I have just finished installing new cabinetry in our home office. Now
I'm ready to order the laminate counter top, but I don't know the best
source. Should I just go with Home Depot, or should I try to contact a
specialist? What's the best way to find a specialist?

Home Depot charges a measuring fee and an installation fee, will also
allow me measure and install myself, but of course I accept more risk
(bad measurements, etc.) Is this difficult? I'd like to keep costs
low.

The key issue I'm concerned about is that one wall that the counter top
will be mounted against is not very straight. It backs up to the
laundry room, and carries plumbing to the upstairs bathrooms, and is
'wavy' as a result. Is this as simple as getting several measurements
along several points along the wall? What are some techniques for
compensating for the wavy wall? We don't plan to use a backsplash. I
prefer to not have to use quarter round trim.

Thanks!

Spare wrote:
I have just finished installing new cabinetry in our home office. Now
I'm ready to order the laminate counter top, but I don't know the best
source. Should I just go with Home Depot, or should I try to contact a
specialist? What's the best way to find a specialist?

Home Depot charges a measuring fee and an installation fee, will also
allow me measure and install myself, but of course I accept more risk
(bad measurements, etc.) Is this difficult? I'd like to keep costs
low.

The key issue I'm concerned about is that one wall that the counter top
will be mounted against is not very straight. It backs up to the
laundry room, and carries plumbing to the upstairs bathrooms, and is
'wavy' as a result. Is this as simple as getting several measurements
along several points along the wall? What are some techniques for
compensating for the wavy wall? We don't plan to use a backsplash. I
prefer to not have to use quarter round trim.

Thanks!

I doubt you will get a counter from home depot that will 'fit' your
wavy wall no matter who measures it. If you want a custom fit you have
two options:
1 Have a custom countertop company come out and make a template.
Be very clear that you want it to fit the wall exactly. They will
probably need to sand it onsite to get a good fit
2 DIY. Not really that difficult if you have a belt sander. Put
the straight counter in place with masking tape along the top. Run a
compass along the wall so the pencil will transfer the contour to the
masking tape. Sand away!

Make sure you account for how much material needs to be removed vs how
much overhang you'll have left in the front. Me? I don't like 1/4
round either but shoe molding looks very nice and can be painted to
match the wall.

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/betterfit

Spare wrote:

I have just finished installing new cabinetry in our home office. Now
I'm ready to order the laminate counter top, but I don't know the best
source. Should I just go with Home Depot, or should I try to contact a
specialist? What's the best way to find a specialist?

Home Depot charges a measuring fee and an installation fee, will also
allow me measure and install myself, but of course I accept more risk
(bad measurements, etc.) Is this difficult? I'd like to keep costs
low.

The key issue I'm concerned about is that one wall that the counter top
will be mounted against is not very straight. It backs up to the
laundry room, and carries plumbing to the upstairs bathrooms, and is
'wavy' as a result. Is this as simple as getting several measurements
along several points along the wall? What are some techniques for
compensating for the wavy wall? We don't plan to use a backsplash. I
prefer to not have to use quarter round trim.

Thanks!


Look in the yellow pages under countertops. Find a company
that does laminate and give them a call. Do NOT use Lowes or
HD.

Otherwise, you can go to a supplier that supplies laminate and
ask them if they have the cards of some good installers. They
will.

Wavy walls are dealt with in a number of ways. I would have
to see it to know which is best, but generally the laminate is
coped to the wavy wall or the sheetrock is cut to let the
laminate slide into the humps. Backsplashes are used to cover
up a lot of problems but you are not going that route. You
need a good installer.


--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

Don't bother with paying HD to measure. They don't take the irregularities
of the wall, or even the squareness of a corner into account. had similar
worries when I wanted to replace the L-shaped counter in my kitchen. I paid
them to measure a few years back and the guy that came out forgot his tape
measure and had to use mine, then proceeded to measure the length in each
way and walk out the door!

As other posters have mentioned, it isn't difficult to scribe the edge and
sand it to fit the errgularites, even less difficult if you don't have a
backsplash.


"Spare" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have just finished installing new cabinetry in our home office. Now
I'm ready to order the laminate counter top, but I don't know the best
source. Should I just go with Home Depot, or should I try to contact a
specialist? What's the best way to find a specialist?

Home Depot charges a measuring fee and an installation fee, will also
allow me measure and install myself, but of course I accept more risk
(bad measurements, etc.) Is this difficult? I'd like to keep costs
low.

The key issue I'm concerned about is that one wall that the counter top
will be mounted against is not very straight. It backs up to the
laundry room, and carries plumbing to the upstairs bathrooms, and is
'wavy' as a result. Is this as simple as getting several measurements
along several points along the wall? What are some techniques for
compensating for the wavy wall? We don't plan to use a backsplash. I
prefer to not have to use quarter round trim.

Thanks!

Thanks everyone, I have a pro coming out to measure today. Can't wait
to see the finished project!

On Nov 13, 8:14 am, "Spare" wrote:
I have just finished installing new cabinetry in our home office. Now
I'm ready to order thelaminatecounter top, but I don't know the best
source. Should I just go with Home Depot, or should I try to contact a
specialist? What's the best way to find a specialist?

Home Depot charges a measuring fee and an installation fee, will also
allow me measure and install myself, but of course I accept more risk
(bad measurements, etc.) Is this difficult? I'd like to keep costs
low.

The key issue I'm concerned about is that one wall that the counter top
will be mounted against is not very straight. It backs up to the
laundry room, and carries plumbing to the upstairs bathrooms, and is
'wavy' as a result. Is this as simple as getting several measurements
along several points along the wall? What are some techniques for
compensating for thewavywall? We don't plan to use a backsplash. I
prefer to not have to use quarter round trim.

Thanks!