Outline the cabinet edges underneath with a carpentry pencil or grease marker. Open your cabinets and lay down under the countertop. Use the cabinets as a straight edge to outline where they meet the countertop with a grease marker or carpentry pencil.
This will make it easy to figure out where you need to drill pilot holes or place glue when you attach your countertops. Place at least 1 screw for every 6—12 inches 15—30 cm of counter.
Measure the distance from the screw opening of a corner bracket to the edge of the cabinet. This will tell you the distance that you need to install your pilot holes from the cabinets. Once you have the measurement from the screw opening to the side of the bracket, measure and mark the locations of your screws under the cabinet. You can skip the corresponding steps if this is the case.
Corner brackets are sometimes called L brackets. Drill 2 pilot holes into your countertop on each side of a cabinet. Use the measurement from your corner bracket to determine how far you need to place each pilot hole from the cabinet. Drill pilot holes where you marked your screws with a carpentry pencil. Use a soft drill bit in the countertop to make the screws fit perfectly.
If your cabinet comes with pre-fitted slots for your screws, you do not need to drill pilot holes. Screw wood screws into your brackets using the pilot holes. Use a drill and wood screw to install each bracket. Drill the screw into the countertop first to determine if the bracket will be flush against the cabinet.
Repeat this process for each bracket. Use silicone caulk to attach your backsplash and fill any edges. Apply silicone caulk to the back of your backsplash by spreading it across the entire backside with a caulk gun. Place the bottom edge carefully in the corner where the counter meets the wall. Slide it up against the wall and press down towards the corner. Wait 24 hours before using your countertop to give it time to settle. Method 2.
Measure and order your unfinished countertops. Use a tape measure to find the distance from edge to edge across every section of your cabinets. Add 1 inch 2. Order your countertops with the laminate unglued. Lay a laminate sheet on top of a section of your counter. Use a level as a straight edge to mark line cuts with a carpentry pencil or grease marker. Cut your laminate sheet with snips or a circular saw.
To cut laminate with a circular saw, attach a saw blade designed for laminate to your motor by unscrewing the bolt and sliding the blade on. Set the base plate against the edge and line up your cut with the guiding line on the front of the saw.
Pull the trigger and let the blade pull the saw through the cut. To use snips, hold the sheet in your nondominant hand and cut straight through your line. Apply contact cement on the back of your laminate and let it dry for 20 minutes.
Put on some gloves and flip your laminate over. Drop a big dollop of contact cement in the center of your laminate with a mixing stick or spoon. Use a roller with a thin nap to spread it out across every surface of your laminate.
Cover the top of your countertop with contact cement and let it dry for 20 minutes. Use the same brand of contact cement that you used with your laminate sheet. Spread your contact cement across every section of the top of your countertop with the same roller. Place wooden dowels perpendicular to the length of your countertop. Contact cement bonds instantly to itself, so you need to use dowels to complete this process carefully. Set wooden dowels on top of your countertop so that there are 6—8 inches 15—20 cm between them.
They should lay on top of your counter to form a degree angle with the long sides. Arrange each dowel so that is parallel with the dowel on either side of it.
Flip your laminate over so that the side covered in contact cement is facing the top of the countertop that is also covered in contact cement. Contact cement will bind them instantly together if you do. Slide the middle dowel out once your laminate is lined up.
Pull the edge out toward you, keeping it parallel to the countertop and laminate as you pull. Slide it all the way out and then set it aside.
Press down firmly with your palms to set the laminate in place. Press straight down and then slide your palms across the middle section of the laminate to join it. Be careful to not slide any other dowels around as you do this. Depending on how long the dry time is, you might want to use some type of clamps or some type of heavy weight objects to hold it down in its proper position. Remove an adjacent dowel, pushing down as you move along the surface.
With your dominant hand still pressed against the middle section of laminate, slide out an adjacent dowel with your nondominant hand. Run your palm up and down the section to affix it to the countertop.
Finish one end of the laminate before removing dowels from the opposite side. Repeat this process by removing the dowel next to the one you just removed. Trim the excess edges with a plunge router. Put a bolt on your router that is designed for cutting laminate by unscrewing the opening in the center and sliding it in before locking it. Set the plunge router so that the bolt sits 0. Place a flat edge parallel to the countertop to guide your cut. Turn the router on and slide it along your straight edge to remove excess portions of laminate.
Run a file along the edges at a degree angle to smooth them out. Once you have trimmed each side, use a file to remove the remaining smaller sections of laminate. Hold your file against the laminate at a degree angle and brace the laminate by pressing down with your nondominant hand. Run the file back and forth over a section until the laminate is flush with your wood.
Apply construction adhesive to the sections where the countertop meets the cabinets. Take your countertop and flip it over so that the underside is exposed. Cover each section completely.
Work in a well-ventilated area; construction adhesive can be quite pungent. Liquid Nails is a popular, inexpensive brand of construction adhesive. Set a compass to the largest gap between countertop and wall. Keeping it at a right angle to the wall run the point along the wall so the pencil draws a line along the masking tape.
Move the countertop on to a pair of saw horses or work benches and use a Surform plane to shape it to the line. Where the countertop finishes at a wall or appliance or overhangs a base cabinet, it will need matching laminate trim on the exposed edge. It may come with an iron-on trim or you may need to use contact adhesive according to instructions to apply the trim.
Trim the edges with a craft knife and use a file on any rough edges. To fix the countertop in place first drill clearance holes into the framing of the cabinet; three screws at the front and three at the back of each cabinet should be sufficient. Put the countertop in place on the base cabinets and drill upwards through the clearance holes in the framing into the countertop.
Use wood screws in each fixing position. If the countertop goes around a corner, a joining strip will be needed. Scribe the second section to the wall as above, then screw the joining strip to the second countertop length, butt it up to the first ,and secure it in place from below.
If you're planning to install kitchen counters yourself, be aware that not every type of countertop is suitable for DIY installation. Unfortunately fabricating granite and quartz requires large specialized heavy equipment to cut the countertops that requires warehouse space. However, countertops such as laminate and butcher block can be cut with basic power tools allowing for a DIY installation. Owner and creator of Countertop Specialty Ryan Burden suggests prefabricated laminate as the best option.
The laminate is already formed and glued onto the fiberboard backing with an edge and backsplash. What about how to install countertops made from materials other than laminate?
And bear weight in mind, too. Weight counts for another reason. Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor writing for websites, national newspapers, and magazines. She loves testing the latest home appliances, revealing the trends in furnishings and fittings for every room, and investigating the benefits, costs and practicalities of home improvement.
It's no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house revamper. For Realhomes. Our nifty towel storage ideas will help you keep your bath towels fresh — and your bathroom tidy. Size, seating and whether you opt for a custom-made design are all factors that will affect the cost of a kitchen island.
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