Boardmaster belongs to South Africa’s leading board suppliers. One of their strongest assets is their wealth of experience in the business, having been built almost four decades ago.

They are experts when it comes to chipboards, countertops, melamine, Formica laminate sheets, melamine products, and other board products for living and kitchen areas.

One thing we like about Boardmaster is most of their products are locally manufactured by well-established companies such as PG Bison, Sonae Novobord, and Masonite. However, if you prefer imported wood products, they have some available too.

Customers also prefer them for their wide selection of high-quality board products. We appreciate how there are a variety of choices for laminate countertops in terms of textures and colours.

Boardmaster is also quite popular for its competitive pricing. They’re proud to be one of the shops in Johannesburg where you can score wood-based products at the lowest price.

Nonetheless, there are a handful of grumbles regarding Boardmaster’s late and incorrect deliveries. 

We’re told some of the previous customers experienced delays in the delivery of their orders. Some items were also incorrect and delivered to the wrong addresses, which was inconvenient for the buyers.

What’s worse is their customer service isn’t that helpful either. Customers complain about how representatives are difficult to contact and seem uninterested in assisting them with their concerns, which is dispiriting. 

Builders is one of the biggest distributors of home improvement and building materials in South Africa. They’re a well-established business that recently expanded in  Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia too.

We love that they have several branches nationwide, making it easier to move stocks around. In Johannesburg alone, Builders has five branches and several more near the city.

One of our favourite features of Builders Express is their well-stocked and organised online catalogue. Customers can easily place their orders online and drop by the nearest store to pick them up or have the items delivered at an additional cost.

Previous customers commend the shop’s convenient transactions. They also appreciate Builders’ timely deliveries of their orders.

Builders is also highly sought after for its wide selection of products. We’re impressed that have everything from appliances, building materials, decor, tiles and flooring, and home and office fixtures.

We love that they offer several laminate countertop choices, allowing customers to compare looks and prices. Customers also appreciate the shop’s reasonable pricing for great quality products.

We do have some concerns about their customer service, though. There are several complaints about Builders’ representatives being unresponsive to customers’ questions.

Many customers also found it difficult to have staff assist them, which is disappointing. Moreover, we’re told some customers encountered personnel who seemed clueless and uninterested in dealing with clients.

Next on our list is Citiwood, a well-established business built in 1980. Through the years, they built their name to be one of the leading bulk suppliers and distributors of boards for retail, kitchen, and office fixtures in Johannesburg.

Aside from their credibility, many customers prefer Citiwood because they’re partnered with several renowned local and international brands like Bisonbord, Sonae Arauco, PG Bison, and more.

Citiwood prides itself on offering premium quality products, which we approve. Their catalogue is well-stocked with chipboard, plywood, hardboard, shelving, and laminates.

We like that it’s easy for customers to go through Citiwood’s products on their website. Their listings are pretty informative too, which can make it easier for buyers to decide on what they want.

One of our favourite features of Citiwood is their 3D kitchen design tool, which customers can access through consultation with the shop’s team. 

This tool allows customers to see a preview of their dream kitchen setup using the products selected from the collection.

It’s worth mentioning, though, that Citiwood’s selection of laminate boards for countertops is more limited compared to its competitors. Nonetheless, they do offer a small pool of choices on the board’s colours and patterns.

Despite being in the business for over four decades already, we noted that Citiwood’s customer service isn’t the best one out there. Previous customers found communicating with the shop’s representatives difficult, as they’re not very responsive to enquiries.

Easylife Kitchens is a renowned international company incorporated in 1992. They have several branches nationwide and are tagged as one of the leading kitchen suppliers in the country, as well as in many European countries.

Originally, they specialise in manufacturing ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets and built-in cupboards, but they expanded into kitchen installations and over time, overall home design.

They also started to host showrooms to showcase their selection of outstanding and affordable kitchen finishing and accessories. We think this is brilliant for homeowners looking to remodel their homes but are looking for design ideas.

We love how Easylife Kitchens is a one-stop shop for all renovation needs as they also offer home renovation assistance such as handyman services, plumbing and electricity, tilling and cladding, furnishing installations, and more.

While Easylife Kitchens does offer a wide range of kitchen products including laminate countertops, they’re not available on their website so you would have to pay their store a visit to browse. 

The good thing is you can look through their pre-designed kitchen pegs which we think can be helpful in setting a budget in mind, especially if you’re planning to re-do your whole kitchen.

However, take note that Easylife Kitchens charges a R 750 consultation fee if customers decide to accept their quotations, which we think can be a little pricey for some.

They offer flexible payment terms and accept credit cards, though, and that’s a plus for us.

Carpenters Warehouse is a fast-growing direct supplier of timber products. Although they just started its operations in 2014, the company was able to set a solid track record and build a name for itself.

As a direct supplier, they’re preferred for their competitive pricing for top-notch home and kitchen furnishings. They’re also favoured for good customer service.

Many of their previous customers commend Carpenters Warehouse’s staff for being attentive, welcoming, and knowledgeable. 

We love that they also offer value-added services such as cutting and edging, drilling, grooving, cutouts, and of course, wrapping and delivery. 

Carpenters Warehouse is partnered with PG Bison and Novolam and they’re an accredited distributor for the respective brands. 

We think it’s great that the company prioritises quality, but it’s also worth mentioning that their selection is quite limited compared to their competitors.

Carpenters Warehouse also features several pre-designed kitchen setups in their showroom, showcasing some of their laminate countertops. We think this is a helpful strategy in helping customers envision what their choice looks like.

For us, the only downside with going for Carpenters Warehouse is their inconvenient location. While they do offer their services and products to Gauteng province, their warehouse is located at Alberton, which is a bit of a drive from Joburg.