Laboratory Work Surfaces and Countertops
Epoxy resin, phenolic resin, type 304 stainless steel, chemical-resistant laminate, polypropylene and hardwood tops — in stock, special order and custom fabricated. Send us the drawings and the chemicals, and we will tell you which surface belongs on each bench and what it does to your schedule.
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A work surface is the one part of a laboratory that every procedure touches, and it is also the part most often chosen by habit rather than by exposure. Labs USA supplies epoxy resin, phenolic resin, stainless steel, chemical-resistant laminate, polypropylene, solid surface and hardwood tops, from INSTOCK® sizes through to fully custom fabrication. Each material is rated for particular chemical, heat and impact exposures, so the right answer comes from what happens on the bench rather than from what the last project used. If you want the long-form decision table first, read our lab countertop material comparison guide.
The Six Materials, Side by Side
| Material | Where it belongs | Watch out for | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epoxy resin | Chemistry benches, hot work, fume hood interiors, heavy solvent and acid use | Heaviest of the resin options; base cabinets and stands must be sized for it | ~6 business days after approved drawings |
| Phenolic resin | General lab bench, teaching labs, long casework runs where weight and budget matter | Poor high-temperature tolerance — can delaminate; keep it out of hot zones | ~6 business days after approved drawings |
| Type 304 stainless steel | Cleanrooms, sterile processing, wash-down, food and pharma QC | Shows scratches; not for strong chloride or some acid exposure | ~7–8 weeks after approved drawings |
| Chemical-resistant laminate | Light-duty benches, offices adjoining labs, instrument tables, colour matching | Edges and seams are the weak point with standing liquid | ~7–8 weeks after approved drawings |
| Polypropylene | Acid digestion, trace metals, perchloric work, alongside polypropylene casework and hoods | Low heat tolerance; specify with matching casework rather than as a one-off top | Quoted per project |
| Hardwood | Balance tables, physics and instrument benches, dry work | Not for chemical or wet exposure | ~7–8 weeks after approved drawings |
Epoxy or Phenolic: the Decision Most Projects Actually Face
Nearly every casework package comes down to this one choice, and the question we are asked most often is what the cost difference is to change the tops from phenolic to epoxy. The honest technical answer is short. Phenolic tops are a bit lighter and have the same acid resistance as epoxy, but they cannot handle high temperatures well and they tend to delaminate when they are pushed. Epoxy takes the heat.
So the specification should follow the heat, not the budget line. Put epoxy where there are hot plates, burners, digestion blocks, furnaces or hot glassware, and inside fume hoods where reactions run warm. Phenolic is a perfectly good and lighter surface for the rest of the run, and it normally shows up as a net deduct on the bottom line, which is why it is worth zoning a large job rather than picking one material for the whole lab. If the shop drawings say phenolic shelves and you are not sure that was deliberate, pull the original engineering files before you approve — that check has saved projects a re-order more than once.
Phenolic and epoxy resin tops compared. Full detail in our phenolic vs epoxy guide.
Sizes, Depths, Edges and Cutouts
INSTOCK® epoxy and phenolic tops cover standard casework sizes and can be special ordered to suit a specific size or an awkward space. Custom tops are available in one-inch (2.5 cm) thick black epoxy resin and phenolic resin, designed to your dimensions. Beyond the size itself, the details that matter on a shop drawing are:
- Depth — standard casework depths, or a custom depth for an island, an instrument bench or a wall with services running behind it.
- Edge detail — the profile at the front edge, including drip and marine edges where liquid handling is routine.
- Backsplash — a standard splash, an extra-high splash, or a four-inch splash to match an existing run of vanities or benches.
- Cutouts — sinks, cup sinks, faucets, eyewash, service fixtures, gas and vacuum outlets, electrical receptacles, pegboard pegs and equipment penetrations.
- Overhang — how much top hangs past the cabinet face; phenolic tops ship with guides for this, and it should be agreed rather than assumed.
- Matching existing work — where a prefabricated top or an installed run has to be matched, the dimensions are critical and come from the drawings, not from a catalogue.
Sinks, Faucets and Eyewash in the Top
Most work surface problems we see on site are not material problems, they are location problems. Sink and faucet positions should be dimensioned on the shop drawings from a wall or a cabinet edge, because “centered” means different things to the person drawing the room and the person building the cabinet. Where a base cabinet has no centre bar, the sink can sit anywhere across that unit, which gives you freedom — and makes writing the dimension down more important, not less. Eyewash units are best shown in line with the faucet, and either side of it is usually fine as long as it suits the sink centring.
We can quote a sink in epoxy or in stainless, drop-in or undermount, single or double bowl, along with the faucet, the eyewash and a stainless sink base. Bowl sizes are not infinitely variable, so send the size you want and we will confirm what is actually available before it goes on a drawing. One thing to settle explicitly: whether the quote includes the plumbing and piping needed for installation, or only the fixtures. See the full range of laboratory sinks and fixtures.
Seams, Splashes and What Happens on Install Day
Long benches are made of multiple tops, so where the seams fall is a design decision. Specifiers frequently expect continuous countertops along a whole run, and that expectation needs to be reconciled with fabrication and door-width reality before approval rather than after delivery. Where a new top meets a fume hood counter, the seam gap gets measured on site and closed with resin fill pieces, and the same applies to pegboard pegs and splash pieces at the hood. Plan for that step and it is a half-hour job; ignore it and it becomes a return visit.
Two other install realities worth knowing. Epoxy is heavy, so base cabinets, C-frame and table frames have to be specified to carry it, and shipments often arrive in stages — frames and structure separately from the tops, shelving and sinks. If your schedule depends on a partial delivery, say so early and we will sequence it.
