How to fix a kitchen countertop

Kitchen countertops are the main part of the whole kitchen set that decorates it and creates a sturdy plane for the direct purpose of the cutting table. The table top takes the main blow during the use of kitchen furniture, because often there is a need to replace this element. During replacement, the supporting walls and partitions remain intact, only the upper part of the table changes.

tabletop Types of countertops for the

kitchen table There are several types of countertops offered by furniture manufacturers, but not all of them are suitable for self-installation. For example, countertops made of stone require a professional approach and the availability of various specialized tools that are rarely in the arsenal of the average owner. While thick and sturdy worktops from laminated chipboard are easy to install with their own hands. In general, the following types of tabletops are distinguished:

• Kitchen countertops made of plastic. This type of countertop is made not from a single piece of plastic, but from a sheet of chipboard or fiberboard, which is covered with a layer of high-strength laminate. This material has a low price and is very easy to install. The popularity of laminated chipboard is determined by a wide range of colors, in which the surface is painted. Lack of material - low strength, plastic coating is not heat-resistant and from the impact of hot objects is spoiled and covered with bubbles. On it, scratches and cuts easily remain, into which dirt is then filled.
• Wood worktops are traditional materials for all types of furniture. The tree has its own significant drawbacks - the fear of moisture, hot objects and mechanical damage. To a wooden table top served for a long time, it is treated with special protective coatings and polished. The plus of the wooden countertop is that even if it completely lost its appearance, it is easy to fix it by polishing and polishing the surface.
• Metal worktops are becoming very popular, along with laminated surfaces. They are very practical, they put hot dishes on the metal without damaging the surface. In addition, such a table top has a low cost. Most often use metal for the countertop around the sink.

• Kitchen countertops made of stone. Have a high price and complexity in the installation, but the stone surface is set for centuries. Stone for countertops use artificial or natural, this does not affect the appearance, since the materials are indistinguishable to the naked eye. It is preferable to use an artificial stone for a kitchen surface, since it has no pores, it is easier to clean and does not form bacteriological foci.

Steps for installing a table top

The installation of a kitchen countertop at each stage has many nuances and details. The installation process depends on the material selected, the configuration and the size of the table. For example, if an angled worktop or an irregularly shaped structure is installed, the process becomes somewhat more complicated. In general, the installation is divided into the following stages:

• All floor cabinets are leveled horizontally using the building level. If the furniture is equipped with adjustable legs, then it is easy to set the level, if there are no such legs, then plastic gaskets and adjusting wedges are used for leveling.
• If there are protruding elements on the wall, then cut holes for each of them along the edge of the table top. From the walls to the table top leave a gap of about 5 mm, which is then zadekoriruetsya plinth. To verify the correctness of the calculation of the holes for communications and gaps, the table top is placed on the base.
• The length and width of the kitchen counter are measured, the part to be removed is marked. If the saw is to be made a hacksaw, it is better to make marks on the front side, for the jigsaw or the saber saw mark the wrong side. To protect the surface from chipping on it, stick paint tape.

• The outer edge of the countertop is treated with edge band. Mount the tape with an iron or glue. The cut is ground with fine-grained sandpaper.
• Next, the holes for the sink and the necessary equipment are marked. The sink is applied to the inner side of the countertop and marks the location of the slices. Through each point lines are drawn.
• A hole with a diameter of 10 mm is drilled at each point, holes are made around the perimeter for a round shell. In one of the holes, a jigsaw is inserted and a cut of material is carried along the line. More details about the process of making a hole under the sink tells a video at the end of the section.
• The next stage is the installation of the kitchen countertop. The surface is laid on the substrate and fastened in any chosen way. Mounting is performed using specialized fasteners or tires. The tires are fixed on the underside of the countertop and in the holes in the upper ends of the cabinets.
• When installing, it is important to ensure that all gaps and holes are observed. The gap is left both between the wall and the table, and between the side sections of the table top.
• Next, attach the end caps and fix them with screws.
• After installing the countertop, mount the sink. All seams are carefully treated with a sealant. Also, a large layer of sealant applied to the spills of the countertop, which will contact the walls of the shell. This will protect them from moisture and prolong the life of the material. After installation of a sink to it all communications are brought.

In addition, the countertop over the entire area is protected from moisture by special corners, bridges and plugs.

Mounting the top of the tile

As mentioned above, fixing the kitchen countertop of natural or artificial stone - this is a complex process that must be performed by professionals. For installation without recruitment, a countertop made of tiles is much better. On practicality, this kind of material is not much inferior to stone countertops. And the appearance is compensated by a wide choice of products from porcelain stoneware, which are painted under natural stone or marble. Demonstrate a variety of tiled kitchen countertops photos, which are in large numbers placed on the Internet. Studying media material, it is easy to select the necessary color scheme and design solution for the kitchen.

