By the 1950’s, Formica was a common sight in diners, soda shops and nearly 1/3 of the homes inAmerica. The Formica brand symbolized post-warAmericaand was seen as a triumph of American modernity and manufacturing ingenuity.
After falling from favor, Formica is now experiencing, like most things do, a rise in popularity as its turning 100 years old. There are seriously thousands of colors, patters and textures. Pair this up with the fact that there is now a new manufacturing process that uses nontoxic resins and recycled paper, Formica has become the “sweetheart” of many remodelers who are on a budget, or who would rather go green.
Formica consists of layers of paper soaked in resin and compressed together to form a surfacing material. The name came from the fact that it was originially produced as a substitute for mica, a substance that naturally occurs and is used to insulate electrical material.
Formica is favored because it’s not only super strong but is also very thin. Since it’s made out of paper you can also print any pattern or design on it.
Though it’s primarily used as decorative application on countertops, tabletops, and walls it was initially developed to be a strong and lightweight material for electrical insulation. By the 1930s all major auto manufacturers were using Formica to make their timing gears. However lately people have been getting extra creative with Formica and have been making jewelry, sculptures, and colorful headboards. You can bed it, cut it and apply it to almost any surface.
Bonus Fact: In February 1913, Westinghouse paid Dan O’Conner the princely sum of $1 for developing the technique for making laminated insulators (the precursor to Formica). Weeks later, he rewarded their generosity by leaving the company to start his own insulator business with Herbert Faber, another Westinghouse employee, who actually coined the term Formica.
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