Counter Top 45 degree Home Cheap-O

I think I am about to embark on a DIY project involving removing my very old (40 year) 5/8" countertop with some pieces pre-made at my home store.

The pre-made pieces come in either right or left 45 degree angles or straight cuts.

I have a classic "L" so I think I will go with the 45s. The countertop measures nearly a perfect 10' and 6' at the longest dimension, making it a perfect for the stuff "off the rack".

I know there is a kit that you have to get to snug up that 45 angle, but are there any other precautions from this crowd I need to be aware about?

I'll need to cut a hole for a sink, and one for a gas cook top, too.

Additionally I think I might need to support it on one side at the end, over the dishwasher. As the dishwasher is holding it up that end right now.

It really is overdue, and truthfully it's a stop gap until I can afford to do cabinetry et al.

Thanks in advance,

-Mr. Curious

Reply to
ng_reader
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How square are your walls?

Reply to
3rd eye

if that beautiful countertop project will make your old kitchen sink bases and cupboards look shabby, think bigger. a nice messy demo of the entire kitchen at once will motivate you to complete the job promptly.

Reply to
buffalobill
3rd eye in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

i've hardly done this but i'd fit cleats in wherever there is no (cabinet) support under the counter. if there's not enough wood in the wall to screw cleats to, then you could support cleats with vertical 1x (3/4 inch thick) run down to the floor (and you can screw your vertical into 'bottom plate'

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Reply to
Choise76Smu

Well that's true but I cannot afford appliances and cabinetry just to get a new sink and faucet and countertop.

So, yes, that would be ideal, but I don't think I will trip over $5000 any time soon.

Reply to
ng_reader

Alright, thanks for the link.

I do have a book that I got on ebay that is helpful, too.

Taunton's Remodeling a Kitchen.

Reply to
ng_reader

Finished the job over two weekends.

Here's some stuff:

The hardware that you buy for the countertops to snug them up is shit. The particle board that the countertop is on is pretty shitty too. These two things work in perfect disharmony upon trying to cinch them together. The board crumbles, the brackets starts to walk out of groove.

The groove is milled out for a much meatier contraption, Look for that.

Glue worked fine.Nice pasty thing.

Little hard trimming down the Formica with my circ saw. Clipped off some stuff it should not. Maybe be more careful, or not let my brother in law have the saw next time.

That's it.

Major issues with plumbing. I wish I had just gone with PVC. And still will. Spent about $50 on metal stuff, and I have a drip on the P trap, that I don't anyone could ever fix. My piping is butting against the "Y" union, In any event, I need help.

Actually still not done. But almost.

Reply to
ng_reader

take apart leaking p trap, dry all parts well, apply liberal amount of silicone bathtub caulk, to all parts. then reassenle. dont overtighten parts. wipe oiff excess silicone goo.

wait ideally overnite, your leak should be gone!

Reply to
hallerb

Shouldn't need to do that (and I pitty the next person). If the pipes are clean, the washers sound, and nothing forced there should be no leaks (and I hate plumbing). Silicone isn't needed and will just make a mess.

Reply to
Keith

Additionally, while it might work, it defeats the purpose.

The trap is there to trap stuff. If it is glued shut, I might as well have no trap at all.

Reply to
ng_reader

You misunderstand the purpose of the trap. It's not there to keep things from going down -- it's there to stop sewer gas from coming up. And it will do that just fine whether it can be disassembled or not.

Reply to
Doug Miller

Yeah, but when it gets a hairball/soap scum hardening of the arteries past the lever arm and around the corner, the only realistic way to clean it is to pull the trap out, and use the big pipe cleaner thing on the trap and the pipe into to wall. Making a trap non-removable is stupid. It was designed as a quick-disconnect for a reason.

Drain parts are cheap. If OP isn't getting a good seal due to bad gaskets, bent parts, whatever, replacing everything between the downpipe on sink and pipe on wall, only costs a few bucks to try again. And yeah, for a kitchen, I'd definitely use a good quality of PVC, vs. that ultra-thin iffy quality flash plated brass stuff they sell now. I've had that come up bad out of the box. Not to mention the metal stuff is so thin these days that it rots through in just a few years.

aem sends...

Reply to
ameijers

Shouldn't need to do that (and I pitty the next person). If the pipes are clean, the washers sound, and nothing forced there should be no leaks (and I hate plumbing). Silicone isn't needed and will just make a mess.

-- Keith

You dont understand:( The typical drainpipes today are junk, they distort on tightening, and are just a PIA:(

Add silicone bathtub caulk and it seals all the little gaps, while when necessary its easy to remove, peels right off, although with traps and such they are so cheap its easier to just replace them.

the next person will have no troubles, I have been doing this for over

10 years after seeing a plumber do it.
Reply to
hallerb

Good grief, get a decent newsreader!

I *do* understand. If you're that bad that you need to distort plumbing, even the crap sold today, hire a plumber. Yo udon't need to be messing things up of others!

BS. Show me part in the instructions. If you don't mash things you don't need to glue things together.

I'd hate to buy a house from you. OTOH, perhaps I did.

Reply to
Keith

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