Santos kitchens with melamine or laminate finishes: variety and resistance
02 / 07 / 2020
Melamine and laminate finishes offer countless possibilities when defining the final appearance of a kitchen, aiding in its personalisation. Practically speaking, both have similar features. Their difference lies in the manufacturing process, surface nuances and degree of resistance. Santos has a wide variety of finishes for each of these materials—all tested to ensure performance and durability.
Melamines: finishes for every taste
Melamine is made by covering—under heat and pressure—an MDF or chipboard with a decorative sheet impregnated with melamine resins, giving it a certain texture.
It is an ideal choice for fronts, sides and decorative panels in the kitchen, easy to clean and resistant to blows and scratches. Santos has a broad range of melamines, both with wooden and unicolour finishes, with the latter in gloss, silk and matt variants. Due to its characteristics and the array of available designs, it is one of the most popular and preferred solutions by users.
Laminates: greater detail and resistance
Laminate is made by covering a chipboard or MDF with several layers of Kraft paper impregnated with phenolic resins, plus a sheet of decorative paper impregnated with melamine resin. The printed designs are protected by an overlay—a transparent paper laminate impregnated with melamine resin—, and all these components are hot pressed together. The result is a material that is extra resistant against daily wear and tear, blows, scratches and moisture, turning it into the perfect option for work surfaces.
Santos also has multiple finishes for this material, including wood, stone and unicolour in anti-fingerprint or matt finishes:
Laminates with wooden and stone finishes
Synchro models available in the Coffee Oak and Rustic Oak variants—both with horizontal or vertical grain—stand out among the Santos laminates with a wooden finish. They are absolutely remarkable, because they accurately imitate the appearance and texture of natural wood, including its irregularities and imperfections—perceptible by sight and touch—down to the last detail. The same goes for stone finishes such as Ceppo di Gré or Marble Grey, which faithfully mimic and convey the original minerals’ traits.
LAH laminates
They are the result of the application of nanotechnology and hardened acrylic resins. They feature surface coatings with super matt and anti-fingerprint finishes, with a soft and pleasant feel. They are suitable for both fronts and worktops, making it possible to create single-colour sets.
Maintenance and cleaning tips
Maintenance for melamine and laminate surfaces of Santos kitchens is similar to maintenance for any other finish. Although these materials are highly resistant to wear and tear, heat and moisture, it is advisable to avoid using scouring pads and aggressive substances on them, as well as prolonged contact with liquids, steam and excessive heat.
To clean them, use a cleaning cloth or cloth moistened with water or a water and neutral soap solution if the dirt proves difficult to remove. After cleaning, dry the surface and the edges using a soft cotton cloth or a cellulose sponge cloth.
The same general instructions also apply to laminate worktops. In this case, it is advisable not to cut or slice directly on the material and not to place hot pots or pans onto the surface. Moreover, it is important to avoid direct contact of the joints between worktops and edges with water, drying the accumulated liquid and wet areas as soon as possible.
You may also be interested in
Santos Newsletter
Subscribe and we’ll keep you updated on the latest news on our kitchens.
