Step-by-step instructions on how to replace the countertop in the kitchen yourself
Content
Measurement and calculation of dimensions
Necessary tools
Countertop Replacement
Dismantling the old
Installation of a new
Professional Tips
Repair or renewal of any furniture will sooner or later affect the kitchen set, because a beautiful updated kitchen, pleasing to the owners, will be able to guarantee a pleasant cooking and eating process. The most important element of the kitchen, which should be given special attention, in particular the state, is the countertop, since almost all the basic processes related to cooking are performed on it. Naturally, the housewife in the kitchen with a rotten and swollen sink, or in some places cut or burned countertops near the stove, will have a corresponding mood when cooking food. If the kitchen frame itself is in good condition, it will be enough to replace only the countertop, in case you want to update and refresh the kitchen, you can also change the facades with the work surface, then the kitchen set will look like new. To correctly replace the countertop, it is important to clearly understand what you want and the sequence of your actions.
Measurement and calculation of dimensions of countertops, aprons or facades
When ordering furniture for the kitchen, special attention should be paid not only to its beauty and convenience, but also to the quality of materials and fittings, so that for many years there is pleasure and convenience to cook there. Whatever the quality of the kitchen, but if the countertop is made of chipboard with plastic, then sooner or later it can go bad, and this is natural, since it is used as a work surface. If all the other modules and facades are intact and the fittings are in working order, you can do with minimal expenses for repairing the kitchen and replace only the countertop.
You can buy a new kitchen worktop in Maksidoma, Leroy Merlin, OBI, IKEA, as well as in other construction stores in the city. For the longest possible operation, an artificial or natural stone countertop is ideal, such countertops do not deteriorate and do not change their appearance throughout the life of the kitchen set, but this option is also the most expensive, since it will cost from 50 to 200 thousand. And it makes no sense to buy inexpensive kitchen in the store to put expensive and heavy stone countertops on it. She will just fall apart. If there is a smaller amount for replacing countertops, the most economical option from chipboard is suitable - the most common type of countertops used in the manufacture of kitchen furniture, which looks good, and even with active but careful use can last for many years. For lovers of natural wood, an ideal option would be a glued beam worktop, which has significantly lower strength and wear resistance than chipboard in plastic, but if you do not use it barbarously instead of a cutting board and properly care for it, then a wooden worktop can retain its original appearance and wood texture for a long time . Important! The wooden countertop for the kitchen, after its installation, is treated with vegetable oil, not varnish and not paint.
As we have already found out, the most durable and expensive are countertops made of natural or artificial stone, and if you decide to replace the old countertop with a stone one, it is better to order a new kitchen with such a countertop, rather than engage in meaningless work. Moreover, only specialists in the installation of kitchen furniture can install stone countertops, and it is not realistic to replace such a countertop.
When choosing a countertop in a store for your old kitchen, it is important to take a photo of the kitchen furniture and the kitchen room with you, and choose the right color so that it matches the color scheme of the kitchen as a whole, so that it with a headset or stands out sharply, separating the top and bottom of the kitchen furniture. Sharp color transitions will attract the eye. For countertops in the kitchen, and for facades, it is better not to use a glossy surface, because any stains, debris or scratches on a smooth surface are immediately evident. A matte light surface is ideal for a kitchen worktop; it visually expands the space of even the Khrushchev kitchen and hides any imperfections. For the material of kitchen facades practical in quality, in use and maintenance, the best material is Phoenix plastic. He is expensive, but worth his money. You can read about its quality here >>>
If we talk about the size of the countertops, then you need to buy a solid canvas, and not to cheapen and buy pieces on the modules so that all the cabinets get under it. To do this, you need to make a measurement of the room and already in the store to estimate the size, you need one countertop for replacement or two. When buying a countertop, it is necessary to take into account when measuring the margin for overhanging the countertops in front and behind for communication, to ensure convenient use of the headset and the installation itself. Without a visor in front, as in the first IKEA kitchens, any debris and moisture spilled on the doors of the lower cabinets, and when using the kitchen, the owners constantly clung to the facade handles. According to the technology of Italian and Finnish manufacturers of kitchen furniture, there is an overhang of 120 mm, 40 on the front side and 80 on the communication, and in the kitchens of Ikeya it was only 25 mm.
