are a lot higher relative to other materials than was formerly the
case as they mainly serve a niche market who are willing to pay
high prices so as to be different from everybody else.
They even do a range Younique allowing buyers to design
their own.



Melamine is NOT Formica

It's been used for the surface veneer though, since 1938.

When it was invented Formica used bakelite resin as a bonding
agent and surface veneer using layers of fabric as a filler.
From 1938 onwards it used melanine resin as a bonding
agent and surface veneer, using kraft paper as a filler.
Which presumably accounts for the brown colour.
Melamine was chosen because of its heat, abrasion
and moisture resistance and the same would apply
to any material coated with melamine.


michael adams

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My beef was that melamine veneers as generally applied to chipboard
or mdf are literally paper thin as opposed to formica which is
relatively thick The pattern on malamine will eventually wear
away whereas Formica is pretty indestructible in normal use.

Indeed its galling to see perfectly serviceable*Formica laminate
on tables etc being sent to landfill. All for the lack of a
solvent to get it off cleanly and the problem of being stuck
with the tables

*Serviceable for workshop purposes at least.




High Pressure Laminate appears to be the new poster boy in this area

Nowadays most kitchens will probably go out of style before
the laminate shows any signs of wear. Similarly I can't see
that many granite worktops, being handed down from mother to
daughter, down the generations.


michael adams

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