My 'slabs' are here!
My slabs were installed this weekend. I really think they look nice with the cabinets
I like their flat matte finish too
The counter was done flush mount to the sink
How it all looks together
P.S. Yes, my "slabs" are laminate (Arborite, Black Grit). Originally, I had planned on going with a leathered black granite, because like many, I like the look of soapstone but I don't think I could live with the patina. In the end, I realized that although the feel of natural stone is far superior to any laminate in my mind, my laminate counters have always been very functional, easy to care for, and a good value for the money. My husband build these, so in total we spent around $500-even using plywood instead of MDF for the substrate material. I have 77 sq. feet of counter, so the cheapest granite would have been over $6,000 for that space. So, for me, it was a good decision. I hope my "slabs" inspire others who are considering laminate!
Comments (56)
senator13
12 years agoflwrs_n_co
12 years agoRelated Professionals
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12 years agoelba1
12 years agoLori Ryan
12 years agofrancoise47
12 years agosenator13
12 years agoThanks, everyone. Here are some pictures of them being built. We use 2 plywood boards (3/4" thick) to build them up to 1 1/2". Then they applied the contact cement, laid the Arborite Black Grit, rolled it and used a router to cut the edges. The edges were the tricky part, but it got easier as they went I think. There are a couple of areas that could be a little better, but to most people, they will go unnoticed, especially since I will have dirty dishes on them most of the time :)
From Finished counter
From Finished counter
From Finished counter
ellendi
12 years agoboylanite2
12 years agosenator13
12 years agodesertsteph
12 years agopamike1
12 years agogbsim1
12 years agosenator13
12 years agoWe used the sheet in Caribbean. We have one seam in the kitchen which is not at all noticible. Even to me,and I saw them put it in!
At the bottom (left) you can see where the plywood is showing. That is where the seam is. In the next picture it is covered with the marmoleum, but the seam is undetectable. We did not have our seams welded.
From Marmo floor
From Marmo floor
palimpsest
12 years agotimber.j
12 years agolazydaisynot
12 years agochocolatebunny
12 years agoLake_Girl
12 years agosenator13
12 years agoharrimann
12 years agogbsim1
12 years agosenator13
12 years agoLake_Girl,
Here are some pictures of how we handled the sink and the edges.
The sink cabinet was built so that the sink rests on it. Obiously, the cabinet maker knew this when he built it so it could support the 135 lb cast iron sink. Also, the Kohler Dickinson sink that we bought is a tile-in, so it could be flush mounted. We had him build it so that the sink would be 1/8" higher than the counters. My husband then ran a thin bead of clear silicone around the sink. He also made the counters out of plywood instead of MDF so there would be less issues if water got in the seams somehow.
As for the edges, it helps that we have a dark counter. All I did was the "sharpie" treatment on them. Although I think if I have to do touch-up, I may try the Martha Stewart charcoal. The black is a little too dark, but it really is not noticible unless you have your eyeballs up to it to see it. The seams have always bothered me too, which is why we used postform in our current kitchen. However, because the exposed ends, postform wasn't going to work as well in this kitchen.
I took the pictures at approximately 2 ft, 1 + ft and 8" away.
Again, it might not be perfect, but it is definitely good enough for me!
From Sink and laminate edges
From Sink and laminate edges
From Sink and laminate edges
From Sink and laminate edges
From Sink and laminate edges
sue_b
12 years agosenator13
12 years agoLake_Girl
12 years agoStudioist
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12 years agoAdrienne2011
12 years agosenator13
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12 years agoSamantha111
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12 years ago
Tanya Wieler
7 years agoKatinsc
6 years ago
senator13Original Author