Top Misunderstandings About Home Surfaces

Revealing the Top Misunderstandings About Home Surfaces

IMAGES COURTESY OF FORMICA

BY AMY GATH

At a time when home improvement projects are on the rise, it turns out homeowners may not be as knowledgeable about their next renovation as we think.

In March, Formica Corporation surveyed 1,000 homeowners and 250 interior designers to understand just how much consumers know about the surfacing materials they commonly request and use within their homes. We wanted to gauge consumer understanding about the nuances of these surfaces, and what we found ultimately revealed a significant gap between what homeowners say they want for their kitchen and bath surfaces and their knowledge of the desired material. We thought we had a fairly accurate idea of what we might find, but the actual results were astounding.

For example, our survey unveiled that twothirds of homeowners could not correctly identify the primary material used to create quartz surfaces. This particular finding led our design team to reflect on a recent experience with a consumer that reinforces this misconception: the homeowner was absolutely certain that her quartz countertops came right out of the ground as a slab material. Evidently, many others share this misconception about quartz— which is an engineered surface.

There is clearly a need to push consumers beyond what is trendy and educate them about the full range of options available from leading surfacing providers. For example, when it comes to laminate, 95% of homeowners could Just 7% of designers feel their clients are adequately educated about the common differences between laminate, granite, marble, quartz and solid surfacing, among others.

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not name the primary components, which are treated layers of Kraft paper and a decorative sheet pressed together under high heat. That statistic is far too high. Technological advances have made it easier than ever before for designers and homeowners to find beautiful, durable surfaces, but there is a knowledge gap about the ones that are best suited to their specific lifestyle needs.

The interior designers we surveyed agreed—93% said that homeowners confuse key differences in surfacing materials. That means just 7% of designers feel their clients are adequately educated about the common differences between laminate, granite, marble, quartz and solid surfacing, among others.

In other findings, the survey reinforced that cleanliness has never been more important than it is right now. When choosing a countertop, 85% of homeowners say it would be useful to have a nonporous surface. However, we found that 70% of homeowners do not realize that marble requires sealing to protect against common everyday problems like staining—and 63% don’t realize that granite requires regular sealing maintenance. This presents another opportunity to educate consumers about key performance attributes of different surface materials to ensure they find a countertop that meets their expectations.

There is an abundance of opportunities for education. More than 70% of consumers are planning home improvement projects within the next year, and a majority of these consumers want to replace their kitchen countertops.

The good news? There is an abundance of opportunities for education. More than 70% of consumers are planning home improvement projects within the next year, and a majority of these consumers want to replace their kitchen countertops. If given the chance, 59% would go with a completely different material than the one they currently have.

While it’s critical to cater to what the homeowner wants from a surface, as the experts we have an obligation to make sure the material will actually live up to their expectations. Now is the time for us to listen, learn and continue educating homeowners about the surfacing options best suited to their lifestyles. s p

Amy Gath is Vice President of Marketing at Formica Corporation.

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