When installing the countertops from tiles, it should be borne in mind that with a new layer of coating will also change the height of the kitchen countertop, which will differ from the background of the old tables. To avoid this, the tiled top is drowned in the body a little, making a frame with a groove in the thickness of the tile. All the stages of installation of the tiled countertop look like this:

• In the depth of the kitchen countertop a frame is installed, it will become the basis for the table top from tile or porcelain stoneware.
• A gap is carefully measured between the vertical parts of the table, then the support is made from chipboard.
• The finished support is fixed with mounting glue to the walls of the table. Depth is selected, based on the thickness of the plate. After the glue dries, the blocks are screwed with screws. All elements are impregnated with moisture-proof substances.
• The next stage of the installation is sawing the table top from the chipboard. Measurements are made taking into account the built-in equipment and the sink, if these elements are included in the installed structure.
• The cut out panel is mounted on the carrier frame. The points of the joints of the tabletop with the supports are treated with mounting glue and fastened with screws. All spills are smeared with silicone sealant to protect them from moisture.
• Next, a tiling pattern is created. It is planned in such a way that whole surfaces are joined with all surfaces. The tile is sawed with a saw with tungsten coating, tiles or special tongs. When purchasing material, you should consider possible marriages during the sawing. To facilitate the work, use a small mosaic tile, which fits more easily into the surface of any area.

• If the kitchen countertop is made from porcelain stoneware, it is necessary to lay a contact surface. For this, two types of materials are used - hypocarcone or cement layer.
• When gluing the countertops with tiles, you should also pay attention to the ends, even those areas where the edge is not visible. For facing the end surfaces, the tile is cut into strips and fastened with glue. For the ends, all sharp edges of the tile are thoroughly ground. Also used for decorating the ends is an aluminum profile, the edges of which are also thoroughly ground.
• Facing is planned in advance, even before tiling. If the decor is installed at a right angle, then when laying the tiles between the wall and the first row leave a gap. The simplest option is that the first row fits together with the installation of the end elements.

In the question of how to fix the kitchen top from tiles, the main stage of the work is the laying of the tiles on the prepared frame. The tiles are laid on a special glue for chipboard, when all the material is laid, it is left for a while. It is necessary to evaporate all the moisture from the glue so that it can well bond the tile to the surface of the frame.

The most important stage is the expansion. Since tiles on the countertop are exposed to greater loads than tiles on walls, it requires a special grouting process. The optimum variant for the table is epoxy resin, as it has a high level of resistance to moisture, mechanical and thermal influences. Working with this material presents some difficulties, since the epoxy resin has a thick consistency and is heavily applied to the surface. In addition, it is important to remove all remnants of resin from the surface in time, in a dead state, it practically does not lend itself to modernization.

To fill the seams use a paint tape or syringe. These tools will help protect the tile from getting material on it and will facilitate the whole process of work. An alternative to epoxy treatment is an epoxy-cement mortar or a mixture based on cement, which contains no limestone aggregate, but finely divided quartz. When processing seams with this material, they are left for three days, and then treated with a hydrophobizing solution for strengthening. When the mortar is applied, the tile is sealed with paint tape. It is enough simply to install a tiled kitchen countertop, the price for such furniture is much lower than for tabletops made of natural stone.

Edging of skirting board

The choice and installation of skirting boards depends on the type of worktop material. The material of the plinth is chosen by analogy with the material of the table top, that is - for wood-based furniture from wood, for stone tables - stone skirting. There are permissible combinations, for example - a metal skirting board for a table of chipboard. The shape of the skirting board is selected depending on what the table top has kitchen dimensions and shape.

The baseboard is fixed to the table top using two main methods - self-tapping screws and glue. It is not recommended to mount plastic skirting boards on self-tapping screws, since during the manufacture of a hole, cracks often appear in it. The algorithm for fixing the skirting on the screws is as follows:

1. Produce all the necessary measurements, the plinth is cut off under the table area. At this stage, calculate the required number of additional elements that will be located in the center, connect different parts of the baseboard, complete the design on both sides.
2. Next on the table top the base of the baseboard is installed and fixed with self-tapping screws. They are screwed into the material at a right angle, without slopes.
3. The decorative part of the plinth is fixed. All additional elements are installed - plugs, connecting parts, corners.
4. All joints are carefully treated with a sealant.

Mounting the skirting board on the adhesive is a simpler process. After making all the measurements and preparing the material, prepare the surface. It is washed, leveled and degreased. Then the skirting board is glued, the time necessary for adhesive adhesion is maintained, additional elements are installed. For the installation of skirting, an ordinary glue sealant or silicone based adhesive is optimal.