Project House: Installing a Factory Laminated Countertop

Every DIYer knows that when you are renovating a house, there will be snags that cost you time and money--blood, sweat, and tears projects. There have been a few one step forward, two steps back projects so far. The vanity in the hall bath has been one.

One of the things that I really liked about our project house was the tile backsplash in the hall bathroom. It's a little thing, but something I wanted to keep. I didn't love the tile countertop though. The tiles at the front were uneven and the whole install was iffy leaving the sink wobbly and a few tiles on the top improperly supported. 

Front tiles over 1/4 inch uneven

Still, my original plan was to carefully remove the uneven tiles and replace them with a piece of trim, stabilize the sink and shore up the wimpy tiles. This plan did not survive the first shot. The tiles on top didn't have enough glue under them and two of them cracked immediately. My second plan was to put a piece of sheet laminate over them using Loctite Power Grab. That might have worked if I had known to use 2 or 3 tubes of the stuff, but as it was, I had a less than quality result. In the end, I busted out the tile, the sheet rock it had been glued to and the original laminate countertop. (Much sweat) After installing 3/4 inch shims, we were able to put in a new factory laminated countertop that looks really great. 

However, in order to get it in place, we did have to take out part of the door frame. It was either that or the tiles I love so much. Also, the husband sliced open his thumb because laminate edges are sharp and someone wasn't wearing gloves. (Much blood) Once again I relied on Mor-Flexx to caulk the seam between tile and counter to mimic the look of grout. 

There haven't been any tears yet, but I still have to get the water hooked up and the sink actually installed, so there's still time.

This counter was purchased at Sutherlands, but similar are available at Lowes and Home Depot. The quality of laminate has improved so much over the years and the cost savings are so significant that I've come to prefer it over stone. Just don't lay a hot curling iron on it!