Hello all,

I had a fairly good search in Google Groups and couldn't see this as a
previously discussed topic here, so I hope the question is not too
naive.

I have what seems like acres of dark-brown kitchen worktop in a fitted
kitchen - the covering is plastic of some type, patterned to look like
dark hardwood blocks. It nicely matches the dark-stained wooden
kitchen cabinets.

I'd like to brighten the kitchen up somewhat, and painting the
cabinets is easy - but is it possible to re-cover the worktop? I'm
reluctant to replace the worktop right now, as it will be a pig of a
job - the kitchen's walls are not square, they've been tiled to the
level of the worktop, and it seems pretty much structurally essential
to the lower cabinets.

Is there something like a hard-wearing form of sticky-back plastic
(suitable for kitchens) that I could simply glue over the existing
worktop? If so, where can I find it - there doesn't seem to be
anything like it in the 'sheds'. It would need to be flexible enough
to 'roll-over' the chamfered front edge of the worktop, otherwise I'm
sure it would lift in no time flat.

Many thanks,

Sid

"S. Endon-Lee" wrote in message
om...



Is there something like a hard-wearing form of sticky-back plastic
(suitable for kitchens) that I could simply glue over the existing
worktop? If so, where can I find it - there doesn't seem to be
anything like it in the 'sheds'. It would need to be flexible enough
to 'roll-over' the chamfered front edge of the worktop, otherwise I'm
sure it would lift in no time flat.

You CAN still get Fablon and lookalikes - try decorators' merchants - but
it's not all that durable for a kitchen surface. Also, when you have to lift
it, it can leave deposits of adhesive. It might do the job for a few months
as long as you protect it from hot and sharp objects. I'll be interested in
others' suggestions.

I agree with you about the dark brown - why do people do it? Any dark colour
in a kitchen is awful, it sucks out the light.

Mary

Many thanks,

Sid

It would need to be flexible enough to 'roll-over' the chamfered front edge
of the worktop

I don't think anything that flexible would be tough enough. You could chop off
the round edge, face the rest with Formica, then put back a shaped timber front
edge using biscuits. If its all straight runs I suppose you might be able to
get a stainless steel supplier to form a suitable edge on thin sheet, which you
could glue on?

"S. Endon-Lee" wrote:
I have what seems like acres of dark-brown kitchen worktop in a
fitted kitchen - the covering is plastic of some type, patterned
to look like dark hardwood blocks. It nicely matches the dark-
stained wooden kitchen cabinets.

Is there something like a hard-wearing form of sticky-back plastic
(suitable for kitchens) that I could simply glue over the existing
worktop? If so, where can I find it - there doesn't seem to be
anything like it in the 'sheds'. It would need to be flexible
enough to 'roll-over' the chamfered front edge of the worktop,
otherwise I'm sure it would lift in no time flat.

Hi Sid, you might think about using sheets of Formica - you'd
need to attach a strip of timber to the front of your existing
worktop, though.

===============# = is Formica
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@## # is new timber moulding
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@# @ is existing "worktop".
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#

You use impact adhesive with this stuff, so you must be very
careful to set up the Formica dead right before you glue it
on, you don't get two chances!

You'd need to make up a moulding (router?) or even machine off
the "nose" of the counter if possible, then attach the moulding
to the existing top, leaving a rebate suitable to take the
Formica. The Formica could then be loose-fitted, trimmed, and
then the top and Formica glued before sticking the Formica on.

This would give you a hygenic and very hard-wearing surface. I'd
be chary of painting your units - this looks OK on the TV, in
all those "house" programmes, but IRL it can look *awful*. Most
of the TV "just cut up a bit of MDF to make ???? Oh! Doesn't it
look lovely!" things look like crap on set, too!


J.B.

Do you like tiles?
Fit a wood trim to the front of the work tops, proud of the top surface,
then tile the top surface.

Phil

"S. Endon-Lee" wrote in message
om...
Hello all,

I had a fairly good search in Google Groups and couldn't see this as a
previously discussed topic here, so I hope the question is not too
naive.

I have what seems like acres of dark-brown kitchen worktop in a fitted
kitchen - the covering is plastic of some type, patterned to look like
dark hardwood blocks. It nicely matches the dark-stained wooden
kitchen cabinets.

I'd like to brighten the kitchen up somewhat, and painting the
cabinets is easy - but is it possible to re-cover the worktop? I'm
reluctant to replace the worktop right now, as it will be a pig of a
job - the kitchen's walls are not square, they've been tiled to the
level of the worktop, and it seems pretty much structurally essential
to the lower cabinets.

Is there something like a hard-wearing form of sticky-back plastic
(suitable for kitchens) that I could simply glue over the existing
worktop? If so, where can I find it - there doesn't seem to be
anything like it in the 'sheds'. It would need to be flexible enough
to 'roll-over' the chamfered front edge of the worktop, otherwise I'm
sure it would lift in no time flat.

Many thanks,

Sid

==================
You might consider a wood veneer. It would solve the problem of the
bull-nosed front edge. Whether it would be durable enough for your purpose
is up to you to decide. Use contact adhesive (Evostik) to fix.

Cic.

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message . net...
"S. Endon-Lee" wrote in message
om...

Is there something like a hard-wearing form of sticky-back plastic
(suitable for kitchens) that I could simply glue over the existing
worktop? If so, where can I find it - there doesn't seem to be
anything like it in the 'sheds'. It would need to be flexible enough
to 'roll-over' the chamfered front edge of the worktop, otherwise I'm
sure it would lift in no time flat.

