My wife and I redo alot of houses, and we have always found that for a laundry room, you cannot beat the basic Lamanet(sp?) countertops.. They are inexpensive, and you can get just about any color / design you want..

They are also pretty durable, and it wouldnt be hard to design a removable top for it.....

Though it sorta depends on the $$$ range of the house.. Lamanet(sp?) tops would look pretty bad in a 200k house, (using the Tulsa, OK housing Market)... But if you were in the basic 75k to 100k house, they can really shine!

Definitely laminate! Unless you plan to entertain in the laundry room, I would go with the most economical choice. It doesn't matter what the house is worth, I can think of better areas to spend the money in!

We are doing a complete gut job on our house and I am considering laminate in the laundry room. I want a bright color and most of the solid surface materials are not cost effective for a laundry room.

I think that laminate must be ordered in specific lengths (8' or 10'?) but you could buy one of the pre-cut post-form counters at Home Depot or wherever, if you find one in a pattern/color you like.

Even though you are asking about a laundry room, you should probably check out the Bathrooms and Kitchens forums where there are a lot of counter experts.

Thank you all! I went pricing out a 6' top today, and laminate is certainly the most economical as you all suggested. (Solid surface range from $1000 to $1500, laminate $130!) I also wondered about butcher block,($325) as the slide/pull out undercounter tray (so I can fold laundry in this very small space) is going to be made of that. Or maybe, the pull out could also be covered with laminate--------

I put Silestone in my utility at the ranch and love it! I do know that even with Silestone they do have remnant pieces that would cost much less, so you might check into that at one of the dealerships. I also, think laminate would be a great choice, and most probably the best price, even if you do find remnants of some of the other countertop materials. Either way, you can't go wrong!

Since you want an undermount sink, have you tried fabricators for remnants? You would want a place that sells a small selection of stone. Another idea is prefinished granite from China which is way cheap (I think several hundred $$.) Cheaper granites would be less than solid surface and engineered quartz but still more than laminate.

When I remodeled my laundry room, I added a Formica counter and laundry sink. It wasn't too expensive and is very practical. I actually don't use the sink much for laundry, it's more of a utility sink, and that's why I used Formica. We wash paint brushes, rinse out buckets with all sorts of stuff in them, mix up mortar, etc, so the counters get a lot of abuse. The Formica is easy to clean and I don't worry about staining my expensive counter.

I don't fold clothes in the laundry room, there's just not enough room, I usually take the basket into the family room and do my folding there.

Funny that you guys started to discuss this just when I am about to start this same project myself. Here are my findings. First off, if you plan of putting a counter on top of the new 3.8 cu ft FL, good luck, and have your pocket book ready. You see, the deepest "standard" counters are those for kitchens, at 25 1/8". Assuming that one leaves around 5" of clearance behind those newer FL machines for vents, air circulation, heat, etc, then you are looking at about 30"-35" of depth, depending on how flush you want the counter to come to the front of the machine.

Having said that, there are 3 prices for laminate counters in the stores (like Home Depot). The counters you see in the store in stock are the cheapest, and will cost around $10 li ft. If you need to pick a finish that matches say the sink counter top in your bathroom where the machines are also located, then that is considered a custom order, even if it is a standard depth. This will easily double the price to $20 li ft. Now if you want to order a non-standard depth so that it goes from the back of the wall to the front of your new FL, then you are looking at $35-$50 li ft, depending on type of finish like rounded vs sqaure front edge, back ledge or no ledge, etc...

Keep this in mind when shopping for a counter top. I would like my counter to cover the machines completely, so I might have to bite the bullet and order the more expensive counter top.... Again, I am talking about a laminate counter top, no fancy materials here....

I am from Canada, and here is what the local Home Depot quoted me in Canadian dollars for the 3 options..

1) In-Store counter (limited finishes)
25 1/8" (standard depth) X 6 feet = $68 CAD

2. Custom order counter (you choose the finish)
   25 1/8" (standard depth) X 6 feet = $132 - $150 CAD

30 Csutom order counter (you choose the finish)
30-35" (non standard depth) X 6 feet = $222 CAD

I believe the last option of non-standard depth only allows for a square front edge finish. If you want a rounder edge in front, like that found on your kitchen counter, the price jumps to $500 CAD, since the guy said that they have to charge for a full 4X8 sheet, and then cut the custom size from there, in order to get the rounded front edge...

One other option you can do, which my brother did very nicely is lay down 2 sheets of plywood (for extra thickness), and tile the top and sides, looks really nice, but is a lot more work...

Just out of curiousity, what is the "bar sink" used for? It's probably adding a fair bit of cost and challenge to the project.

Re butcher block: IKEA has inexpensive butcher block countertops if you're interested in that look. There's limited choice in sizes so you would have to do some cutting and fitting yourself.

Here is a link that might be useful: IKEA wood countertop

Hello,
I have built many countertops for remodel projects. A square edge is a custom edge, and standard fare for custom sizes. The rounded edge is considered common. If you want a distinctive edge, attach molding to the edge of a square top. If you do not know what you want, look at the samples at HD.

Did you ever try to contact a solid surface fabricator direct? Lots of small fabricators have cutoffs up to 6ft for vanities or other small countertops for substantial lower price than special order. To find a fabricator near you go to www.ISSFA.org (international solid surface fabricator association)

Here is a link that might be useful: Beverin Solid Surface, Inc.