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Contents

– Step 1: Prepare to install the countertop

– Step 2: Cut out the countertop

– Step 3: Installing the countertop

– Step 4: Finishing

As the centerpiece of a kitchen, the countertop is now as decorative as it is functional. Of a very different nature, you can easily install it without special tools.

Depending on the material (wood, marble or granite, reconstituted stone…) that composes it, the cuts will have to be subcontracted to a professional with the appropriate cutting tools.

Here are some tips on how to install a countertop at home.

1. Prepare the installation of the countertop

The installation of a countertop must be rigorously horizontal, and this is why it is essential to check the flatness of the assembled furniture.

To do this, you can use a large aluminum mason’s rule. The advantage of these rulers is that they are dimensionally stable (under normal conditions of use). To check the flatness, proceed as follows:

– Place the mason’s rule over the kitchen base units.

– Place the spirit level and check for levelness.

– If the bubble is not between the 2 lines of the level indicating that the surface is flat, adjust the height of the furniture concerned by screwing or unscrewing the furniture legs until perfect flatness is achieved.

– Make sure that all furniture is securely fastened together and that no movement is possible.

2. Cut out the countertop

Before placing the countertop on the kitchen furniture, you must cut it to the correct length.

If you place the countertop in a corner, check that the intersection is at 90° using the square. To cut the countertop, here are the right steps:

– Measure the length of the countertop.

– Place the work surface on stable support: table, trestle… without turning it over!

– Transfer the measured length to the work surface.

– Cut the work surface with a jigsaw with a reversed blade.

3. Lay the work surface

countertop

You must now place the countertop on the furniture. Fasten the countertop with screws through the top of the furniture:

– Drill holes in the elements with a drill every 50 cm.

– Place the countertop on the furniture.

– Fasten the countertop to the furniture by screwing from underneath at the drilled locations.

4. Finishing

– Cut an edge strip the width of the countertop.

– Glue the edge strip with an iron if it can be thermo-glued; otherwise, use contact glue such as neoprene-based glue. Apply this glue to the edge and the edge of the countertop.

– File by pressing lightly on the edges.

– Then, apply a special kitchen silicone sealant or a brushed aluminum profile strip to the back of the countertop.

Materials required for the installation of a countertop

Aluminum ruler 2 m	About $15
Spirit level	Starting at $4
Phillips screwdriver	Starting at $3
Jigsaw	Starting at $30
Reverse blade for jigsaw	$10 approx.
Iron	Starting at about $40
Drill	Starting at $30
Trestles	$7 for 2
Pencil	$0,50
File	Starting at $5
Neoprene glue	Starting at $5