Great video with some awesome tips. One thing I learned a long time ago was to cut my top a little long and then use a belt sander to bring it to the line. Just make sure you run your sander so it is sanding downward on the laminate. Works great and makes a perfect fit every time.
I have set hot pots down on quartz and granite numerous times with no issue at all. The stone wasn't even hot to the touch afterwards. Extremely durable stuff
You are so reassuring that everything will be okay. It makes me feel really good for when I eventually do my own work and make these kind of mistakes, it will be okay. Thanks for all these videos. I really enjoy watching them and gaining knowledge.
No reason that us North Americans can't keep a high-quality metric tape measure handy for work like this. Makes life a lot simpler than juggling fractions. No doubt Jeff knows this one already, but another trick for finding a centerpoint when the number is odd is just round your funky measurement down to something easily divisible by 2. Then use that number to measure toward the center from each cabinet. Rather than strain my eyes finding half of 35 7/8" on the tape measure, I would measure half of, say, 34" (17") from each cabinet and make a mark at each spot. You'll now have two marks an inch or two apart; pretty easy to eyeball or measure the center of that with great accuracy. Another great video Jeff! Looking forward to the next one.
You've convinced me Jeff.. I was gung ho on the designer look of quartz or granite for my 100 year old house... but really have some bells and whistles I wanted to buy and not dump into a countertop as well as protect myself in case of damage. Young renovater/DIY-er getting good tips from a pro, thank you!!!
I have been watching your videos for 18 months, throughout the process of finishing my basement. I love all your videos, very thorough and with great details, plus the little 'tricks'. Thank you!
Thank you for doing things that are irregular and showing us the "how-to" to make it look right. I know it must take you more time to film and work through problems but its super helpful.
Jeff great job with the Formica counters. After 35 years we are changing my parents Formica counters tops although they are still in good shape. Style change. As you said they will almost last forever if taken care of. Thanks
sometimes getting the basic materials is a great way to stretch the dollar. after all we are not all millionaires! even if we like to act like it! Cheers!
Your countertops needing to sit crooked to correct the curvature of the wall reminds me of a similar situation I had at my last home. I had an L-shaped laminate countertop installed. I had them manufacture the countertop as one solid piece to eliminate the unsightly 45-degree corner seam. To get things to sit correctly without a huge gap between the countertop and wall, they cut the drywall and slightly recessed part of the countertop into the bowed wall. It worked and it looked great after I tiled the backsplash. Still straight at the front and the appropriate spacing for the adjacent stove. Thanks for another great video!
Yep! I've often seen them cut the drywall and slide a sliver of countertop into the wall, rather than make the tricky laminate cut. The laminate cut is unforgiving, but even if you screw up the drywall cut, it can be easily fixed. A quarter inch bead of silicone caulk can make the whole world right again.
here's a top tip for you, if you need to cut a worktop, especially if the cut edge is going to be visible and has to have edging tape glued on, flip the work top over and clamp a known straight edge (such as a long offcut of worktop) to the worktop to act as a cutting guide, also cut from the front to the back. This has 2 positive effects, 1: the direction of cut on the blade prevents the veneer from chipping (even at relatively high cutting speeds) and 2: by cutting the front edge first you remove the risk of material braking away at the end of the cut from the most visible part of the worktop.
you can always pack out whatever you use for splash backs be it tile, glass or stone. And you can always run a stanley knife along the plaster and punch the counter top into it to get your front over hangs even when its covered with a splash back. Saves time having to scribe the benchtops, getiing tools, running cords etc etc, lift once they say.
@@hytekrednekbama4400 I presume your not a tradesman or have any hands on experience in the building industry. When it's non structural, electrical or plumbing, what matters is what's seen by the eye. Putting your counter top be it laminate, stone or the new kid on the block, porcelain on the substrate, up against the wall and running a stanley knife along the top edge where required to push it back has no negative outcome. The top of the benchtop is tight with the plaster and in any case it's being covered with tiles, glass, porcelain or stone anyway and won't be seen. There's other time's such as in a U shaped butlers pantry when a piece is between walls. Going in on an angle with one end up and one end down wont work without damaging the wall. By simply opening up the plaster 20mm x the width you give yourself that room required to get the stone in undamaged along without damaging a wall. Don't forget it's not a cheap piece of plywood that weighs 200grams. We're talking weights of 20kg up to 200kg and in the case of marble a material that if not handled delicately and correctly will literally fold in half and crumble. When it's something like a Calcutta marble who's price just keeps going through the roof that might be a book matched job. Yours, the builders and ultimately the owners cheap bit of plasterboard is the least of anyone's concern. You realize plasterers have to fill and smooth where the plaster is attached to the house frame? Then there's accidental damage that occasionally occurs from anything such as cabinets being carried in, ladders hitting the wall and all sorts.
@@hytekrednekbama4400 my point is that shit happens and maybe the bench top was measured 5mm too long in a spot or since being measured a small alteration was made somewhere. If you think a house or any commercial building is made millimeter perfect and doesn't require small alteration or changes during the final stages you're kidding yourself. Architects merely design and specify plans and then its down to every body to make it work.
Genius cheat method on halfing those fraction measurements. I actually convert my decimals to fractions and do real math to find the half🤦🏾♀️ So I'd take 3.75....divide in half on a calculator and convert the decimal to a fraction and reduce..... you've saved me the extra time ⏲️😌
Back in the 90s I learned how to make my own laminate countertops because nothing was standard. My ex-wife was a chef and she wanted deeper countertops. In another, I wanted a very odd shape to accomodate the design of a peninsula. The dimensions/shape would pretty much double the cost of standard c-tops so I resolved to learn to do it. Both c-tops had oak trim in some way. The first one, I wobbled with my router and created a little conversation-piece gouge, not big but noticeable. The second one, lesson learned, had perfect finishing though maybe the design could have been a bit different. That said, if I ordered it, it would have been the same unless some pro had convinced me otherwise.
I added a laminate counter to a recessed area of the kitchen. It's about 8 ft and holds all the appliances: blender microwave toaster etc. Best decision ever.
