Plastic kitchen worktops: design options and selection rules

Not everyone can afford even the cheapest artificial stone countertop. To the kitchen does not look worse than others, buy a plastic one.

The basis of the plastic countertops for the kitchen - wood-particle (less often wood-fiber) plate of different thicknesses with a layer of plastic. A reliable connection between them is achieved by exposure to pressure and high temperature. Using the postforming method, the finish layer bends and smoothly flows around the leading edge to form a perfectly smooth surface.

The plastic countertops have a decorative and protective melamine coating. Decorate it with any pattern using the digital printing method. They even imitate the natural structure of elite wood or granite. The topmost layer applied over the picture may be matte, glossy or “rough”.

Plastic kitchen worktop There are undeniable advantages:

• affordable price (square meter costs from 1000 to 4000 rubles);
• easy care (even a brush and a cleaning agent with abrasives are used to clean dirt);
• does not fade under the influence of ultraviolet rays;
• heat resistance (short-term contact with hot water, whose temperature is 180–230 ° C, does not destroy and does not render worthless the selected countertop with love);
• immunity to moisture;
• easy assembly and disassembly;
• a variety of textures and colors.

Along with the advantages, she has serious disadvantages:

• upon closer examination, a plastic countertop is easily distinguished from marble or granite;
• formaldehyde can be released through the damaged end face, which has a toxic effect;
• the countertop swells if moisture gets into the damaged place;
• there will always be noticeable seams on the countertop of the corner kitchen set.

Often buy a finished product made of PVC, made of laminated boards. They are produced in Russia and Europe. Mistresses choose the right one from the assortment of a hardware store. Often among the presented do not find the desired. In this case, they turn to furniture shops that specialize in the production of countertops.

Choosing a stove for a countertop, make sure of its absolute safety for health. It should not be toxic. A suitable emission class is E1. Bona fide sellers in Russia have a certificate of conformity or a conclusion by Rospotrebnadzor on products.

It is important to determine whether the countertop was made of moisture-resistant chipboard or not. Since the kitchen is a place of high humidity, ordinary chipboard will quickly become worthless. It is easy to distinguish moisture-resistant material from non-moisture-resistant. For this, it is enough to examine the kink. If you see a greenish tint, then the particle board is moisture resistant. In the absence of a break, moisture resistance is determined at a price: conventional chipboard is several times cheaper.

To prevent moisture from entering joints and joints, they are treated with silicone sealant in the workshops or hidden behind an aluminum profile. Sometimes they use another version of their processing called euro-saws: the seams are made invisible, duplicating the joints with coupling screws and lubricating the joints with glue-sealant. Euro-saws are also made on the finished product, but they ask for up to 4000 rubles for it.

The tabletop is not bought at random - it is selected for the kitchen, based on its size. Household preferences are also taken into account. The optimum plate thickness is 38 (40) or 26 (28) mm. The first is more durable, and the second is more budget-friendly at a price (50% cheaper than a "thick" plate). Rarely buy a worktop with a plate thickness of 60 mm, but it is more thorough and moisture resistant.

The standard tabletop width is 600 mm. It depends on the size of the kitchen. If desired, reduce it to 300 or increase to 1200 mm, if made to order.

The length of the product can be any, but more often up to 4200 mm. Determining with this parameter, they try to ensure that there are no seams or there are not many.

By design, a plastic countertop can be any. The practicality of use and the price directly depend on which option the hostess likes. If a product with a standard design is not liked, contact the furniture workshop.

If there are a lot of design options for the desktop surface (both in terms of color and drawing), then there are only three textures.

1. Glossy. It is smart and effective, but fingerprints and greasy spots are visible on it better than on any other surface.
2. Textured. The product imitates a stone or wooden surface. With its help create coziness in the kitchen, picking up the design of furniture or accessories. The only caveat: because of the texture, care for such a countertop is troublesome.
3. Matt Matte plastic countertop is the best and less picky to care for. If you accidentally scratch it or slap it with dirty hands, then the rough surface will hide unsightly traces from prying eyes.

When choosing tones for countertops, they are repelled from the colors used in the design of the kitchen, and the practicality of use. In tone, it can be dark or light.

A light surface is not as spectacular as a dark one, but fingerprints or small scratches are not visible on it.

On a dark surface, any flaws that appear during operation are distinguished. To correct this drawback, it is recommended to choose smooth products of brown, beige or gray color imitating natural stone.Dark or light specks will reliably hide any traces of activity in the kitchen.

Solid worktops complement the interior of the kitchens, which are decorated in minimalist styles.

The quality and service life of the product depend on what the last layer of plastic in thickness will be. In Germany and Italy produce 0.8 mm thick worktops, and in Russia and Poland - 0.4-0.5 mm. The thicker it is, the less external irritants are afraid of the surface.

If the countertop is light, but the last layer of plastic is thick, it will not lose its presentability after the first accidentally spilled cup of tea. It is preferable to choose strong, from several layers of quality kraft paper, impregnated with resins and pressed under HPL pressure, rather than CPL plastic, which burns out under the influence of sunlight and is easily scratched.

An ideal option for the kitchen is a countertop with an edge cut out of an aluminum profile. Less persistent processing options:

• edging plastic (when they want the edge to match the color of the countertop itself);
• 3d acrylic edge (when looking for a product with an individual design);
• PVC edge (when above all affordable price).

The service life of the countertops is extended by installing additional protection. A drip tray is mounted in the lower part of the plate, preventing the ingress of liquid under it. With a loose fit of the product to the wall, a skirting board is bought and decorated with a removable plank.

To prevent the plate from swelling, moisture is removed from it in a timely manner, preventing it from absorbing. Due to water flows, wet dishes are not placed close to the sides of the sink. On a countertop made of plastic, you can not beat, chop or cut products. Otherwise, the damaged layer of the laminate will be hopelessly damaged. For the same reason, products are not thawed on it.

The most budget version of the countertop is plastic. She has a wide selection of colors, textures and styles. It fits into any interior, but caring for it is more time-consuming than polymer.

You can find out which plastic tabletop to choose from the video below.