Countertop Installation Guide from Start to Finish
Do-it-yourself projects are often times a daunting task to take on. Going into them it’s important to be confident as well as know as much as possible about the task at hand. While some tasks are better left to the professionals, there’s a few that you may want to try and take on yourself. Countertop installation is one of the few big aspects of a DIY that you may be able to pull off. Here is a comprehensible countertop installation guide from start to finish to help you along your way:
Get your measurements. This is arguably the most important aspect of installing a countertop. Without this your installation process will be completely skewed. Be sure to not only measure where you’ll be placing the countertop, but also the slab of material itself. You’ll want to ensure the underside is measured to get your build-up of height correct as well as adding ¾ inch to your length measurements to allow for overhang.
Scribing and tightening. This is the most important step of the physical process of installation. It’s easiest to begin with the longest corner section you have and move from there. You’ll want to make sure the miter is flush on top when you’re tightening the bolts. Once that’s done, you’ll glide the countertop into the corner and inspect the fitting along each wall making sure it’s snug.
Handsaw’s are your best friend. Once you’ve gotten your countertop into place, you’ll more than likely need to trip the ends of it. To do this it’s best to use a 10-tooth-per-inch handsaw. When sawing, apply a guideline of tape on the edge as well as a pencil mark 1/16 inches outside of the mark (this is where you’ll actually cut) and then sand down the rest to your guideline.
Finally, glue it down. Now that everything’s in place, you’ll need to secure your countertop to the surface. Glue it all down and place clamps throughout ensuring it will stick and dry in the proper placements.