I live in the UK and have had IKEA and other manufacturers' cabinets in the past. There are are 2 interesting differences between IKEA cabinets and i the other manufacturers (UK : Magnet, Howden, Wren, B&Q, Wickes etc) First, IKEA back panels are pretty much right back to the wall and all water and waste pipes are done inside the cabinet whilst the other manufacturers set off their back panels so that water and waste pipes go behind the back panels with side panels getting chopped on long runs. The IKEA method is must better since if you spring a leak or need to modify plumbing or electrics even, you don't have to hack off the back panels with a multi-tool. Second, the overall cabinet depth is 600mm - deeper than the other more imperial-sized manufacturers, so once you have added your door, the overall depth is approximately 620mm or even a smidgen more (allowing for the back rail) so you need a worktop depth of 640mm. UK manufacturers' cabinets are appreciably smaller front to back and are designed to be about 570mm wall to door front since almost ALL laminate worktops made in the UK are 3m or 4m long but only 600mm deep. So, if you are in the UK and choose a fantastic IKEA kitchen, if you ARE going to fit laminate worktops these MUST be 640mm deep and not 600mm, so you cannot buy from places like B&Q or Wickes (UK equivalents of Home Depot and Lowes I guess) but it is perfectly possible to buy 640mm deep laminate and what I went for, solid wood worktops from online merchants and the prices are not much more expensive. Of course, if you are having quartz or granite worktops, dimensions do not really matter except that the normal granite and quartz slab sizes in the UK at least tend to be either 1200 or 1440mm deep. I worked this out well in advance since my island/peninsula HAD to be no wider/deeper than 2x640mm. I went for 28mm Wenge real wood panels and bought 4x4m lengths at £500 each (about $650 each) and left it to my expert worktop fitter to make all the magic happen but had I not known about worktop depths, I could have been making very expensive mistakes on worktops by making the island/peninsula too deep.
Hi, As I understand it the service void on IKEA cabs is underneath the cabs. It is 80mm high, the leg height. The usual service void around here is 70mm between the cab back and the wall and the leg height is about 140mm which mean the internal volume of a "normal" UK cab is much reduced in comparison with IKEA cabs. IKEA sells counter tops that are 635mmwide.
I spy with my little eye a repair job on that power cable. I'm pretty sure anybody that gets a lot of use out of their corded circular saws has that little love tap lol I love it
You can also trace the countertop against the wall and remove like 1/4” of drywall so the countertop insets a bit. Instead of have 1 side 1/2” away from the wall, you can cut the difference and have 1 side 1/4” away and the other side kicked into the drywall 1/4”.
If you need to move the counter out more then a quarter inch and you can't hide the gap just use a belt sander to contour the back of the counter top to the wall. Works like a charm and no one will ever notice.
@Alex Mack If your wall is bowed you are going to create the same bow on the counter top. The best way to do that is with a belt sander, taking away material as needed until you have the correct curve. My wall in my home was wavy so moving the counter top out was not an option. I would place the counter top against the wall to see where the wall was curved in and with a pencil mark the areas where material needed to be removed on the counter top. This allows the counter top to be inset where the curve of the wall is inset making it appear to be straight against the wall.
Just installed my counter top's last week on my kitchen project, was nervous about it after i ordered , can't even count how many times i measured and checked and then wondered if i gave the right measurement's, took 3 week's to get mine because of the christmas holiday's.and i was sweating it every day until they arrived. On my project i tore down back to the original stud's, and re-framed the 2 wall's that the cabinet's would be on, Wish i could just post a before and after pic of my kitchen, only turned out great from watching all your video's. Keep the education coming Jeff, we all have thing's to learn.
@Home RenoVision Thank you so much for the instruction! I feel the same way about laminate. I wanted to get Corian, but it was so expensive. I went to Home Depot, and they had up a chart, showing the strengths of each countertop type. Laminate was rated "Excellent," in almost all categories, and "Very Good," in the others. I think it had fewer weaknesses than any other type. From reading that chart, you'd think that laminate was the best overall countertop money could buy, (and Home Depot can make a lot more money selling quartz, granite, and Corian). Add to that the fact that all stone and solid surface countertops admonish that nobody should ever sit or stand on them. Not a problem with laminate that has a good solid hunk of wood under it, and we all know perfectly well that the kids, (or even a height-challenged adult), are going to hop up onto the counter to get something out of a high cupboard. It's not "if" but "when." I spent many hours browsing and ordering samples until I found a laminate that I absolutely love. My beautiful laminate arrived just today!
One thing, don't know if it's addressed, but if you use pre-fab slabs from a supplier, you'll have raw edges. (ETA, I see these have raw edges.) Oh, they have those end kits! Note that they are iron on and the adhesive is not suitable for use beside a stove. It will release in short order. Belanger recommended scraping the provided adhesive and using contact cement. A little tedious but effective. Another note though, if you're cutting an edge that needs to be finished, the cutting of that edge needs to be very true, I would use a guide.
RE: Beginning of the video. funny enough our current renovation has a similar layout with 2 windows either side of a range/hood, even the cabinetry layout looks the same. We were able to create a vaulted ceiling using the attic space above which for an old house is a great feature.
I have a laminate countertop on my ikea kitchen cabinets for over 5 years now due to budget constraints over a marble one. The real problem is heat, with the laminate in the area around the most used heater on the embedded induction cooktop having lifted from the particle board substrate. Stone is always more durable.
@@tednguyen7258 stone is always stone. A cheap laminate won't probably be as durable as a more expensive one, and in the end may be almost the same price as quartz. Laminate will also get cut marks or chipping if there isn't caution and good judgment from the user
Thanks for sharing your skills, I have an IKEA kitchen install coming up and this is a great help. This will be my 2nd IKEA kitchen fit 👍easy install👍 it will be better with your tips.
I know this is off topic but you seem knowledgeable and I trust your input more than the people at the orange big box store. I was to put up river rocks I collect around my gas fireplace. The fireplace is drywall builders special. The rocks are no bigger than 2 inch diameter and no deeper than 1 inch. Do I need mesh? Could I use just max strength mortar? What are your thoughts. Thank you again for you time! 👍🏼🙏🏻
Yay! The granite bandwagon is so stupid, imho. They are cutting up mountains in Brazil for most granite. I don’t need anything that bad! Laminate is fine! I put butcher block on my island and native (quarried 100 miles from me) soapstone on the small area around my sink & stove. I love my farmhouse soapstone sink!
Just discovered your channel and it's like you're the Townsend (UA-cam channel where he takes a look at frontier foods and crafts) of Home Renovations. Neat, wholesome, informative.
Love this and ALL of your videos thank you!!! I would love to know what measurements to do and exactly what terminology to use when talking to a countertop sales person. I get a rough idea of what I need in regards to measure it out, and needing caps at the ends but a demo-convo would help and make me feel like way less of a idiot marching into a countertop shop, and make sure I get the right thing I want.