It is better to buy a countertop made of 38-44mm thick for replacement, which ensures its rigidity and a flat surface, even when the modules are sagging. When calculating the dimensions of kitchen furniture in size, do not forget about the height of the countertop in places where a sink and hob are embedded. It is better that these two elements of the working triangle are on the same level. The size of the new countertop directly depends on the depth and width of the furniture on which you want to change it. If replacing the countertop in the kitchen will be done on its own, it is better to make it a small margin when cutting to the size of the cabinets, or by subtracting 5-7 mm from the width of the opening, because it is always easier to cut the canvas than ruining it, buying a new one.
Tools needed to replace countertops
To independently replace the countertop, you must have all the necessary tools that will help you easily dismantle the old countertop and install a new one. The most basic tools:
screwdriver or screwdriver with different bits;
if there is no screwdriver, then a drill with drills;
marker for marking, if the countertop is light, then dark, if dark then white;
roulette and joiner's corner;
soft sandpaper or paper;
silicone sealant or mastic;
for silicone putty knife (although it is better to rub it), for mastic brush;
electric jigsaw.
If you bought an expensive countertop and have no idea how to replace it yourself, then it is better not to use the recommendations from this article, but to order replacement of the countertop from our craftsmen, who will come to correctly install, embed and connect the sink, hob and other communications and equipment. All services provided are carried out using professional power tools and laser measuring equipment. If you already have experience and have the necessary power tools for installation at home, then of course you can replace the countertops yourself from measuring to installing it.
Self-replacement of countertops
In order to replace the countertop in the kitchen with your own hands, you need to know the technology of the whole process, otherwise the work and costs may end up not at all with the result that I would like to see. For self-replacement of countertops in the kitchen, a material such as chipboard or wood is suitable, because they can be manually adjusted to the required size, since countertops made of natural stone are cut and processed directly at the factory.
When buying a countertop in a store, you need to consider a number of important nuances.
Decide on the size, color scheme and material of the future countertops and find a store where an order or purchase will be made. Since work of a different nature is performed on the countertop, it is important to choose the dimensions, thickness, material and coating of the surface of the countertop in order to cook and do anything for it was comfortable for everyone.
If the countertop is made of pieces, it is important to accurately measure the dimensions of the cut, which will be made in the store. In the case of ordering a complete countertop, you need to consider the option of transport, which can transport the necessary part.
It is very necessary to measure the kitchen on which the countertop is changing, therefore, with a lack of experience, it is better to use the services of a professional measurer.
If you want to buy a stone countertop, cutouts for a sink and a hob are made in production, you must specify accurate data on the dimensions of these items, so that everything falls into place when installing the countertop. It is better to clearly measure and indicate the center of the cabinet body under the panel and the sink and dimensions of the cabinets.
If you bought a solid canvas of a countertop, or stone, then you need to take into account that it will be very heavy, therefore it is important to bring it only with the help of loaders, otherwise the material may crack or it can be beaten when lifting against the walls, no matter how durable it is.
When all the nuances with delivery, the choice of material color and loading are decided, you can order or buy a countertop.
Countertop dismantling
The process of dismantling the old countertops must be carried out carefully, otherwise there is a risk of spoiling the kitchen that you are going to update. It is better to disconnect the countertop slowly, preserving the fasteners if possible, which may still be useful in installing a new countertop. The old countertop can serve as a template for cutouts of the sink and hob, or come in handy on the farm in the country, so you can not rush to throw it away. Before starting dismantling the old canvas, it is important to take care of convenience and safety, for which you need to free up the kitchen room as much as possible so as not to ruin anything or break anything, disconnect wires, pipes and communications, because they can significantly interfere with dismantling.
The procedure for dismantling the old countertops should be performed step by step.
It is necessary to remove all the drawers and free the upper shelves of the lower pedestals from the contents so that nothing would interfere or be scattered and broken during dismantling.
Disconnect the sink, faucet with pipes and hoses.
