Tag Archives: installing granite counters

Can You Cover Over Existing Countertops?

Using countertop covers, you have an easy time updating your kitchen and bathroom worktops on a budget. They are less time-consuming and less expensive than undertaking countertop replacement. So, if you were wondering whether you can cover over existing countertops, yes, you can do it.

Additionally, countertop covers are more environmentally friendly because they generate less garbage.

Although countertop covers are all temporary, some last longer than others. If you are looking to cover your countertops, here are some of the options that you can go for:

Tile

Tile is ideal for covering a variety of surfaces, including walls, floors, and bathrooms, but you can also use it to cover worktops.

Glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles are the most common options that you can go for. They come in various sizes, shapes, and colors. Natural stone tile also works well, but it needs to be sealed on a regular basis to prevent stains.

You can lay the tiles directly on top of existing counters as long as they are flat and stable enough to keep the new tile from breaking. If your counters allow for a little more thickness, start with a layer of 1/4-inch cement board and then lay the tile over it.

Tile is highly resilient and easy to clean. However, the grout joints tend to discolor and gather filth. To reduce stains and deep-set filth, seal the grout soon after installation and reapply it every few years.

Wood overlay

If you’ve always coveted a butcher block or admire the elegance of a real wood countertop, now is your chance. You can replace your old countertops with large slabs of genuine oak, or even hardwood or bamboo plywood.

Solid hardwood is more sturdy and repairable than plywood. Bamboo provides the best of both worlds. This material has a thicker top layer than plywood (for durability and repairs). Yet, it comes in 4-by-8-foot sheets, like ordinary plywood.

You should note that this personalized makeover necessitates woodworking expertise and tools, so you should always hire experts. After installation, ensure that the wood is carefully coated or oiled to provide moisture resistance.

Spray paint

Spray-painting your countertop is not only quick, but it also leaves a smooth surface that brush or roller painting cannot match. Spray painting is ideal for laminate counters and other surfaces that can be scratched with sandpaper. The beauty is that spray paint can last for years on low-impact surfaces like bathroom countertops.

 

What you should do is to paint your countertop the same way you would paint plastic. Lightly sand the countertop with fine-grit sandpaper, then remove the dust. Once you are done, spray on at least three or four coats, allowing each coat to cure before the final coat thoroughly.

Countertop film

Countertop film is a thicker, more durable type of contact paper. It’s usually a hybrid between vinyl flooring and shelf paper, and it features a self-adhesive backing.

Installing countertop film is similar to applying contact paper. Lay out the film, trim it to a rough size, and align it with the countertop edges. You should then apply the film gradually, using a squeegee tool to remove air bubbles.

laminate

This countertop cover is made up of layers of resin and kraft paper that have been pressed together and heated to form a robust and resilient surface. Laminate is inexpensive, making it an excellent, short-term choice for people who desire new countertops but are constrained by their budget.

If you already have laminate countertops, you can easily give them new life by covering them in new laminate. You can also install laminate countertop covers yourself. Simply buy a countertop refinishing kit and follow the directions on the packaging.

DIY countertop repair kits use stone chips and epoxy to mimic more expensive materials such as quartz, terrazzo, granite, and marble. They are easy to install on laminate and produce excellent results.

You can protect laminate countertops with square edges with a second layer of laminate. Laminate is available in sheets up to 5 feet wide by 12 feet long.

To install laminate on a countertop, cut the sheets slightly oversized and attach them with contact cement. Trim the edges flush with the previous counter using a router or laminate trimmer.

If your countertops have a raised and rounded edge, you will be unable to cover them with new laminate since the new material will not adhere to the contours.

Skim coat concrete

Many homeowners prefer the look of concrete slab worktops. Still, they are unwilling to undertake the time-consuming construction of a cast-in-place slab. However, covering your old countertop with small layers of cement-based floor leveler or flooring underlayment will give you the same look and feel as solid concrete.

After roughing up the previous counter surface with sandpaper to ensure adequate adherence, apply repeated thin layers of cement leveler with a trowel or drywall knife.

You should apply a food-grade sealer to the final coat of cement to achieve a lustrous finish that is easy to clean and stain-resistant.

A faux-concrete cover is not too strong and may be prone to scratches and stains. However, it is a simple and economical solution for those who want the concrete look.

Countertops film

Countertop film is a thicker, more durable type of contact paper. It’s a hybrid between shelf paper and vinyl flooring and has a self-adhesive backing.