It's a shame and ridiculous that some people won't buy your house if your kitchen isn't fitted with stone countertops. Today's laminates are beautiful, durable and economical and available in every colour, size, profile and surface finish and will outlast stone with less maintenance and care. Cheap and easy to replace a section if laminate should get damaged.....just try to match a natural stone five years later if a small section or small counter needs to be replaced (every stone finish is unique like a fingerprint). I find it's a good practice to seal any unfinished particle board edges with a silicone layer to keep water out forever (sink cut-out, faucet & soap dispenser holes and edges that are being butted against the walls.)
As always, great content and even better teacher. I do have a question; when you were positioning the counter top, how come you didn’t just use the metric system? It’s very easy to divide I find.
Maybe because most of his viewers are Americans? My brother is a carpenter in Alberta. I was shocked when he told me that they still measure everything in fractions. I think he said it's because wood doesn't come in metric sizes.
I think it's good for a rental, and it depends on the neighborhood if you're trying to resale. Most people will definitely be thrown off by moving into a "renovated" kitchen with laminate, but it all depends
If you are planning to stay in the house a while then it’s a great way to save and put the $$ in other kitchen expenses. And in 15 years you can install whatever is in style at that time closer to sale. I agree that if you need to sell it could be a problem although in this market it doesn’t seem to matter.
Forget measuring twice and cutting once. Measure 6 times and cut once. Perfect every time! 😉 Hubby's birthday is coming up and I thought I would get him a circular saw. The Dewalt you have listed as a favorite tool on your amazon list is not in stock. Do you have another recommendation?
we are adding the link to international tool on our website this week. Otherwise feel free to go to Home depot. I appreciate the support but you don't want to be late for a birthday. Cheers!
I actually had a laminate chip hit me in the eye, but I was wearing contact lenses. It poked a hole in the contact lens and I didn't even realize it until later. I got lucky. Please wear eye protection!
What do you think of Ikea upper cabinets? In particular the bracket that holds the cabinets to the wall. I think the brackets with just three screws into the cabinets are too flimsy to hold much weight. What’s your opinion?
If you don't take quite enough off with your skill saw, a belt sander is a good way to fix it up. Also won't chip the laminate. Speaking as someone who isn't quite as skilled with a skill saw as Jeff here. Hard to make a second pass with the saw if you're only like a 16th off
I totally understand the cost saving of the laminate, but I've never yet to have seen one that doesn't look like cheap laminate. Feel this is why butcherblock counters have been popular. Also I learned to just keep bandaids and other bits on me when I work. Can't imagine the electrical tape gunk feels good on a cut
Electrical tape feels just fine on cuts and wounds. Plus it will hold in places a bandaid won't. Like on a finger. While working, the bandaid will work itself loose and fall off the finger. You can wrap the electrical tape down below the next knuckle to anchor it and hold it on the finger. Especially useful when working in greasy situations where bandaids really slide off. Been using electrical tape for well over 35 years now.
Great content man this guy is good. Planning to renovate my kitchen ( total gut, floor walls ( new insulation) cabinets etc. and I’ll be watching all your videos on kitchen renovation. 👍
When my mother left her home for a retirement residence, I did the Rust-O-leim "stone effects" epoxy coating on the laminate kitchen counter tops before the house was sold. It is a long and messy process. Cleaning and roughening the surfaces before applying a primer, followed by two applications of the granite stone effect materials and then followed by the clear epoxy coating. Masking and protecting surrounding floors and surfaces to catch drips and runs as the epoxy levels itself. With drying times between each application, the whole process took five days and the fumes required frequent venting of the house. The end result was impressive, but because the home was later sold, I don't have any experience with the longevity of the product.
When I set up my desk at the start of COVID, I bought an 8ft Laminate worktop from IKEA for $70 rather than their $250 veneered one. It's great, and when it's time to redo our kitchen, I don't see a reason not to use it instead of something more expensive.
I'm sure you get used to it, but I'm SOOO glad we've gone metric in the UK. All those 1/16ths and 5/8ths, and then doing the maths on them.... Horrendous :)
Metric is infinitely better for carpentry type measurements but here in the US using it for weight measurements makes our heads explode. We tried it back in the 70's and we almost had another revolution. ;D
So glad I now know how to install Laminate Countertops. Now all I need is a kitchen! :D Another awesome video! So many helpful tips and tricks! If we ever build a house, you're our guy!!
__ I too prefer the metric system, not having to work in fractions is the bonus. Division, addition, subtraction is a lot easier as whole numbers, once mastered you would never look back.
stealthballer right.... that’s why A&W cancelled the third pounder promotion to compete with the McDonald’s quarter pounder... after discovering than Americans thought that 1/3 was smaller than 1/4
Yeah, they taught us metrics in elementary school because we were going to "make the change". 2 liter sodas are the only thing I can think of off the top of my head, lol!
@@phatmonkey11 ha, I remember in about 6th grade they told us we would all be on the metric system by ..~1980 or so. The gallons and inches pounds don't make much sense to 10 fingers and toes, but the Brits and Yanks owned the friggin world , and what they say still goes... haha
Laminate with pressure applied bullnose and/or backsplash it 1/32" thick to accommodate the extreme radius on the edge. 'Regular' formica is 1/16" thick. In a kitchen you need think about durability and use the 1/16"? Those finished edges are 1/16" formica?
Is there a way or a pattern or a good material that can be put side by side with laminate without looking awkward? I want to use laminate but I have a stainless steel sink that I would really like to undermount. Is there a way to put an under-mountable material just under the sink and mix it with laminate on each side ?
Hey Jeff; I've done a fair amount of laminate counter tops and it seems there's always soft sport or rot where the sink was placed on the old countertop. I started to paint and seal the underside of the new countertop around the sink hole and the cut out edges before seating and sealing the sink. Have you ever done that?
Would you recommend this still with the appliances switched? We have a super similar layout to your kitchen, but are choosing to do the induction cooktop in the island and sink against the back wall. (hate the look of range hoods so going with a flush mount over island) - is Laminate ok next to the sink or should we stick with Quartz throughout?
I got a good deal from IKEA on laminate countertop only the surface is kind of rough. Is there something I can coat it with to make cleaning it more easy?
Finally!!! Someone in the biz who understands the merits of laminate counter tops, starting with price and going on down to its life span. The only drawback I have ever experienced with one is a pebbly/rough surfaced one, thoses bumps wear off with use revealing the undercolour long before a smooth surface laminate and a pastry scraper is useless on them plus it's not good news for the bumps either. They may LOOK pretty but they are stupidly useless, impractical and a waste of money.
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY If I might add to the down side of pebbly surfaced counter tops whether it is laminate or another material. If you have any of those suction-to-your-counter-top kitchen gadgets, they can not create the suction because of those annoying bumps. : - ) Plain surface Laminate is the BEST counter top out there. Thanks again for pointing out its MERITS.