Lead Times, and the Date That Actually Matters
Most black epoxy and phenolic tops, including custom sizes, can be fabricated within about six business days after receipt of approved drawings. Stainless steel, laminate and hardwood tops are roughly seven to eight weeks after approved drawings. Notice what both sentences have in common: the clock starts at drawing approval. On the projects that run late, the delay is almost never fabrication — it is the two weeks a drawing spent waiting for a signature. Get the shop drawings reviewed fast and a resin top is one of the few lab items that can still be caught up after a schedule slips.
If a specified top will not make the date, an alternate with equivalent chemical resistance is often acceptable to the owner. We will lay out exactly which properties match so the decision is made on facts.
What to Send Us for an Accurate Quote
- Material preference, or simply the chemicals and temperatures in use and we will recommend one.
- Dimensions and quantities, or the shop drawings and the spec section if you have them.
- Depth, thickness, edge detail and backsplash height.
- Sink, faucet, eyewash and service fixture locations, dimensioned from a wall or cabinet edge.
- Whether the top sits on our casework, on a C-frame or table frame, or on cabinets already in place.
- Whether you need the plumbing and piping in scope, or fixtures only.
- Delivery address and the date you need it on site.
- Photographs and dimensions of any existing tops that have to be matched.
Complete specifications and physical samples of every work surface material are available — ask and we will send them before you commit to a material on paper.
Shop Workbench Tops Online
This Lyon quick-ship workbench kit puts a hardwood top on bench-height modular cabinets and ships from our online store. Epoxy, phenolic, stainless and other lab tops are quoted to size.
Comparing materials? Read why phenolic resin laboratory work surfaces matter and our overview of phenolic resin properties before you choose a top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I specify epoxy resin or phenolic resin countertops?
Phenolic tops are lighter and have essentially the same acid resistance as epoxy, and they usually come in at a net deduct against epoxy, so on a large casework run the saving is real. The trade-off is heat: phenolic does not handle high temperatures well and can delaminate, so anywhere you have hot plates, burners, muffle furnaces, autoclaves or sustained hot work, epoxy is the safer specification. A common and sensible answer is to mix them, using epoxy in the hot and heavy chemical zones and phenolic across the rest of the bench run.
How long do laboratory work surfaces take?
Black epoxy and phenolic tops, including custom sizes in one-inch thickness, can generally be fabricated within about six business days of approved drawings, which makes them the schedule-safe choice. Stainless steel, chemical-resistant laminate and hardwood tops run roughly seven to eight weeks after approved drawings. The clock starts at drawing approval, not at the purchase order, so getting the shop drawings reviewed quickly is the single biggest thing you control.
Can you substitute an equivalent if the specified top has a long lead time?
Often yes, and it is a conversation we have regularly: owners will accept an alternate route as long as the countertop has the same chemical-resistant properties as the one specified. We will tell you which properties the alternate matches and which it does not, so your specifier or the owner makes the call with the facts rather than on a promise.
Do you supply the sinks, faucets and eyewash, or just the tops?
We can supply and coordinate the whole work surface package: the top, the undermount or drop-in sink, the faucet, the eyewash and the backsplash. What matters is agreeing early who provides the plumbing and piping for the installation itself, because that is usually the contractor’s scope and it is the most common gap we find in a quote comparison. Ask us to spell it out line by line and we will.
How is a sink located in the countertop?
Sink and faucet locations are set on the shop drawings before fabrication, dimensioned from a wall or a cabinet edge rather than described as centered, because a cabinet centre and a room centre are rarely the same point. If there is no centre bar in the base cabinet, the sink can usually be placed wherever you need it across that unit. Eyewash units should be shown in line with the faucet unless you tell us otherwise. Get these marked on the drawings and the cutouts arrive right the first time.
What sizes, thicknesses and edge details are available?
Standard depths cover normal casework runs, and custom epoxy and phenolic tops are available in one-inch (2.5 cm) thickness in the size you need. You can order different depths, special edge details, extra-high backsplashes and cutouts for sinks, fixtures, pegboard pegs and equipment. If a prefabricated top or an existing run has to be matched, send the dimensions from the shop drawings, because matching an existing top is dimension-critical work rather than a catalogue selection.
Can you match countertops we already have installed?
Yes, and it is a frequent request, whether that is adding vanities that match two existing ones or extending a lab bench run. Send photographs and the dimensions, and the old engineering files or spec section if you still have them. Where an old top has to meet a new one, we plan the seam and the fill pieces up front rather than discovering the gap on install day.
Can you replace just the top on an existing lab bench?
Yes. Replacing one worn or damaged top while keeping the cabinets or frame is a common request, and one-inch phenolic or epoxy resin is the usual replacement. To quote it, send:
- The finished length and depth, and whether that includes front or side overhang.
- Thickness (one inch is standard), the front edge profile and any backsplash.
- Every cutout, such as a sink, faucet, service fixture or grommet, dimensioned from an edge.
- What the top sits on (base cabinets, a C-frame or a table frame) and how the old top is fastened: screwed up through the cabinet or frame, clipped, or bonded with adhesive.
- Photos of the edge, the underside and the whole bench.
Tell us whether removing and disposing of the old top should be in the quote.
Do you offer stainless steel work surfaces?
Yes, in type 304 stainless for wash-down areas, cleanrooms, sterile processing and any bench where the specification calls for a non-porous metal surface, including stainless sink bases in standard depths and widths. Stainless carries a longer lead time than resin tops, so it is worth deciding early whether the whole run needs it or only the wet and wash-down zones.
More Laboratory Furniture
Tell us what happens on the bench
Send the drawings, the chemicals and the date. We will come back with a work surface material for each zone, the sink and fixture scope spelled out, and a lead time you can build a schedule on — and we will say so if the surface you have been specified is wrong for the work.
Get a Free QuoteCall (801) 855-8560