Questions to Ask Before Buying Laminates for Your Home in Singapore
When it comes to choosing the best quality laminate for your home in Singapore, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the variety of laminate colour, pattern, texture, and finish. Eventually, this becomes a struggle for many homeowners like you, who also have to find the right laminate supplier in Singapore.
That said, whether you’re renovating your home or resurfacing the interiors, knowing the things to ask your laminate supplier before confirming your choice of laminates is part of your right as a consumer.
After all, the more you know, the easier it is for you to make your decisions. Most importantly, you can make sure that you’re paying for the quality you desire. But for you to do that, you will need to ask some of the questions we discuss below.
Questions to Ask Before Buying Laminates
Ask and you shall receive – this phrase will never go old, especially in the field of interior design because it’s the only way for interior designers, suppliers, contractors, and homeowners to discover the best materials to transform a house into a home. Here are the questions you should ask your laminate supplier in Singapore.
1. What are the types of laminates available?
Laminates were invented around a century ago and are still the preferred interior surfacing materials for residential and commercial projects. Thanks to their design versatility, laminates come in a variety of colour, pattern, texture, and finish.
On top of that, there are different types of laminates such as technology-integrated surfaces, wood laminates, compact laminates, post-form laminates, etc. – all of which offer varying properties along with different levels of durability and impact resistance.
By asking this question to your laminate supplier, you’ll find that not all laminates are produced the same or share similar characteristics as each laminate is produced for varying purposes.
2. Why does the actual sample differ slightly from the images shown online?
Most laminate suppliers in Singapore will try to ensure the accuracy of the images on their websites and in all printed material. However, there will still be a slight difference due to light reflection or the lighting of digital devices used when browsing.
What you can do as a homeowner/interior designer is to request actual samples from your laminate supplier. That way, you can ensure that your selected style and colour match the actual product.
You can either visit the showroom to look for the product sample or order several samples and get them delivered to you. Some suppliers can provide samples with variations for free.
3. Where can laminates be used?
Since laminates are made from layers of craft paper with melamine resin acting as a core protective layer followed by decorative paper, our experts advise against using laminates in wet areas of your home such as the shower area of your bathroom.
If you’re using laminates for your bathroom vanity, make sure they’re not used as a back splash or touch the flooring because prolonged exposure to moisture can damage the laminate. Additionally, laminates are not suitable for outdoor areas.
On the contrary, laminates can be used on both vertical and horizontal surfaces such as the interior walls, and built-in or standalone furniture to create surface coverings that are unlike anything you’ve seen.
4. What sizes do they come in?
Most of Jennings’ laminates come in standard sizes of 2440mm (length) x 1220mm (width) x 0.7mm (thickness). If you’re using them in larger areas to create a feature wall, you will need to join multiple sheets of the same laminate, which can result in unsightly joint lines.
If you require larger laminate sheets, you can raise the issue with your interior designer and they will suggest ways to mask the unsightly joint lines. For example, using metal strips, groove lines or turning your feature into a herringbone design.
5. Will my surface laminate affect indoor air quality?
This very much depends on the brand of laminate that you purchase. While there’s no denying that laminates do emit volatile organic content (VOC) into the air, you can reduce it by selecting a tested and certified laminate supplier like Jennings Laminates.
That said, Jennings Laminates is a proud recipient of the Singapore Green Label certificate whereby its products have fulfilled the requirements of low emission and low toxicity, making them suitable for use in environments where people spend extended periods.
Aside from these questions, you should know that laminating your home surfaces has a lot of pros – it is inexpensive, long-lasting, highly durable, and come in a variety of colours, patterns, textures, and finishes to provide you with an alternative for your home décor.
At Jennings Laminates, we offer a wide variety of quality laminates to give you the real deal at a more affordable price. View our full catalogue for more options and inspirations for your home!