Hey Jeff, what are your thoughts on butcher block counter tops? What do you recommend we seal them with? I was leaning more towards polyurethane instead of the food grade oils that usually require monthly applications. Cheers!
The only suggestion I would make to your video is . Please protect your hearing, make use of ear defenders. Still great tips though and will look forward to the next one👍
Thanks for the Video! Do you install standard outlets sideways, or are you able to find horizontal outlets with the outlet portion turned 90 degrees? I like the outlets being sideways, but don't like having the plug turned sideways..
I went with large format porcelain tiles for the countertop, they are very durable and ended up way cheaper than a laminate top. Just build a substrate out of wood and fibre cement about 50mm and mitre ur tiles to have a 60mm edge. Compared to having laminate some grout lines every 1.2m doesn't bother us. Looks great, cleans easy, no maintenance/sealing, its DIY and cheap.
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY I was going to use trim but i liked the look of the mitres even though its got a higher chance of chipping. We are living on the wild side what can i say. Love your vids, they have helped me alot with our remodel, keep them coming!
you always tile second. just leave a 16th " gap to the tile and the counter can be switched out at any time in case it needs to be. If you tile first then you can''t get a perfect seal to the wall and anyone in a cold climate knows the walls bow in the winter so having the tile on top of the counter helps keep the gap from appearing in the winter! Cheers!
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY hi julie here again...I have to always think things out. Why, solar guys all across the Midwest say why don't you want the panels on your roof. I don't want holes in my roof. It appears to me a lot of myna bird affect. They all were set in their ways. Also, Your not getting any closer to the sun either.. Thanks
@@jjgogojag6371 Tiles are always last. And solar panel go on the roof because it makes sense . They're ugly and no one wants to waste any available space in the backyard on them. Im not sure you're for real or just trolling.
Yeah, when I sold undermount laminate counter tops, which we never did, no one ever really liked the finished look. Our company that we went through, had like 2 or 3 color of banding that was put in to cover the exposed pressed board. Just didn't look very nice. I think it was white, light almond and black? It's been a few years... hah.
You ever make a video/ever plan on making a video the dig a basement deeper? My basement is only 7 feet tall and I’d like it to ideally be 10. Even if I can do 50% of the work it’d save me thousands.
Richard Benson imo stay away from any coatings. I did it a few years ago (don't remember the product) and that's why I'm here! It's pealing and there's no going back, so it's time to replace.
Laminate counter top surfaces are tried and true with a long history of excellent performance if minimal care is taken to protect them. I've seen properly installed and properly cared for laminate counters that look as good today as when they were installed 40 years ago. It's a shame that many people have the perception that granite, stone and composite, such as Corean are far superior to quality laminates. I have seen buyers reject the purchase of a home because the kitchen counters were laminate. The cost difference between stone and laminate is enormous in Canada compared to the United States.
@@tednguyen7258 Yes, laminates are durable. Avoid placing extremely hot pots on their surface and repeated cutting or chopping with sharp knives without a cutting board. An excellent choice for rental properties. Due to their much lower cost, they can be replaced economically to update a kitchen look or move with fashion. Natural stone counter tops have their own issues with heat and staining from things like wine and tomato sauces.
It's considered heat 'resistant' but Quartz is still an engineered product that is bound by resins that can discolor if hot pot or pan is placed on it. So you still want to use a hot pad.
love your channel, your tips have helped me a lot. With regard to the space for the range, instead of all the measuring, why not just use an appropriate sized jig to set the space?
Yes!!! My UA-cam reno father strikes again! ..this gentleman seems to help me with everything.. thanks again good sir!
Great video with some awesome tips. One thing I learned a long time ago was to cut my top a little long and then use a belt sander to bring it to the line. Just make sure you run your sander so it is sanding downward on the laminate. Works great and makes a perfect fit every time.
I finish the edge with silicone bead anyway so not too worried about that 1/16th of an inch! Cheers!
I have set hot pots down on quartz and granite numerous times with no issue at all. The stone wasn't even hot to the touch afterwards. Extremely durable stuff
You are so reassuring that everything will be okay. It makes me feel really good for when I eventually do my own work and make these kind of mistakes, it will be okay. Thanks for all these videos. I really enjoy watching them and gaining knowledge.
No reason that us North Americans can't keep a high-quality metric tape measure handy for work like this. Makes life a lot simpler than juggling fractions. No doubt Jeff knows this one already, but another trick for finding a centerpoint when the number is odd is just round your funky measurement down to something easily divisible by 2. Then use that number to measure toward the center from each cabinet. Rather than strain my eyes finding half of 35 7/8" on the tape measure, I would measure half of, say, 34" (17") from each cabinet and make a mark at each spot. You'll now have two marks an inch or two apart; pretty easy to eyeball or measure the center of that with great accuracy. Another great video Jeff! Looking forward to the next one.
its 2021. laminate these days looks amazing. very under rated building material
Yup just need to find someone to install it for me
You've convinced me Jeff.. I was gung ho on the designer look of quartz or granite for my 100 year old house... but really have some bells and whistles I wanted to buy and not dump into a countertop as well as protect myself in case of damage. Young renovater/DIY-er getting good tips from a pro, thank you!!!
Cheers Megon. The money I saved was equal to the coast of the stove!
I have been watching your videos for 18 months, throughout the process of finishing my basement. I love all your videos, very thorough and with great details, plus the little 'tricks'. Thank you!
Thank you for doing things that are irregular and showing us the "how-to" to make it look right. I know it must take you more time to film and work through problems but its super helpful.
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Jeff great job with the Formica counters. After 35 years we are changing my parents Formica counters tops although they are still in good shape. Style change. As you said they will almost last forever if taken care of. Thanks
sometimes getting the basic materials is a great way to stretch the dollar. after all we are not all millionaires! even if we like to act like it! Cheers!
Your countertops needing to sit crooked to correct the curvature of the wall reminds me of a similar situation I had at my last home. I had an L-shaped laminate countertop installed. I had them manufacture the countertop as one solid piece to eliminate the unsightly 45-degree corner seam. To get things to sit correctly without a huge gap between the countertop and wall, they cut the drywall and slightly recessed part of the countertop into the bowed wall. It worked and it looked great after I tiled the backsplash. Still straight at the front and the appropriate spacing for the adjacent stove. Thanks for another great video!
Yep! I've often seen them cut the drywall and slide a sliver of countertop into the wall, rather than make the tricky laminate cut. The laminate cut is unforgiving, but even if you screw up the drywall cut, it can be easily fixed. A quarter inch bead of silicone caulk can make the whole world right again.
