Replacing kitchen countertops: step by step instructions

The renovation of any apartment sooner or later comes to the kitchen, and its correct arrangement can guarantee a comfortable process of cooking and eating. The most important element worth paying attention to in this room is the countertop, on which almost all the main processes related to food preparation are carried out. With good furniture, it will be enough to replace the countertop itself, and the kitchen will look like new. To do this work correctly, it is important to clearly understand the sequence of actions.

When buying furniture for the kitchen, you should pay attention to its beauty and quality, so that you can admire the room for many years and cook and eat there with pleasure. No matter how you choose the headset, sooner or later it will start to deteriorate, usually the countertop is the first to suffer. If everything else remains intact and working, you can do with minimal repairs and change only the top working coating.

You can buy a new material in any hardware store, but for the longest possible operation it is worth choosing the right interior detail. If you have a modest amount of money for repairs, the most suitable material will be chipboard, which looks good, but with active use for many years it is unlikely to last. The most desirable option is natural wood, which has much greater strength and durability, and with proper care it can retain its original appearance for a long time.

The most durable, however, and the most expensive is the option of a countertop made of natural or artificial stone., which practically does not change its appearance throughout its entire service life.

When choosing a countertop for an existing kitchen, it is important to choose the right color scheme so that it matches the rest of the furniture or favorably emphasizes decorative elements: curtains, tablecloth, towels, apron, floor and any decor in the room. Bright colors will attract the eye, and therefore it is better not to use them for this element, because any stains, debris or scratches will immediately catch your eye.

If we talk about size, then, when choosing a countertop, it is worth choosing it so that it combines several cabinets, a sink and a work area. This option is more convenient to work with, it is easier to follow it, since debris and moisture will not get into the seams between the surfaces. When taking measurements, it is worth making a margin in front and back to ensure comfortable use of the surface. Without a visor in front, any debris and moisture will spill onto the doors of the headset, and with active use of the kitchen there is a risk of catching on the handles from the cupboards.

It is best to order a worktop with a large thickness, which will ensure its strength and long service life. When calculating the dimensions, do not forget about the height of the sink and stove. It is better that all these elements are on the same level. The size of the countertop will depend solely on the size and dimensions of the furniture that is already installed in the room.If the installation will be done independently, it is better to order a surface with a small margin for measurements, because cutting off the excess is always easier than eliminating the shortage.

To replace the countertop, you must have the necessary tools with you, which will help you easily dismantle the old coating and install a new one. The most important in the work will be:

• screwdriver or screwdrivers of different options;
• drill with drills;
• marking pencil;
• roulette;
• a small roll of sandpaper;
• sealant;
• spatulas of different widths;
• jigsaw or saw for the desired material.

In order to change the countertop in the kitchen set with your own hands, you need to know the technology of the entire procedure, otherwise the efforts may end up with a completely different result that you would like to see. For self-replacement, a material such as chipboard or wood is suitable, because they can be manually adjusted to the required size, and more durable materials are cut directly in production.

When ordering a countertop, you must take into account a number of important nuances.

• Decide on the color and material of the future coating and find a place where the purchase will be made. When all the nuances are resolved, you can order the product.
• If the table top will be made of pieces, it is important to accurately measure the cutting points that will be made by the manufacturer. In the case of ordering a continuous coating, you need to think over a transport option that will be able to transport the necessary part.
• It is necessary to measure the future countertop very accurately, therefore, with a lack of experience, it is better to use the services of a professional.
• If the holes for the sink and stove are made in production, it is necessary to indicate the exact data on the dimensions of these items so that everything will fall into place upon the arrival of the countertop to the customer.
• If the tabletop is solid, then it will be very heavy in any case, therefore it is important to bring it in only with the help of loaders, otherwise the material may crack, no matter how strong it is.

The process of dismantling the old surface must be carried out carefully, otherwise there is a risk of damage to the furniture, which will not change. It is better to detach the tabletop slowly, keeping fasteners, if possible, that may still be useful for repairs. The old surface can serve for other purposes on the farm, so you can not rush to throw it away. Before starting dismantling work, it is important to take care of safety and convenience, for which all pipes and communications that can be disconnected are removed, because they can significantly slow down the event.

The procedure for removing the old surface should be performed step by step.

1. It is necessary to remove all drawers and free the shelves of the headset from the contents so that nothing gets in the way and is not tipped over during work.
2. Remove all fasteners that connected the tabletop to the furniture.
3. Remove the surface carefully. It is advisable to carry out this stage with assistants so as not to damage anything in the room.
4. When the table top is removed, the headset is checked for correct installation. With the help of the building level, the evenness of each box is determined, if necessary, it is corrected.
5. When everything is ready, measurements of the future product are made. It is worth doing them several times for the data to be absolutely accurate.
6. The product is being ordered from production and delivery is pending.

The dismantling process is not difficult, but without taking into account all the above points, you can spoil the furniture, which is why it will also have to be changed, and this is an extra financial investment.

The procedure for installing a new tabletop also has a number of features, without knowing which a new product can quickly fail. So, when receiving the finished product, the first thing to do is to process its edges with a sealant so that moisture does not get inside and the coating does not deteriorate. This procedure is required for any of the possible surfaces. The sealant dries quickly, which means that all the work must be done quickly enough.

The installation sequence will look like this:

• sealing or using metal linings;
• laying countertops to a new location;
• correct docking on all sides, so that all parts of the product fall into place;
• fixation with fasteners;
• if there is a sealant on the surface, it must be immediately removed, and this place must be sanded;
• at the junction of the apron and the countertop, it is also better to use a sealant to minimize the ingress of moisture between them.

If the adjustment of the tabletop is done right on the spot, then markings are applied to its surface, along which the necessary elements are cut out. If the procedure will be done with a hacksaw, then you need to mark it on the front side of the tabletop. If a jigsaw is involved in the work, then the back side is marked. To minimize the deformation of the product during cutting, it is necessary to use masking tape, which is glued near the cutting line. If there are significant irregularities, they are eliminated with a file.

To ensure that the process of replacing the countertop with a new one is correct, there are two main mistakes to avoid:

1. purchase of a used product, albeit in good condition;
2. buying a very expensive product and trying to cut out all the necessary holes on your own.

In any case, old products already have scratches, swellings and other nuances that are not always visible at first glance. Such material will fail much faster than even the most budgetary chipboard version of the new coating. Cutting holes in expensive countertops can result in damage to the product, for which no one will return the money. In this case, it is better to order the production of the entire canvas according to your measurements and drawings.

Correctly chosen worktop material will make it possible to get a kitchen set that will have an attractive appearance for a long time and will become a convenient place for preparing any dishes. Replacing the old coating with a new one is not too difficult, but before starting work, it is better to read the recommendations of specialists on this issue. Video tutorials will be very useful, in which you can clearly see all the stages of work and problematic moments that may arise during the repair. Armed with knowledge, tools, and helpers, you can replace the countertop and make the kitchen the favorite place for the whole family.

For information on how to replace the countertop in the kitchen, see the video below.