-- Countertop Replacement is Easy with Wilsonart Laminate --

TEMPLE, Texas, Feb. 23, 2004 – Most homeowners have a love-hate relationship with home renovation projects. The end results keep them excited but the process fills them with dread. “People constantly make excuses why they shouldn’t renovate and close their eyes to the process,” says New York-based interior designer John Buscarello, whose work has appeared in House Beautiful, Country Living and Better Homes & Gardens. Because of the large investment in time and money and the unavoidable mess and inconvenience that comes with renovation projects, countertop replacement in particular is often viewed as one of the most complicated procedures by those who don’t know about the wonders of laminate.

Leading laminate manufacturer Wilsonart International wants homeowners to know that not all countertop replacement is created equal. Laminate countertops offer consumers a classic upscale look without the host of negative side effects that come with other high-priced surfacing materials, such as stainless steel, natural and engineered stones and solid surface. Laminate countertops leave homeowners as happy with the replacement process as they are with the product itself. Here’s why:

• Less Time with Laminate. A major disadvantage of any home renovation project is the strain it places on the occupants’ lifestyles. Depending upon the surfacing material, countertop replacement can mean living without a kitchen countertop for as long as a month, creating the need for a temporary kitchen. This is because of the complicated and high-maintenance nature of many luxury materials. Laminate countertops offer a different route to renovation. After an owner selects the pattern and edge treatment, the contractor takes minutes to measure for the new top. After the new countertop has been constructed, the old one can be removed and replaced in as quickly as one day, depending on the kitchen size, configuration and the backsplash material.
  
• No Mess. A big advantage to choosing laminate is that the countertops are constructed off-site, significantly reducing the mess within the home. The replacement process is therefore streamlined and simple – the contractor removes the old top and installs the new one that day. There is no work-in-progress to live around. Stone, stainless steel and solid surface tops require on-site construction, which includes welding and sanding. The sanding creates large amounts of dust that permeates through the house.
  
• Cost Savings. Laminate provides an attractive cost savings due to the minimized labor and reduced cost of the material. Though it is significantly less expensive than many luxury surfacing materials, it is not less significant in quality. Laminate offers a fashion-forward, durable and ultra-low-maintenance solution to countertop needs. According to The Home Depot, which retails WilsonartÒ Laminate, the average countertop can be constructed and installed for under $1,000. This price includes Wilsonart’s premium finish on its stone-like patterns and its upscale beveled edge treatment.
  
• More Choices. Wilsonart’s 200+ laminate patterns, which includes collections of designs that replicate solid surface, granite, engineered stone, concrete, metallic looks and hardwood, to name just a few, provide consumers with a treasure trove of options as compared to the limited offerings of stone and solid surface. More choices allow homeowners to find what they want and move forward faster. Buscarello concurs, “The versatility and range of colors provided by laminate offer consumers something they cannot get with natural and engineered stones. This increases the pace of the project.”

Wilsonart International, based in Temple, Texas, is a leading manufacturer of decorative surfacing products, including Wilsonart® Laminate.  The company’s laminate was a nominee in the 2004 Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum’s National Design Awards.

For more information about Wilsonart Laminate or any Wilsonart product, please call the Customer Service Hotline at 800-433-3222, or visit the Wilsonart Web site at wilsonart.com.

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LHA020504

	Smoky Topaz 4589-7 on countertop and Kalahari Topaz 4588-7 on backsplash