@@chrisgraham2904 Thank you. Your reply helped me to understand what type of cut was made in the drywall.
Every time I have a question or want to look at something for my house or projects, YOU'RE there! Fine, I subbed already...thanks for the videos!
here's a top tip for you, if you need to cut a worktop, especially if the cut edge is going to be visible and has to have edging tape glued on, flip the work top over and clamp a known straight edge (such as a long offcut of worktop) to the worktop to act as a cutting guide, also cut from the front to the back. This has 2 positive effects, 1: the direction of cut on the blade prevents the veneer from chipping (even at relatively high cutting speeds) and 2: by cutting the front edge first you remove the risk of material braking away at the end of the cut from the most visible part of the worktop.
Jeff is the Bob Ross of home renovation.
Cheers!
so positive
Oh wow these look way better than my grandma's Formica countertops! You've opened my mind up!
you can always pack out whatever you use for splash backs be it tile, glass or stone. And you can always run a stanley knife along the plaster and punch the counter top into it to get your front over hangs even when its covered with a splash back. Saves time having to scribe the benchtops, getiing tools, running cords etc etc, lift once they say.
damage sheetrock to make your job easier?
@@hytekrednekbama4400 I presume your not a tradesman or have any hands on experience in the building industry. When it's non structural, electrical or plumbing, what matters is what's seen by the eye.
Putting your counter top be it laminate, stone or the new kid on the block, porcelain on the substrate, up against the wall and running a stanley knife along the top edge where required to push it back has no negative outcome. The top of the benchtop is tight with the plaster and in any case it's being covered with tiles, glass, porcelain or stone anyway and won't be seen.
There's other time's such as in a U shaped butlers pantry when a piece is between walls. Going in on an angle with one end up and one end down wont work without damaging the wall. By simply opening up the plaster 20mm x the width you give yourself that room required to get the stone in undamaged along without damaging a wall. Don't forget it's not a cheap piece of plywood that weighs 200grams. We're talking weights of 20kg up to 200kg and in the case of marble a material that if not handled delicately and correctly will literally fold in half and crumble. When it's something like a Calcutta marble who's price just keeps going through the roof that might be a book matched job. Yours, the builders and ultimately the owners cheap bit of plasterboard is the least of anyone's concern.
You realize plasterers have to fill and smooth where the plaster is attached to the house frame? Then there's accidental damage that occasionally occurs from anything such as cabinets being carried in, ladders hitting the wall and all sorts.
@@yeahnah7220 my point was that i prefer to build my cabinets and counters to fit the room, not modify the room to fit my cabinets
@@hytekrednekbama4400 my point is that shit happens and maybe the bench top was measured 5mm too long in a spot or since being measured a small alteration was made somewhere. If you think a house or any commercial building is made millimeter perfect and doesn't require small alteration or changes during the final stages you're kidding yourself. Architects merely design and specify plans and then its down to every body to make it work.
Genius cheat method on halfing those fraction measurements. I actually convert my decimals to fractions and do real math to find the half🤦🏾♀️
So I'd take 3.75....divide in half on a calculator and convert the decimal to a fraction and reduce..... you've saved me the extra time ⏲️😌
Back in the 90s I learned how to make my own laminate countertops because nothing was standard. My ex-wife was a chef and she wanted deeper countertops. In another, I wanted a very odd shape to accomodate the design of a peninsula. The dimensions/shape would pretty much double the cost of standard c-tops so I resolved to learn to do it. Both c-tops had oak trim in some way.
The first one, I wobbled with my router and created a little conversation-piece gouge, not big but noticeable. The second one, lesson learned, had perfect finishing though maybe the design could have been a bit different. That said, if I ordered it, it would have been the same unless some pro had convinced me otherwise.
The company I install countertops for offers undermount stainless steel sinks (and quartz sinks!) in laminate! Very cool, totally seamless.
I added a laminate counter to a recessed area of the kitchen. It's about 8 ft and holds all the appliances: blender microwave toaster etc. Best decision ever.
It’s amazing how most of the “finishes” we see in houses are really just there to cover up small imperfections.
That is what finishes are!
I live in the UK and have had IKEA and other manufacturers' cabinets in the past. There are are 2 interesting differences between IKEA cabinets and i the other manufacturers (UK : Magnet, Howden, Wren, B&Q, Wickes etc)
First, IKEA back panels are pretty much right back to the wall and all water and waste pipes are done inside the cabinet whilst the other manufacturers set off their back panels so that water and waste pipes go behind the back panels with side panels getting chopped on long runs. The IKEA method is must better since if you spring a leak or need to modify plumbing or electrics even, you don't have to hack off the back panels with a multi-tool.
Second, the overall cabinet depth is 600mm - deeper than the other more imperial-sized manufacturers, so once you have added your door, the overall depth is approximately 620mm or even a smidgen more (allowing for the back rail) so you need a worktop depth of 640mm. UK manufacturers' cabinets are appreciably smaller front to back and are designed to be about 570mm wall to door front since almost ALL laminate worktops made in the UK are 3m or 4m long but only 600mm deep.
So, if you are in the UK and choose a fantastic IKEA kitchen, if you ARE going to fit laminate worktops these MUST be 640mm deep and not 600mm, so you cannot buy from places like B&Q or Wickes (UK equivalents of Home Depot and Lowes I guess) but it is perfectly possible to buy 640mm deep laminate and what I went for, solid wood worktops from online merchants and the prices are not much more expensive.
Of course, if you are having quartz or granite worktops, dimensions do not really matter except that the normal granite and quartz slab sizes in the UK at least tend to be either 1200 or 1440mm deep.
I worked this out well in advance since my island/peninsula HAD to be no wider/deeper than 2x640mm. I went for 28mm Wenge real wood panels and bought 4x4m lengths at £500 each (about $650 each) and left it to my expert worktop fitter to make all the magic happen but had I not known about worktop depths, I could have been making very expensive mistakes on worktops by making the island/peninsula too deep.
Hi, As I understand it the service void on IKEA cabs is underneath the cabs. It is 80mm high, the leg height. The usual service void around here is 70mm between the cab back and the wall and the leg height is about 140mm which mean the internal volume of a "normal" UK cab is much reduced in comparison with IKEA cabs. IKEA sells counter tops that are 635mmwide.
I spy with my little eye a repair job on that power cable. I'm pretty sure anybody that gets a lot of use out of their corded circular saws has that little love tap lol I love it
every once in a while I change the whole cord! 5 bucks and I get a new saw!
This dude is awesome. He can do everything
You can also trace the countertop against the wall and remove like 1/4” of drywall so the countertop insets a bit. Instead of have 1 side 1/2” away from the wall, you can cut the difference and have 1 side 1/4” away and the other side kicked into the drywall 1/4”.
