Instructions on How to Install a Kitchen Counter Top
Installing a new kitchen counter is one way to transform the entire look of your kitchen. Lightweight laminate counters are less cumbersome to install than wooden or stone counter tops, however the process is almost identical. The main difference between these types of installation is the saws used to cut each material to size. Although installing a new counter is often done by professionals, there is no reason why you can't perform the task yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Saw horses
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Jigsaw
- Wet saw with diamond-tipped cutting blade
- Drill
- Hole saw bit
- 1/4-inch drill bit
- 1 1/2-inch steel angles
- 5/8-inch screws
- Compass (optional)
- Bandsaw (optional)
- 80-grit sandpaper (optional)
Instructions
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Lay the counter top upside down on two sawhorses in an outdoor area with plenty of space. Carefully measure the length of the wall where you are installing the counter, using a tape measure. Draw a line on the counter using a pencil if you need to cut the length down to fit.
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2
Turn the kitchen sink upside down and place it on top of the counter in the area where it will be installed. Use a tape measure to measure the internal wall, carefully ensuring that you have the proper sink location. Trace around the entire sink perimeter with a pencil.
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3
Put on safety glasses and ear plugs and install a blade into a jigsaw if you are cutting a laminate or wood counter top. If the counter top is made of stone, use a diamond-tipped masonry blade inserted into a wet saw.
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4
Cut off the first pencil line to shorten the length of the counter, if applicable.
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5
Insert a hole saw bit into a drill and cut out a hole inside the sink perimeter to allow you to insert the saw blade. Slowly lower the saw blade 1/2 inch inside the pencil line for the sink. Slowly cut all the way around the perimeter until the hole for the sink falls out. Always make the sink hole slightly smaller than the sink to provide a lip for it to sit on.
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6
Move the counter top into the kitchen, with the help of a friend. Place it on the cabinets and push it all the way back against the wall.
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Open the cabinets under the sink and insert a 1/4-inch drill bit into a drill. Create pilot holes in the counter edge where it meets the framework of the cabinet and in the wall behind the counter. Use a 1 1/2-inch steel angle as a template for the holes. Each hole should be 1 inch deep.
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Position a steel angle over the holes and insert a 5/8-inch screw into each hole with a screwdriver to secure the counter to the cabinets. Place additional angles approximately every 12 inches.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have two counter sections that meet at a corner, they require 45-degree angled cuts, which you perform with a miter saw.
If your wall is uneven, place it into position and use a compass and pencil to draw an even line all the way along the top edge. Smooth down any rough areas with a belt sander and 80-grit sandpaper, until the counter fits snugly against the wall.
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
