How to Build a Laminate Countertop 02

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : How to Build a Laminate Countertop 02

Tips for Working with Laminate

Measure along the tops of the base cabinets to determine the size of the countertop. If the wall corners are not square, use a framing square to establish a reference line (R) near the middle of the base cabinets, perpendicular to the front of the cabinets. Take four measurements (A, B, C, D) from the reference line to the cabinet ends. Allow for overhangs by adding 1" to the length for each exposed end and 1" to the width (E).

Lay out cutting lines on the particleboard so you can rip-cut the substrate and buildup strips to size using a framing square to establish a reference line. Cut the core to size using a circular saw with a clamped straightedge as a guide. Cut 4" strips of particleboard for the backsplash and for joint support where sections of countertop core are butted together. Cut 3" strips for the edge buildups.

How to Build a Laminate Countertop 01

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : How to Build a Laminate Countertop 01

Building your own custom laminate countertop using sheets of plastic laminate and particleboard offers two advantages: the countertop you get will be less expensive than a custom-ordered countertop, and it will allow you more options in terms of colors and edge treatments. A countertop made with laminates also can be tailored to fit any space, unlike premade countertop material that is a standard width (usually 25").

Laminate is commonly sold in 8-ft. or 12-ft. lengths that are about 1⁄20" thick. In width, they range from 30" strips to 48" sheets. The 30" strips are sized specifically for countertops, allowing for a 25"- wide countertop, a 1½" wide front edge strip, and a short backsplash.

The plastic laminate is bonded to the particleboard or MDF substrate with contact cement, though most professional installers use products that are available only to the trades. Water-based contact cement is nonflammable and nontoxic, but solvent-based contact cement, which requires a respirator and is highly flammable, creates a much stronger, more durable bond.

Fabricating your own custom countertop from particleboard and plastic laminate is not exactly an easy DIY project, but it gives you unlimited options, and the results can be very satisfying.


Tools & Materials


Tape measure
Framing square
Straightedge
Scoring tool
Paint roller
Bar clamps
Caulk gun
J-roller
Miter saw ( as needed)
Compass
Utility knife
Aviator snips
Circular saw
Belt sander
Router ( with bevel cutting bit)
1⁄2" scrap wood
1⁄4" plywood
1 × 4 lumber
3⁄4" particleboard
Sheet laminate
Contact cement
Wood glue
1⁄4" drywall screws
2" wallboard screws
Mineral spirits
Wood filler
Finishing materials
Laminate
Silicone caulk

How to Build a Butcher Block Countertop 06

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : How to Build a Butcher Block Countertop 06

Option: If you’re installing an undermount sink, mark a centerpoint for drilling a hole to accommodate the faucet body following the recommendations of the faucet manufacturer. A 13⁄8"-dia. hole is fairly standard.

Seal the edges of the sink opening with a varnish as instructed by the butcher block manufacturer or by coating it generously with pure mineral oil or tung oil for a natural finish. Let sit for 15 minutes then wipe off the excess with a clean, lint-free cloth. Let it dry for 48 hours. Repeat six times, letting it dry thoroughly between coats.

Add backsplash of your choice and caulk between the new countertop and the backsplash area with silicone caulk.

Install the faucet and sink and make the water supply and drain hookups.

How to Build a Butcher Block Countertop 05

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : How to Build a Butcher Block Countertop 05

Clamp a piece of scrap wood to the end of the countertop so the tops are flush. The scrap wood prevents the router bit from rounding over the corner when the edge of the countertop is profiled.

Pull the countertop section away from the wall a few inches, and make a roundover cut along the front edges with a piloted roundover bit.

Attach the countertop to the cabinet mounting strips by driving screws up through the cabinet strips and into the countertop. The screws should be 1⁄4" shorter than the distance from the bottom of the mounting strips to the top of the countertop. Use 1" fender washers with the screws and snug them up, but do not overtighten. Because of the counterbores and the washers, the countertop will be able to move slightly as it expands and contracts.

If installing a sink in your countertop, start by outlining the sink in the correct position as recommended in the installation material from the sink manufacturer. Mount a downstroke blade into the jigsaw (inset), and drill a starter hole just inside the sink outline. Make the cutout, taking care to stay just inside the cutting line. If you are installing an undermount sink, smooth the cuts up to the line with a power sander.

How to Build a Butcher Block Countertop 04

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : How to Build a Butcher Block Countertop 04

TIP: In most cases butcher block countertops are not mitered at the corners as some other countertop types are. Instead, they are butted at the corners. You also may need to join two in-line pieces with a butt joint. In both instances, use connector fittings.

Make butt joints between countertop sections. Lay the two sections of countertop to be joined upside down on a flat worksurface in their correct orientation. Mark drilling points for the connector holes. Drill the holes with a Forstner bit.

With the countertop sections roughly in position on the cabinets and flipped right-side up, apply a bead of silicone adhesive near the top of one mating edge.

From below, insert the connector bolt so the two heads are flat in the holes and then tighten the bolt with the driver bit (supplied with bolt hardware) to draw the two sections of countertop together. Do not overtighten.

How to Build a Butcher Block Countertop 03

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : How to Build a Butcher Block Countertop 03

The Project

Before beginning installation, allow the butcher block to acclimate to your home’s moisture level for a couple of days. Wood contracts and expands with moisture and humidity, so it may have warped or expanded during transport. Place it level on the cabinet tops and let it sit until it’s settled.

Measure your countertop area, adding 1" to the base cabinet depth to allow for overhang. Using a circular saw, cut the piece to size if needed. Butcher block with precut miter corners and cutouts for kitchens is available, but if you’re cutting the piece yourself, be sure to apply finish to each new raw edge.

Butcher block should be attached using wood screws that allow for some movement. Mark three points in a line on the underside of the countertop, spacing rows of drilling points at 12-inch intervals.

Drill pilot holes for screws at drilling points. Stick tape to the bit 1" from the point to create a depth stop.

Drill corresponding holes in the cabinet base that are slotted or at least 3⁄8" larger than the screws you are using. When driven with a washer under the screw head, screws will be able to move slightly with the wood.

How to Build a Butcher Block Countertop 02

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : How to Build a Butcher Block Countertop 02


Tip

Butcher block sold by the foot for countertop ranges from 11⁄2" to 3" thick, although some end grain products, used mostly for chopping blocks, can be up to 5" thick. For residential kitchens, the 11⁄2"-thick material is the most available and most affordable choice. Stock length varies but 6-foot and 12-foot slabs are common. You can also order the material with sink cutouts completed. Premade countertop is sold in the standard 25" depth, but wider versions (30" and 36") for islands are not difficult to find.

Butcher block countertop material comes pre-sealed, but a finish of varnish or oil, such as mineral or tung oil, is recommended. Seal cut wood around sink cutouts and on trimmed edges to keep it watertight. A self-rimming sink is the easiest type to mount in a butcher block countertop, but undermount types can look stunning (just make sure to get a perfect seal on the end grain around the sink cutout.

End grain vs. face grain: Traditionally, butcher block countertop surfaces were made with square sections of wood (often maple) oriented with their end grain facing upward. This orientation creates a better, more durable, knife-friendly cutting surface. For economy, many of today’s butcher block sections are edge-glued with exposed edge grain or face grain.

Typical countertop material is 1½" wide and 25" deep, available in a number of lengths from 4 ft. to 12 ft. long.

End grain

Face grain

Edge grain

Butcher block that’s constructed with the end grain oriented up is the most desirable, but it is relatively hard to find and fairly expensive. Material with the face grain or edge grain facing up is more common and more affordable (prefinished, it still runs around $30 a linear foot).