How would you go about making perfect indentation in the drywall like that? Sand it?
If you need to move the counter out more then a quarter inch and you can't hide the gap just use a belt sander to contour the back of the counter top to the wall. Works like a charm and no one will ever notice.
great advice
@Alex Mack If your wall is bowed you are going to create the same bow on the counter top. The best way to do that is with a belt sander, taking away material as needed until you have the correct curve.
My wall in my home was wavy so moving the counter top out was not an option. I would place the counter top against the wall to see where the wall was curved in and with a pencil mark the areas where material needed to be removed on the counter top. This allows the counter top to be inset where the curve of the wall is inset making it appear to be straight against the wall.
I think this is the first time I've ever seen Jeff actually wear a piece of safety equipment. That laminate must be sharp stuff.
Wish I'd watched this last weekend before I measured for my countertops. Missed by a half inch, but made it work.
current laminate qountertops look so much better than they used to, and they are incredibly affordable!
Just installed my counter top's last week on my kitchen project, was nervous about it after i ordered , can't even count how many times i measured and checked and then wondered if i gave the right measurement's, took 3 week's to get mine because of the christmas holiday's.and i was sweating it every day until they arrived. On my project i tore down back to the original stud's, and re-framed the 2 wall's that the cabinet's would be on, Wish i could just post a before and after pic of my kitchen, only turned out great from watching all your video's. Keep the education coming Jeff, we all have thing's to learn.
you should try a sanding disk on a grinder to cut the scribe, works beautifully if you need it perfectly tight to a weird shape. don't even need calk
I was installing countertop just hours ago today. This is my new Favorite Channel for the real men on UA-cam
Damn those fake men on UA-cam...? Wat?
Glad to not be confused with my wife. Cheers!
@Home RenoVision Thank you so much for the instruction! I feel the same way about laminate. I wanted to get Corian, but it was so expensive. I went to Home Depot, and they had up a chart, showing the strengths of each countertop type. Laminate was rated "Excellent," in almost all categories, and "Very Good," in the others. I think it had fewer weaknesses than any other type. From reading that chart, you'd think that laminate was the best overall countertop money could buy, (and Home Depot can make a lot more money selling quartz, granite, and Corian).
Add to that the fact that all stone and solid surface countertops admonish that nobody should ever sit or stand on them. Not a problem with laminate that has a good solid hunk of wood under it, and we all know perfectly well that the kids, (or even a height-challenged adult), are going to hop up onto the counter to get something out of a high cupboard. It's not "if" but "when."
I spent many hours browsing and ordering samples until I found a laminate that I absolutely love. My beautiful laminate arrived just today!
Jeff put a thick bead of caulk on the laminate facing the floor on over hangs, it stops water to wood. You'll thx me in 20 years.
One thing, don't know if it's addressed, but if you use pre-fab slabs from a supplier, you'll have raw edges. (ETA, I see these have raw edges.) Oh, they have those end kits! Note that they are iron on and the adhesive is not suitable for use beside a stove. It will release in short order. Belanger recommended scraping the provided adhesive and using contact cement. A little tedious but effective.
Another note though, if you're cutting an edge that needs to be finished, the cutting of that edge needs to be very true, I would use a guide.
RE: Beginning of the video. funny enough our current renovation has a similar layout with 2 windows either side of a range/hood, even the cabinetry layout looks the same. We were able to create a vaulted ceiling using the attic space above which for an old house is a great feature.
Congrats Andrew. I say anytime you can vault a ceiling do it! Cheers!
When I scribe an cut laminate I put tape first then scribe onto the tape covers both sides of cut without having to line up tape
I also go really wide with the tape to keep from scratching the top with the saw
Concrete countertops are an option. Can be cheap or not, but won't have any problems with water, heat, or wear that laminate may.
Thank you for your tips ! I’m finishing my cabin by myself and need all the help I can get!🙂
happy to help!
I have a laminate countertop on my ikea kitchen cabinets for over 5 years now due to budget constraints over a marble one. The real problem is heat, with the laminate in the area around the most used heater on the embedded induction cooktop having lifted from the particle board substrate. Stone is always more durable.
is it still holding up?
@@tednguyen7258 yes it is
im gonna rent a condo...do you think its worth paying more for quatz? or is laminate good enough?
@@tednguyen7258 stone is always stone. A cheap laminate won't probably be as durable as a more expensive one, and in the end may be almost the same price as quartz. Laminate will also get cut marks or chipping if there isn't caution and good judgment from the user
Thanks for sharing your skills, I have an IKEA kitchen install coming up and this is a great help. This will be my 2nd IKEA kitchen fit 👍easy install👍 it will be better with your tips.
IKEA + Laminate sounds like the best bang for the buck by far
I know this is off topic but you seem knowledgeable and I trust your input more than the people at the orange big box store.
I was to put up river rocks I collect around my gas fireplace. The fireplace is drywall builders special. The rocks are no bigger than 2 inch diameter and no deeper than 1 inch.
Do I need mesh? Could I use just max strength mortar? What are your thoughts. Thank you again for you time! 👍🏼🙏🏻
Yay! The granite bandwagon is so stupid, imho. They are cutting up mountains in Brazil for most granite. I don’t need anything that bad!
Laminate is fine! I put butcher block on my island and native (quarried 100 miles from me) soapstone on the small area around my sink & stove. I love my farmhouse soapstone sink!
Just discovered your channel and it's like you're the Townsend (UA-cam channel where he takes a look at frontier foods and crafts) of Home Renovations. Neat, wholesome, informative.
Love this and ALL of your videos thank you!!! I would love to know what measurements to do and exactly what terminology to use when talking to a countertop sales person. I get a rough idea of what I need in regards to measure it out, and needing caps at the ends but a demo-convo would help and make me feel like way less of a idiot marching into a countertop shop, and make sure I get the right thing I want.
This guy is the Bob Ross of home renos!
It's a shame and ridiculous that some people won't buy your house if your kitchen isn't fitted with stone countertops. Today's laminates are beautiful, durable and economical and available in every colour, size, profile and surface finish and will outlast stone with less maintenance and care. Cheap and easy to replace a section if laminate should get damaged.....just try to match a natural stone five years later if a small section or small counter needs to be replaced (every stone finish is unique like a fingerprint). I find it's a good practice to seal any unfinished particle board edges with a silicone layer to keep water out forever (sink cut-out, faucet & soap dispenser holes and edges that are being butted against the walls.)
Agreed!
