Installing countertops

Countertops are probably a common thing in all houses. People give special attention and care in designing their kitchens and decorating it with a countertop that matches their requirement. Most countertops available in the market boasts either of being strong, hard and durable or banks upon its beauty to attract customers. However, almost all countertops need to be installed in the kitchen or the bathroom. Installation is mainly done by professionals, but even we can install the countertops by following some simple steps. In this article, we will discover the easy steps to install a kitchen countertop.

However, before we start we need to identify the tools that may be required during the process. Tools and substances like a saber saw, tapes, glue, wall screws, scriber compass, hammer, clamps, sandpaper, screw driver are some of the things that must be handy while installing.

1. Firstly, one must plan and design the whole structure. It is a good idea to draw a sketch of your plan visualizing the kitchen along with the countertop. The measurements need to be taken likewise, and every minutest detail like the overhang measure, the area to be covered by the countertop, the total length and the curving in the countertop, etc must be considered. Make sure the measurements are extremely accurate, and are complete with details of sinks, or refrigerator, if any.

2. The next step is to work on the preformed countertops. The measurements taken from the sketch is implemented on the countertop and the masking tape is used to cover up all the lines to be cut. The cut line should be properly distinguished. The advantage of using masking tapes is that it prevents any chipping of the laminate surface. Now, the countertop must be cut according to the lines drawn.

3. Now, as the countertop is cut according to the measurements, the next step is to apply glue on the cabinet base frames, and the countertop is placed on the cabinets. Make sure the glue has enough adhesiveness in it to hold the countertop. However, for additional support, screws coming through the cabinet are placed on the underside of the countertops. This ensures that the countertop is held firmly by the cabinet.

4. In case the countertop is positioned across a wall, the first thing that needs to be done is taking measurements as usual. Next, you need to place the countertop to the cabinet base and it should be aligned closely to the wall. Then, however, the outline of the wall needs to be marked on the countertop using a scriber compass. However, the countertop must be clamped in the proper place. The sander should be used to remove the excess scriber marks using belt sanders. However, one must remove markings extremely carefully. After the excess markings are gone, the countertop needs to be installed into the cabinet using glue and screws, similar to the above step no 3. Finally, one needs to caulk along the seam between the wall and the countertop.

5. In case, you would like a L-shaped countertop covering most part of the kitchen and probably would include sink and refrigerator in it too. This can also be done by putting two countertop pieces in a 45-degree angle. In most cases, the countertops can be purchased in a pre-cut manner, and only they need to be put together. The process of putting together is the same where first they are glued and then to enhance the adhesiveness they are also joined by screws.