Is it possible to buy sheets of what I'd call 'Formica', but these days seems to be called 'high pressure laminate'?
Time was you could wander into your nearest B&Q and they'd have sheets of the stuff in many different colours and sheet sizes. Nowadays it seems to have completely disappeared from our shelves. I did a quick Google for UK suppliers but even that didn't come up with any viable places to actually buy the stuff.
Anyone know? Cheers.
Regards
Mark
It'd be my choice too - I've been using an old self-coloured Formica countertop I salvaged from work. I hate to replace it with that vomit-coloured stuff ....
just been googling - thought there was somewhere in south Wales that sold genuine Formica
there are stories of explosions caused by the fumes from vast acreages of contact adhesive neccessary on a kitchen scale ...
I had a notion to try concrete ....
Jeremy
Last time I looked, genuine Formica wasn't available. Company had folded and there was only a little old stock still around. Shame really, as it's an excellent material.
It's a good plan. Read this first: "Concrete Countertops: Design, Forms and Finishes"
Why not ask at
HTH
John
Time was you could wander into your nearest B&Q and they'd have sheets of the stuff in many different colours and sheet sizes. Nowadays it seems to have completely disappeared from our shelves. I did a quick Google for UK suppliers but even that didn't come up with any viable places to actually buy the stuff.
Anyone know? Cheers.
Regards
Mark
Why not ask at
HTH
John
Hi,
AFAIK a more generic name for Formica is melamine:
so a search on 'melamine laminate' should turn up some more mfrs/ suppliers apart from Formica. They should then be able to supply samples and point you to a retailer or distributor if need be.
cheers, Pete.
'Formica' is still freely available. Keep Googling. There are alternatives also available, Polyrey is one. A good sheet goods supplier should be able to help or ask a local kitchen manufacturer.
I don't think malamine is the same as Formica. Formica sheet is quite thick. Melamine is paper thin. Thinner, as full sheets of melamaine faced boards often have untrimmed edges with small pieces of melamine projecting and they can give nasty 'paper' cuts as I know to my cost. We insist on gloves being worn when handling these full sheets.
Melamine is the resin used to make Formica (along with sheets of paper and high pressure).
"High pressure laminate" is one of several resins, with pressure, but rarely with melamine.
Contiplas is chipboard covered in a thin layer of melamine impregnated printed paper, with no pressure.
Melaware is a '60s break-proof crockery of pure melamine and no paper at all.
The reason Formica is so hard-wearing is the _combination_ of melamine and high presure. It's something like 1/2" thick before they squash it.
Sent an email - four days later not answered. So phoned up, was told the lady that deals with public enquiries is busy she'll phone me back. A day later no phone. Phones again, she's still not available. Can't anyone else at all help? I ask. No. So I ask how come their web site has no list of stockists? Can't answer that, but get promise that the one and only lady who can talk to me about actually buying their bloody product will absolutely, definitely phone me back. A day later still no phone.
And they wonder why some companies go bust. Guess Formica's off my list of things to buy. Ho-Hum.
Regards
Mark
I don't really mind what exactly it is, but more where I might actually buy a couple of sheets, preferably from a local DIY shed.
But cheers to one and all for the answers so far.
Regards
Mark
These are distributors, they have several branches round the country, so possibly your local branch could suggest a retailer. Their website claims 2,500 laminates and 44,000 worktops
International Decorative Surfaces
Regards
Mark
anyway.
Regards
Mark
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