@12:28 "There's a quarter plus a bit." is how I build every one of my projects! LOL
As always, great content and even better teacher. I do have a question; when you were positioning the counter top, how come you didn’t just use the metric system? It’s very easy to divide I find.
Maybe because most of his viewers are Americans? My brother is a carpenter in Alberta. I was shocked when he told me that they still measure everything in fractions. I think he said it's because wood doesn't come in metric sizes.
I think it's good for a rental, and it depends on the neighborhood if you're trying to resale. Most people will definitely be thrown off by moving into a "renovated" kitchen with laminate, but it all depends
If you are planning to stay in the house a while then it’s a great way to save and put the $$ in other kitchen expenses. And in 15 years you can install whatever is in style at that time closer to sale. I agree that if you need to sell it could be a problem although in this market it doesn’t seem to matter.
Forget measuring twice and cutting once. Measure 6 times and cut once. Perfect every time! 😉
Hubby's birthday is coming up and I thought I would get him a circular saw. The Dewalt you have listed as a favorite tool on your amazon list is not in stock. Do you have another recommendation?
we are adding the link to international tool on our website this week. Otherwise feel free to go to Home depot. I appreciate the support but you don't want to be late for a birthday. Cheers!
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY No problem, still have a couple of weeks. 😊
I purchased a home of 1947, everything's looking old except the formaica. Is black on amazing condition. Formaica talked.
Be still my heart, two countertop videos in a row from your channels 😍
Cheers Mary, just in time for you to get info on your choice. At the end of the day this one is the same cost as the concrete!
I actually had a laminate chip hit me in the eye, but I was wearing contact lenses.
It poked a hole in the contact lens and I didn't even realize it until later.
I got lucky.
Please wear eye protection!
so you weren't wearing eye protection and nothing happened to you, but you're still recommending it??
What do you think of Ikea upper cabinets? In particular the bracket that holds the cabinets to the wall. I think the brackets with just three screws into the cabinets are too flimsy to hold much weight. What’s your opinion?
Good video glad you popped on . You are always one of the best on all of YT but haven't been popping on my feed for a good while . Respect
press the bell for notifications and set to all. Cheers!
If you don't take quite enough off with your skill saw, a belt sander is a good way to fix it up. Also won't chip the laminate. Speaking as someone who isn't quite as skilled with a skill saw as Jeff here. Hard to make a second pass with the saw if you're only like a 16th off
Great advice Seb! Cheers!
I totally understand the cost saving of the laminate, but I've never yet to have seen one that doesn't look like cheap laminate. Feel this is why butcherblock counters have been popular. Also I learned to just keep bandaids and other bits on me when I work. Can't imagine the electrical tape gunk feels good on a cut
I missed those sample first time, and those look ok on screen at least.
Electrical tape feels just fine on cuts and wounds.
Plus it will hold in places a bandaid won't. Like on a finger. While working, the bandaid will work itself loose and fall off the finger. You can wrap the electrical tape down below the next knuckle to anchor it and hold it on the finger.
Especially useful when working in greasy situations where bandaids really slide off.
Been using electrical tape for well over 35 years now.
Can you do a segment on joining 2 pieces of laminate counter for a corner install or give help. What's the best adhesive to connect the 2
Great content man this guy is good. Planning to renovate my kitchen ( total gut, floor walls ( new insulation) cabinets etc. and I’ll be watching all your videos on kitchen renovation. 👍
This man is the goat
What do you think about those epoxy coatings that you can put on laminate if your refreshing a kitchen?
When my mother left her home for a retirement residence, I did the Rust-O-leim "stone effects" epoxy coating on the laminate kitchen counter tops before the house was sold.
It is a long and messy process. Cleaning and roughening the surfaces before applying a primer, followed by two applications of the granite stone effect materials and then followed by the clear epoxy coating. Masking and protecting surrounding floors and surfaces to catch drips and runs as the epoxy levels itself. With drying times between each application, the whole process took five days and the fumes required frequent venting of the house. The end result was impressive, but because the home was later sold, I don't have any experience with the longevity of the product.
When I set up my desk at the start of COVID, I bought an 8ft Laminate worktop from IKEA for $70 rather than their $250 veneered one. It's great, and when it's time to redo our kitchen, I don't see a reason not to use it instead of something more expensive.
I'm sure you get used to it, but I'm SOOO glad we've gone metric in the UK. All those 1/16ths and 5/8ths, and then doing the maths on them.... Horrendous :)
The UK is not changing this after Brexit?
@@fritz4345 I guess not. The metric system was adopted by the UK back in 1965, therefore, many years before the European Union had been established.
@@jasenrock they made a start by converting something to metric
Metric is infinitely better for carpentry type measurements but here in the US using it for weight measurements makes our heads explode. We tried it back in the 70's and we almost had another revolution. ;D
cheers to that!
So glad I now know how to install Laminate Countertops. Now all I need is a kitchen! :D
Another awesome video! So many helpful tips and tricks! If we ever build a house, you're our guy!!
Cheers and thanks for the laugh!
Why use a circular saw to cut the wall's scribe line and not a jig saw? or something meant to cut curved/non-straight lines?
Can you tell me which local (Ottawa) company you use for the countertop?
Helpful, engaging, informative and funny. Thank you for a great video.
You are amazing Jeff . Love your work and it has become my first video to watch on UA-cam .
Geez, metric system is great compared to this “7/8ths + 2/3rds” madness.
__ I too prefer the metric system, not having to work in fractions is the bonus. Division, addition, subtraction is a lot easier as whole numbers, once mastered you would never look back.
stealthballer right.... that’s why A&W cancelled the third pounder promotion to compete with the McDonald’s quarter pounder... after discovering than Americans thought that 1/3 was smaller than 1/4
Yeah, they taught us metrics in elementary school because we were going to "make the change". 2 liter sodas are the only thing I can think of off the top of my head, lol!
@@phatmonkey11 ha, I remember in about 6th grade they told us we would all be on the metric system by ..~1980 or so. The gallons and inches pounds don't make much sense to 10 fingers and toes, but the Brits and Yanks owned the friggin world , and what they say still goes... haha
cant understand why yanks still use this outdated measuring system.
Love the vid but spray foam in the windows?
Laminate with pressure applied bullnose and/or backsplash it 1/32" thick to accommodate the extreme radius on the edge. 'Regular' formica is 1/16" thick. In a kitchen you need think about durability and use the 1/16"? Those finished edges are 1/16" formica?
Is there a way or a pattern or a good material that can be put side by side with laminate without looking awkward? I want to use laminate but I have a stainless steel sink that I would really like to undermount. Is there a way to put an under-mountable material just under the sink and mix it with laminate on each side ?