Installing countertop film is similar to applying contact paper. Simply lay out the film, trim it to your desired size, and align it with the countertop edges. Remember to apply the film using a squeegee tool that will help you remove air bubbles.

Parting shot

Countertop replacements are expensive and time-consuming. Furthermore, they are unlikely to be a viable solution if you are on a tight budget or renting.

Countertop covers are a good alternative due to their much lower cost. Additionally, specific choices, such as peel-and-stick, are easily removable. This allows you to be creative and try out different colors and designs, and only stick to the ones that you love the most.

While this is the case, it is crucial to know that countertop covers might be challenging to install effectively. Without knowledge or the proper tools, attaining flawless and long-lasting results can be difficult, and you risk ruining your current countertops.

To be on the safe side, ensure that you work with experienced granite countertops installers NC or any other professionals who know what they are doing.

Tips to Consider When Installing Granite Countertops

For the best outcome when installing granite countertops, you need to consider a number of tips. These tips include:

Go with high-quality granite

The first thing you need to do is decide what kind of granite you want. If this is your first time, the granite shop you visit will have a lot of samples and slabs so you can get a good look at all the different colors and grain patterns.

You’llYou’ll also see the different edges to choose from, like square, bevel, bullnose, miter, ogee, and many more.

Besides the main surface of the countertop, you’ll need to choose the length of the overhang and the type and size of the backsplash, if you decide to have one.

To increase the chances of buying high-quality granite, avoid buying it from big box stores. Instead, buy your granite from small stores. Besides these small shops stocking high-quality countertops, they also tend to be cheaper.

These stores even have experts who help you with the installation at no extra charge.

Be ultra cautious when transporting the countertops

After your countertops have been cut to size, it can be hard to get them home safely. You will have to pick up the countertops from the fabricator unless they are being sent to you.

Don’tDon’t forget that granite is heavy—a 6-foot countertop can weigh more than 400 pounds—so get some help to move and transport the countertops safely.

To avoid cracking or breaking the stone, carry it vertically instead of flat. One excellent way to do this is to carry the slabs on edge in an A-frame rack, the same way glass is carried.

You can use 2x4s to make a simple rack if you need to. Cover the edges with wide painter’spainter’s tape to keep them safe.

Take the right cabinet measurements.

Once you’ve picked out the granite and taken it off the old countertops, measure your base cabinets accurately to give to the fabricator. To get an accurate measurement of the top of the base cabinets, measure the distance from the wall to the fronts along the wall.

If you aren’taren’t a dab hand at DIY projects, you should avoid taking the measurements yourself. Instead, have an experienced contractor come with you. Besides taking accurate measurements, they will also see if there are any bumps in the walls or exposed pipes that might affect the installation of the countertops. 

Make a template out of cardboard.

You can give your fabricator even more accurate measurements by making a template out of cardboard, lauan plywood, or even Mylar plastic.

Use a scribing tool to make the template fit tightly against the wall along the whole row of cabinets. Then, trace the front edge of the cabinets onto the template.

Sinks, cooktops, faucets, and soap dispensers must be cut out of your template in the right places.

When doing it, be careful not to let more than 2 feet of space between cabinets, like over a dishwasher, and don’t let more than 6 inches of unsupported overhang with 2 cm stone or 9 inches with 3 cm stone.

If you want an undermount kitchen sink, write that on the template so that the fabricator can cut the sinkhole to hold the sink clips.

Also, ensure your fabricator “rods” the cutouts with steel or fiberglass reinforcements to strengthen the narrow areas around the cutouts.

Set a date to pick up or have your finished countertops delivered once you have clearly stated your needs and given your measurements.

Ensure that the base cabinets are level.

Make sure that your base cabinets are level along their length. If not, take the base units apart and use shims under the baseboard to level them.

Ensure the countertops fit.

There are two ways to make the countertop fit better if it doesn’tdoesn’t sit flush against the wall as it should. You can make changes to either the wall or the granite.

 If the wall is made of drywall, the easiest and safest way to make the countertop fit is to mark the spot where it hits and then cut away the drywall with a utility knife or jab saw.

If the wall is made of something harder, like tile or brick, you may need to change the granite. To do this, mark the part where the granite kitchen countertops Raleigh hit the cabinets, then carefully remove the granite.

You should then carefully shave the edge to the level you want using a dry-cut diamond blade on an electric grinder.