Kitchen Counter / Redesign decision

HU-704208455

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Hello all,

I have a 23 year old kitchen that is in need of some attention. I have white Merrillat thermofoil cabinets that are in pretty good shape. They still look good and function well and I still like them. There is a very small amount of peeling on the thermofoil and a hinge or two could be replaced, but on the outside they still look brand new. They have a really nice crown molding on top that makes them look a bit upscale.

The counter top is laminate with oak nosing and it's beginning to look a bit worn and outdated. I would like to replace it and would love to have some sort of stone, but I'm concerned about investing in stone over older cabinets as I've heard that you might not be able to salvage your granite later.

I was thinking that I might do another laminate that would last through the remaining lifetime of the cabinets - something that won't break the bank. I never had a backsplash of any kind (long story) but I'd like to add one. I need a new sink as well.

I was looking at the formica 180fx and am wondering if it would be a good "bridge" countertop to get me few the next few years before fully remodeling. My kitchen is pretty small (12x12) G-shape and I am still happy with the layout.

I guess you could say that we are at an inbetween stage; we need to do something but a full remodel is not in the budget right now and really not entirely necessary - maybe 7 or 8 more years down the road.

Is this a sound approach to my "inbetween" stage or does anyone have better advice?

Thanks in advance!

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Comment (1)

AFritzler
6 years ago
I work for a custom cabinet shop that also does custom counters, in laminate, solid surface, quartz, granite, quartzite etc.

We use Formica 180fx laminate for many of our laminate jobs. There are a few things to consider when getting laminate tops but they can definitely last you for the inbetween stage or longer.

In our shop we only build with plywood (besides a few exceptions when absolutely necessary). By building laminate counters fully out of plywood with no particle board you don't have the risk of a tap or sink leaking and destroying your counters before your ready to go to stone.

The downside of plywood counters is that you cannot get the different profiles of a counter edge (demibullnose, 45 degree cut etc) you can only have square because plywood cannot be routed like particle board. What we do it we either do a square edge with laminate on the top and the front of the counter or we do exactly what your current counter are with a laminate top and a wood edge, usually stained to match the cabinets or a neutral colour from the laminate. The other benefit to doing this is that you can actually purchase a thicker laminate because it won't be wrapped around an edge. It is more durable than the post form laminate and will serve you better.

I can tell you from experience in one of my own homes that having the plywood core counters is extremely valuable. I had a tap leaking often in one of our homes and there was never an issue with swelling or destroying the counter.

In my mind, the edge detail is a very minor downside compared to the potential for water damage and being able to use thicker laminate.

Hope this was helpful for you.
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