Disconnect the hob and oven.
Unscrew all the fasteners that attached the countertop to the frame.
Carefully remove the countertop. It is advisable to make this moment with assistants so as not to damage anything in the kitchen.
When the old countertop is removed, the headset is checked for correct installation by level. This is done using a laser or ordinary building level, the evenness of all modules in the horizon is determined, if necessary, the level of the cabinets is regulated by the supports.
When everything is ready, a control measurement is made for the new countertop. Do not neglect this, as the data must be absolutely accurate.
Particleboard made of chipboard in plastic is bought at the store, and the stone one is ordered at the factory, and delivery is expected.
The procedure for dismantling the countertop is not complicated, but without taking into account all the above steps, you can spoil the kitchen, respectively, it will also have to be changed, and this is an extra cost in time and finances.
Mounting countertops
The procedure for installing countertops in the kitchen also has a number of features, without which the new countertop can quickly deteriorate. So, before fixing and fixing the tabletop, the first thing to do is to process its edges and all cuts with mastic or silicone sealant so that moisture does not get on the joints and joints and it does not deteriorate. This procedure is necessary not only for chipboard countertops, but also for stone ones, since the case of the lower cabinets must be protected from moisture. The mastic and sealant dries quickly, which means you need to immediately prepare everything so that the installation is done quickly enough.
The installation sequence will look like this:
sealant overlay of docking and end plates;
laying the countertops already on the kitchen cabinet set at the level;
proper joining from all sides, so that all parts of the countertop lie in their place without distortions;
fixing the countertops to the kitchen frame;
in case of extrusion of the sealant on the surface, it must be immediately removed, and this place should be wiped with a solvent, or gently cut off in a dried state;
At the junction of the apron and countertop and under the wall baseboard, it is better to use silicone sealant so that moisture does not get between them.
If the tabletop is cut in the apartment, then marking is applied on its surface with a marker, on which the insert of the sink, hob, pipes, etc. is made. The insert is best done with an electric jigsaw, you can mark it on the front and back of the countertop. If you purchased a cheap electric jigsaw and the same files, it is better to make cuts and trim the countertops only on the reverse side, and it is advisable to glue the cut line on both sides with masking tape. It is necessary to do this in order to reduce chips on the plastic of the countertop during cutting, since there are practically no chips from a professional jigsaw with the corresponding saws, and it cuts differently and with high revolutions.
If the countertop consists of several parts, then its parts are connected to each other by means of connecting strips with a sealant treatment that protects the joint from moisture. If all of the above actions are clearly completed, then the installation of a new countertop will be successful.
Kitchen Furniture Tips
To correctly replace the countertop, you should avoid a few major mistakes:
the purchase of substandard goods in the store, even if it’s very cheap and the countertop is in perfect condition, since only the furniture maker will understand the catch;
purchase of an expensive marble countertop or artificial stone and an attempt to independently install and insert a sink and household appliances;
cut is best done locally, and not in the store;
be sure to do the treatment with mastic or silicone sealant (not cheap, sanitary or for aquariums).
Worktops on sale, or substandard, already have scratches, chips, splits and other jambs that are not always visible to the average person. Such a countertop will fail much faster than even a new countertop from Ikea. Independent insertion and trimming of an expensive countertop can result in its damage, which no one will change and return the money. If you want a stone countertop, it is better to order its manufacture according to your measurements and drawings in the furniture industry.
The correctly selected material of the countertop in combination with the material of the facades and the body of the kitchen will make it possible to create just such a kitchen set that will have an attractive appearance for a long time will become a convenient place for preparing any dishes and spending time with family and friends. Replacing the old countertop with a new one is not too problematic, but before you start updating your kitchen, it is better to carefully read the recommendations of the masters regarding the installation and manufacture of kitchen furniture. If you have not found an answer to any of your questions here, then you can find them in the search engines Yandex and Google. Armed with new knowledge in furniture repair, power tools, you can easily update the kitchen and make the kitchen the most favorite place for the whole family.
If you don’t want to take risks, or if something doesn’t work out for you, then our craftsmen will easily change the countertop in your kitchen.
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