Can I do a huge Island in laminate countertop?

10 years ago

My husband and I are working in a relatively inflexible budget and we've finally decided that we have to give up on granite counters. Our kitchen design includes a peninsula that will be 7 feet wide and 5 feet deep, including a 12 inch overhang for a 'breakfast bar'. Can I cover the island with laminate countertop in a way that won't look horrible? Will there be a seam down the middle? Any advice on how to do it nicely?

Or am I forced to go with Quartz or Granite?

Featured Answer

kp7250

10 years ago

Laminates have improved greatly in the past few years and can be very realistic looking. While the pre-fab ones at the big box stores have the rounded bullnose edge and the selection of designs is limited, a custom fabricator can offer different edges like ogee or beveled. Google it to see examples. Also the old brown edges that indicated LAMINATE are not visible with a custom edge. For budgetary reason I, too, chose laminate and when it was installed, the earth did NOT slip off its axis, nobody suffers a seizure when they see my kitchen and the food still tastes good.

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Comments (8)

elanaapt
Original Author
10 years ago
Lol!!! You're awesome! Thanks!! My question is mostly about having a seam in the middle of the slab is too big.
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qam999
10 years ago
Take your exact dimensioned drawing to a couple of fabricators and see if they can do it without a seam. (If they can't, I'd redesign so that a seamless island top can be achieved one way or another.) Good luck!
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
10 years ago
The laminate of yesteryear would mean a seam. Now they can do some pretty incredible things. Check with the fabricators to see what can be done with your measurements to avoid a seam. If you have to, reduce the size of the counter to fit the requirements for "seamless".
Susan Davis
10 years ago
Good for you on laminate; as mentioned above the world doesn't end and it is such a practical and pretty choice. I have it on my perimeter cabinets and Hubs laid granite 12 x 12 square on our 7 x 5 island; a realy job! Good luck and have fun!
User
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
The widest that any post formed top comes in is 42". Wider than that is a custom fabrication, which will be almost as much, or more, than a basic granite, unless you yourself can fabricate the tops. Granite can be had for around $32 a square foot.

Beyond that, your peninsula top design doesn't physically work with the needed support for an overhang unless you are planning on pilasters with corbels every 24" with full height cabinets with no drawers in between.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
10 years ago
No post formed only done on site and 180 FX as fa as i know comes 5’ x 12’ so one piece for top
User
10 years ago
5'×8' is also a standard size. The only problem is that when most people say 5', they actually mean 61" or 62" with the overhang on the other side. You can get several edge profiles that will add maybe an inch to the overall dimension.

http://www.wilsonart.com/laminate-edge-options

And, you can usually make due with a little less.

Most fabricators I know understand how to make up to a 12" overhang without using brackets, unless you are planning to put a pole up there for "dances". A 1' cantilever off of 4' of cabinet is more than sufficient. After all, the granite industry just borrowed their method of overhangs with plywood underneath from the laminate industry.

Around here, a custom laminate top is still half the price of granite unless you want to get stuck with ubatuba-ugly or something pink.