Where to Find Affordable Kitchen Counters

By: Fran J. Donegan (Page 2 of 3)

Photo by: Nancy Hill

No-drip edge

Waterfall

Self-edge

Accent-color edge

Bull nose

Bevel edge with accent color

Rounded wood edge

adding a strip on the laminate countertop

At Nutone Counters in Brooklyn, New York, fabricators cut the MDF fiberboard substrate to size, then add a strip along the front edge that will be covered with laminate. This produces a 1 1/2-in. overhang that will hide the seam between the top of the cabinets and the counter.

Fabricators apply the edge laminate first, then trim the excess. A belt sander is used in this case because the top has a curved profile on one side. On a straight top, a specialized router, called a laminate trimmer, is used.

Next, contact cement is applied to the substrate and the cut-to-fit laminate—this one is from Formica—is pressed into place. Fabricators use a squeegee to remove air bubbles and ensure full adhesion.

Because the field laminates are usually cut slightly larger than the counter to help prevent mistakes, the excess is pared flush with a laminate trimmer.

Cutouts for the sink and cooktop are made with a router and template. Most fabricators keep templates for different-size sinks, though some shops prefer to make the sink cutout on site when they're installing the countertops.

Browse Images

Browse Kitchens Galleries:

View All

How-To Video

Browse More

How to Laminate a Countertop

In this how-to video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva builds a plastic laminate counter

Watch The Video

On Newsstands Now

In the Magazine

Easy Upgrades That Say Welcome Home

Spotting Quality

There are several ways to buy a laminate counter. The easiest and cheapest is to pick one off the rack at a home center. These ready-made products are typically post-formed?the backsplash, counter and rounded front are all formed from one piece of laminate. Ready-made countertops cost the least (about $15 per linear foot), and selection is usually limited to white, off white and one or two wood grains. What's more, the thin grade of laminate (about .038 in.) needed for post-forming doesn't offer the impact resistance and ability to hide defects in the substrate beneath it that general-purpose laminate at .048-in. thickness does. You'll also have to cut the finished counter to the dimensions of your kitchen, creating an unfinished edge that must be covered with a matching strip of laminate if exposed.

Another option is to buy the countertop through the kitchen department of a home center or from a kitchen dealer or designer. Your order will then be sent to a fabricator. Or you can seek out at a cabinet shop that makes its own tops. In all cases, you're best off having the pro come to your house to measure.

Most fabricators deliver the finished countertops and offer installation. Whether you choose this option or not, you should carefully inspect the finished countertop before installation.

•Be sure the laminate is bonded to medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Because of its limited expansion and contraction, MDF won't crack or buckle the laminate. Also check for a small section of MDF spanning the seams beneath the counter where two pieces of fiberboard come together. This piece adds strength.

•Check that the laminate is fully bonded to the substrate. Bonding is easy to spot on the edges. To test the center, tap the surface?a hollow sound means there's incomplete adhesion.

•Look for rounded corners, including those in cutouts for the sink and cooktop. Corners are stress points; rounded ones are less likely to cause cracks in the laminate.

•Make sure the supporting cabinets are level so the countertop is, too. If they aren't level, shim them as necessary.

Once the countertop is in, you can keep it looking new longer by following the manufacturer's care directions. This means avoiding scouring pads and cleansers, which will harm the surface. Finally, always use a cutting board for chopping and slicing, and place hot pots and pans on trivets instead of directly onto the counter.