Hey Jeff; I've done a fair amount of laminate counter tops and it seems there's always soft sport or rot where the sink was placed on the old countertop. I started to paint and seal the underside of the new countertop around the sink hole and the cut out edges before seating and sealing the sink. Have you ever done that?
do u suggest it for rentals?
never though of only doing stone on the island n saving money that way wow im dumb great tip!
Would you recommend this still with the appliances switched? We have a super similar layout to your kitchen, but are choosing to do the induction cooktop in the island and sink against the back wall. (hate the look of range hoods so going with a flush mount over island) - is Laminate ok next to the sink or should we stick with Quartz throughout?
I got a good deal from IKEA on laminate countertop only the surface is kind of rough. Is there something I can coat it with to make cleaning it more easy?
Finally!!! Someone in the biz who understands the merits of laminate counter tops, starting with price and going on down to its life span. The only drawback I have ever experienced with one is a pebbly/rough surfaced one, thoses bumps wear off with use revealing the undercolour long before a smooth surface laminate and a pastry scraper is useless on them plus it's not good news for the bumps either. They may LOOK pretty but they are stupidly useless, impractical and a waste of money.
Cheers Sheila, still one of the best options out there for most people!
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY If I might add to the down side of pebbly surfaced counter tops whether it is laminate or another material. If you have any of those suction-to-your-counter-top kitchen gadgets, they can not create the suction because of those annoying bumps. : - ) Plain surface Laminate is the BEST counter top out there. Thanks again for pointing out its MERITS.
Vinyl will melt easy in the kitchen while cooking.
I keep a bit of superglue around for cuts.
Thank you! I’m glad you chose this video it aligns perfect for my project time!
right on. we are tiling in the next video. happy to help!
If you go with painted cabinets, wood counter tops look beautiful
Hey Jeff, what are your thoughts on butcher block counter tops? What do you recommend we seal them with? I was leaning more towards polyurethane instead of the food grade oils that usually require monthly applications. Cheers!
you can just be sure to use a cutting board!
The only suggestion I would make to your video is . Please protect your hearing, make use of ear defenders. Still great tips though and will look forward to the next one👍
Great tips! Never knew laminate could be so cost effective and look so good!
Number II ge silicone seals wounds and acts as an antibiotic. You may get severe headaches and orange urine for a few days.
Thanks for the Video! Do you install standard outlets sideways, or are you able to find horizontal outlets with the outlet portion turned 90 degrees? I like the outlets being sideways, but don't like having the plug turned sideways..
this is not standard and no I am unaware of a side ways plug. Cheers!
I went with large format porcelain tiles for the countertop, they are very durable and ended up way cheaper than a laminate top. Just build a substrate out of wood and fibre cement about 50mm and mitre ur tiles to have a 60mm edge. Compared to having laminate some grout lines every 1.2m doesn't bother us. Looks great, cleans easy, no maintenance/sealing, its DIY and cheap.
1.2 m? How big is the tile?
@@72strand 600mm x 1200mm
Schluter makes a new counter top edging for DIY Tile. Cheers!
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY I was going to use trim but i liked the look of the mitres even though its got a higher chance of chipping. We are living on the wild side what can i say.
Love your vids, they have helped me alot with our remodel, keep them coming!
What's your opinion on epoxy coating countertops? They are getting popular.
Well that's a nice cheat gravity. Also, I'd tile first just in case of damage or color change. Thanks
you always tile second. just leave a 16th " gap to the tile and the counter can be switched out at any time in case it needs to be. If you tile first then you can''t get a perfect seal to the wall and anyone in a cold climate knows the walls bow in the winter so having the tile on top of the counter helps keep the gap from appearing in the winter! Cheers!
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY do you calk then. There is a gap then right..the 16th.
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY hi julie here again...I have to always think things out. Why, solar guys all across the Midwest say why don't you want the panels on your roof. I don't want holes in my roof. It appears to me a lot of myna bird affect. They all were set in their ways. Also, Your not getting any closer to the sun either.. Thanks
@@jjgogojag6371 Tiles are always last. And solar panel go on the roof because it makes sense . They're ugly and no one wants to waste any available space in the backyard on them. Im not sure you're for real or just trolling.
Aaaaaand you get a sub. Holy crap your channel is great. Keep it up!
Yeah, when I sold undermount laminate counter tops, which we never did, no one ever really liked the finished look. Our company that we went through, had like 2 or 3 color of banding that was put in to cover the exposed pressed board. Just didn't look very nice. I think it was white, light almond and black? It's been a few years... hah.
good companies edge in the same product as the surface. Cheers1
You ever make a video/ever plan on making a video the dig a basement deeper? My basement is only 7 feet tall and I’d like it to ideally be 10. Even if I can do 50% of the work it’d save me thousands.
What are your thoughts on "stone coat epoxy" counter tops?
Richard Benson imo stay away from any coatings. I did it a few years ago (don't remember the product) and that's why I'm here! It's pealing and there's no going back, so it's time to replace.
Laminate counter top surfaces are tried and true with a long history of excellent performance if minimal care is taken to protect them. I've seen properly installed and properly cared for laminate counters that look as good today as when they were installed 40 years ago. It's a shame that many people have the perception that granite, stone and composite, such as Corean are far superior to quality laminates. I have seen buyers reject the purchase of a home because the kitchen counters were laminate. The cost difference between stone and laminate is enormous in Canada compared to the United States.
is laminate durable? would u you recomend on rentals?
@@tednguyen7258 Yes, laminates are durable. Avoid placing extremely hot pots on their surface and repeated cutting or chopping with sharp knives without a cutting board. An excellent choice for rental properties. Due to their much lower cost, they can be replaced economically to update a kitchen look or move with fashion.
Natural stone counter tops have their own issues with heat and staining from things like wine and tomato sauces.
do u think its worth paying more for granite? im renting a unit out
@@tednguyen7258 No. Especially if your renting the unit.
I thought quartz was quite heat resistant and stain resistant? I thought along with cost & maitnance is why its better than granite?
It is heat resistant and stain. Non porous, wont stain, scratch resistant etc...
It's considered heat 'resistant' but Quartz is still an engineered product that is bound by resins that can discolor if hot pot or pan is placed on it. So you still want to use a hot pad.
You do so many great videos.
Hi.. Can you make video for epoxy countertop vs laminate countertop?
love your channel, your tips have helped me a lot. With regard to the space for the range, instead of all the measuring, why not just use an appropriate sized jig to set the space?
I replaced 1970's Harvest Gold formica with zero damage with granite. All glass that falls on granite breaks!
hard on dishes too. Cheers!