Any body have experience with kitchens/countertops?

Hey Ben,

Here is a link to a laminate counter top that I built when I was trying to save money. It looked pretty nice, lasted a long time, and was cheap. Seems like JoeWoodworker did the same thing. I built up a double stack of MDF (use scraps for the bottom), edge banded it with 3/4 inch maple, covered the whole thing with laminate, routed the edge back, and then finished the maple. I also built a cutting board top (not shown) that spans the corner which kept me from having to join the laminate tops on either side.

Laminate Top

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

If you are going for resale I’d stay far away from a maple top. Too strange for most folk. I build laminate tops everyday. They are cheaper than most other tops. Concrete is very labor intensive. I’ve seen a few that homeowners have built that look pretty bad and some that look good but still have cracks and stuff. It is not as easy as it looks. Maybe you want to go tile?

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

WilsonArt has some cool new stuff
they don’t really have any prices listed for larger sheets of the stuff but I worked my way through undergrad in a small custom cabinet shop, I was trained on the countertop side and of all the laminate I worked with, WilsonArt was the most durable and least likely to crack, etc… this new surface from them is still laminate (as opposed to solid surface, etc) so it doesn’t cost as much as the better stuff but you still get a super nice finish and texture without losing an arm and a leg costwise. you can get WilsonArt from any major supplier of hardware, tools, etc such as Walden's
hope this helps.

-- Isaac, "It's no coincidence that Jesus was a lumberjock too"

I made a real nice solid cherry countertop a couple of years ago. I was reluctant because I had never made a countertop before and I thought the kitchen environment (moisture) would be a problem but she really wanted it so I laminated some 4/4 cherry to an MDF board, trimmed the edges with cherry and finished the whole thing with Waterlox because I had read that’s what some cabinet makers use in ship’s galleys. I told her it might move over the dishwasher and it did, just a little. It looks great in her kitchen and she’s happy with it. We’re looking into a new countertop for our own kitchen and I won’t be making it because I don’t think wood is the best material for a heavily used countertop.

-- Rick Hackett

I’d stay with laminate over particle board with a wood edge band. 1 1/4 of particle board with a 1 1/2 wide edge band. The maple will be too expensive if you are going to sell soon.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

dennis / thos: intuitively it seems like doing the laminate myself shouldn’t be too awful—but I have zero experience with veneering, laminates, etc. Is countertop laminate the type of job I’m likely to pull off the first time around?

Laminate is easy. There are a bunch of us here who do it way too much for our own liking. But it brings in cash. I’m sure we’ll help you along. Right, Peter and Dennis? But maybe tile is a good answer. You still need a good sub-strate.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Laminate is no problem. There are a couple of (inexpensive) tools you’ll need and a couple of tricks to the process which are easy enough to explain. It might be a good idea to plan a small to medium workbench that you can put a laminate top on for practice.

I’m voting for laminate, too, especially for a first countertop. I love maple counter tops, but I’m in a significant minority. They will not add resale value to your home unless you find that one buyer who loves maple tops. In fact, if you are looking to build a good workbench for your shop, you can often find beautiful maple counter tops that people have torn out of their kitchens. Concrete tops are great, but are supposed to be just about the biggest pain in the kiester to get right.

By the way, I’d like to put in a vote for Nevamar

-- Coffee is best with a fine layer of sawdust on top. -- http://www.north40custom.com

going the way that Thos is pushing is probably going to be your best bet. its definitely the easiest route and the most bang for your buck. laminate is very easy and Peter is right, there are plenty of us who have done lots of it and with a few tricks and tips you shouldn’t have any trouble making a really nice countertop.

-- Isaac, "It's no coincidence that Jesus was a lumberjock too"

Thanks for the info. When my wife gets back in town, it’ll be time to start looking :)

Peter—why do you like the Nevamar? Since I’m ignorant, I know nothing about brands, and would likely follow recommendations found here (so long as the color/pattern can satisfy the better half)...

Anybody else care to chime in with brand knowledge?

Also, does the stuff generally sell in 4×8 sheets, or some sort of roll, or something else?

The brand isn’t really that important. Pick a pattern you like. It’s kind of a ford/chevy thing. They both work. You can get laminate from 2’ X 4’ to 5’ X 12’. The lay out of you kitchen and the availability of the laminate will determine what size you get. You might draw up a little sketch and we’ll help you lay it out. Hopefully you won’t have a seam, but that’s still no big deal.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Well, Ben, how’s that for offered help. I just finished doing the layout of sub-strate for a set of counter tops in Sketchup. Also did my cut sheets for all the sheet goods. Slowly, I’m using SketchUp. I usually use Formica.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Thos, it’s awesome. As we speak I’m doing all my countertops in Sketchup. I have the big one done, just doing the three little ones, should have it up within an hour :)

-b

Not a problem on the help issue, plus you will come off a lot cheaper. You will probably need a helping hand (quality time with your wife) and then you might have a tool or two left over from this job to use doing a laminate job for someone else. The main thing about working with laminate is not to let it intimidate you.
God bless

-- Gene, a Christian in Virginia

Ok, here it is.

In any case, all 4 tops are 25” total depth, with a 3/4” front deep front lip, and a 1-1/4” backstop. The diagonal line in the L shape is a real seam in the current setup. The hole is the sink. In between the freestanders on the opposite side are the range (30”) and the fridge (~40”). In the current setup, everything is laminate. For my own work, I’m guessing that using wood trim for the lip and backstop will be simpler (and possibly better looking), although that may prove unacceptable, because all of the current cabinetry is (badly) painted white, and there is blue wainscoting around the kitchen that comes just under the top of the backstop. Ok, done rambling, here it is:

The sketchup can be found here .

I spoke to a local seller of the WilsonArt, and he said that other products come in sheets up to 5×12, but he unsure without calling which sizes were available for the recommended HD. Also said that his recollection was that HD was about 4.50/sq.ft., vs. 3.50 for regular laminate.

-b

Ben from your design go for a wider piece for the corner so you don’t have to put in a “V” It will just be one piece. It looks like its about 35” wide across the “L” shaped piece. Make that all one piece.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Ben the way you are drawing this is like Lowes boughten counter top. I use a layer of 5/8 inch particle board and top it with a layer of 3/4 inch particle board, glued together with yellow glue and braded. After the wooden edge band(1 1/2 inch high) we fill the top joints with filler and sand when dry. The laminate is applied with contact cement and applied about 1/2 inch wider than the finished top. The edge is then trimed with a laminate edger. The backsplash is applied on top of the counter after the laminate and sealed with silcone.The edge is finished after laminate and the backsplash before. We fit the sink before we laminate and then cut out the laminate. Be sure you under stand how to use the contact cement. I just read your post. wholesale Formica is about $1.80 sq.ft. so $3.60 would be about normal retail. You will need a laminate roller. It calls for 45 pounds per square inch.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

5X10 would work if your 120” measurement is right. Do you have a crown type detail on your cabinets. If you can use a wood trim at the crown it would help a wood front band and back splash blend with the painted doors.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com