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dominogold_gw

Reasonable price on countertop for wet bar = hard to find!!

dominogold
17 years ago

So I have a wet bar in my basement, about 35 sq ft of countertop space. Getting a little shocked at the granite quotes of $2500-4000 for a countertop. That is way over my budget. I had budgeted $1000 for the countertop...

Anyone have any recommendations for a good laminate and where to find people that do that? Everything seems to be granite but no laminate places? Is this something I can install myself or should I hire it out.

Thanks

Comments (11)

  • formulaross
    17 years ago

    You can order premade laminate countertops from the box stores and install it yourself, done that and its easy. Hardest thing is probably transporting the big pieces and getting them in the door, but they also deliver, too.

    You can also do granite yourself and buy over the web, especially if the pices fit a standard size the vendor sells. One possible site is
    http://www.doityourselfgranite.com/
    Installing a single piece of granite should be very easy, level/shim the surface, a few dabs of silicone or adhesive and place the slab.

  • logicalone
    17 years ago

    Granite should not be $4000. I just did my entire kitchen in Uba Tuba that was over twice the square footage (81 I think including backsplashes) for $3400 installed.

    Not sure where you are but every decent size city I've been in has a dozen shops who do granite at $40-50 per sq ft complete.

  • iinsic
    17 years ago

    You may want to look into granite tiles as well. They can be found, in many cases, for under $12/sq ft. If you have a very small grout line, they will have the same feel as a slab, especially in a basement bar area.

  • dominogold
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks for the messages...

    I have had some quotes for under $2000 now, one for $1500 one for $1900.

    iinsic thanks for the great suggestion about granite tiles. That is really an outstanding idea. So what do I need to build that will support granite tiles? Basically I will have two heights on the bar, one standard cabinet height with just cabinets installed with no countertop (so you can see right into the cabinet), then I have a 2x6 wall constructed that is 40.5" tall for the bar height that people sit at... do I need to build some kind of support structure for the tiles?

    I'll be thrilled if I can knock out a granite tile bartop for $500 ish.

  • oldiron
    17 years ago

    Here's another thought: Ikea and Lumber Liquidators both sell maple butcher-block countertops for really cheap. It'd be an easy DIY project.

  • iinsic
    17 years ago

    I'm by no means a "tile guy". Go to JohnBridge.com and post your question and/or do the research. They will steer you in the right direction.

  • ravlegend
    17 years ago

    I'm in the "how do they clean the stuff off between the grout" camp.

  • dominogold
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I found a great link...

    DIY Granite Bar Tile Countertop

  • bearHit
    17 years ago

    Check out Quartz countertops - latest, greatest, and cheaper and more durable than granite.

  • halfbarnranchjake
    17 years ago

    Shibumi Trading company in Eugene, Oregon has granite counter tops for ~$300. Their business model is that they offer 1 size counter top with bullnose and 1 size island counter top with bullnose. The granite colors are not the most coveted, but the price may be right for you, depending on where you are in the country.

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