You CAN still get Fablon and lookalikes - try decorators' merchants - but
it's not all that durable for a kitchen surface. Also, when you have to lift
it, it can leave deposits of adhesive. It might do the job for a few months
as long as you protect it from hot and sharp objects. I'll be interested in
others' suggestions.

Dont even think about it. The surest way to totally trash your
worktop.

Try light coloured objects and mats instead. You can always make a big
mat out of vinyl lino if its that awful.


Regards, NT

S. Endon-Lee wrote:

I'd like to brighten the kitchen up somewhat, and painting the
cabinets is easy - but is it possible to re-cover the worktop? I'm
reluctant to replace the worktop right now, as it will be a pig of a
job - the kitchen's walls are not square, they've been tiled to the
level of the worktop, and it seems pretty much structurally essential
to the lower cabinets.


Don't do it. Nothing you can do will look good /and/ last more than a
couple of weeks. Nothing. Honest.

Three choices: live with it, replace the worktops or tile the worktops
in situ.

--
Grunff

"N. Thornton" wrote in message
om...
"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...
"S. Endon-Lee" wrote in message
om...

Is there something like a hard-wearing form of sticky-back plastic
(suitable for kitchens) that I could simply glue over the existing
worktop? If so, where can I find it - there doesn't seem to be
anything like it in the 'sheds'. It would need to be flexible enough
to 'roll-over' the chamfered front edge of the worktop, otherwise I'm
sure it would lift in no time flat.

You CAN still get Fablon and lookalikes - try decorators' merchants -
but
it's not all that durable for a kitchen surface. Also, when you have to
lift
it, it can leave deposits of adhesive. It might do the job for a few
months
as long as you protect it from hot and sharp objects. I'll be interested
in
others' suggestions.

Dont even think about it. The surest way to totally trash your
worktop.

I agree that it's not ideal but it wouldn't trash the worktop any more - in
fact not as much - as formica or tiles.

Mary

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
S. Endon-Lee wrote:

I'd like to brighten the kitchen up somewhat, and painting the
cabinets is easy - but is it possible to re-cover the worktop? I'm
reluctant to replace the worktop right now, as it will be a pig of a
job - the kitchen's walls are not square, they've been tiled to the
level of the worktop, and it seems pretty much structurally essential
to the lower cabinets.


Don't do it. Nothing you can do will look good /and/ last more than a
couple of weeks. Nothing. Honest.

Three choices: live with it, replace the worktops or tile the worktops
in situ.

But remember that tiles are unforgiving, drop ceramic or glass on it and it
doesn't have much chance.

Mary

--
Grunff

Mary Fisher wrote:

But remember that tiles are unforgiving, drop ceramic or glass on it and it
doesn't have much chance.

Oh I fully agree - I don't like them as kitchen worktops at all - I like
my kitchen worktop like my TV room floor - laminate :-) (I wonder if AH
is reading?)

But I think it's probably the only way to end up with a good looking
hard wearing worktop while still using the one already there.

--
Grunff

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher wrote:

But remember that tiles are unforgiving, drop ceramic or glass on it and
it
doesn't have much chance.

Oh I fully agree - I don't like them as kitchen worktops at all - I like
my kitchen worktop like my TV room floor - laminate :-) (I wonder if AH
is reading?)

LOL!

But I think it's probably the only way to end up with a good looking
hard wearing worktop while still using the one already there.

You must remember that tiling would raise the eight and for some stumpy
people like me it can make a big difference.

Mary

--
Grunff

On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 21:16:59 +0100, Grunff wrote:

Mary Fisher wrote:

But remember that tiles are unforgiving, drop ceramic or glass on it and it
doesn't have much chance.

Oh I fully agree - I don't like them as kitchen worktops at all - I like
my kitchen worktop like my TV room floor - laminate :-) (I wonder if AH
is reading?)


' course I am. All I can say is that in the almost three years
since the worktops have been granite and the floor slate, the rate of
breakages has not increased and is very small.

Careful is not an adjective that I'd apply to either of the kids
either. I can think of a few others, but they are not repeatable in
polite company like Mary's.

I've dropped glasses and cups on the previous laminate worktop and the
granite ones. Sometimes they break, sometimes not.
The granite, and I don't see tiles differently, are not an automatic
death sentence to glassware or crockery any more from what I've seen
than laminate.

The slate is no worse than anything else that you might use in a
kitchen - except perhaps carpet, but I don't know of anybody with
carpet in a kitchen - that strikes me as being as revolting as carpet
in a bathroom.



But I think it's probably the only way to end up with a good looking
hard wearing worktop while still using the one already there.



..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Andy Hall wrote:

The slate is no worse than anything else that you might use in a
kitchen - except perhaps carpet, but I don't know of anybody with
carpet in a kitchen - that strikes me as being as revolting as carpet
in a bathroom.

The house we bought in 1997 had dark brown carpet tiles in the kitchen, and
pinkish carpet in the bathroom.
The laundry room was covered with offcuts from the livingroom carpet

Those were the first things we changed.

Sheila

In article ,
Grunff wrote:

Oh I fully agree - I don't like them as kitchen worktops at all - I like
my kitchen worktop like my TV room floor - laminate :-) (I wonder if AH
is reading?)

Hmmm.

Laminate flooring stuck to the top of the existing worktop with some sort
of edging...Might work I guess (use waterproof laminate) and there is
quite a choice now it seems.

Darren

Andy Hall wrote:

' course I am. All I can say is that in the almost three years
since the worktops have been granite and the floor slate, the rate of
breakages has not increased and is very small.

I gotta say, the slate floor is something we're probably going to do
towards the end of this year. Nice thick chuncky slates just look sooo
nice as a kitchen floor.

--
Grunff

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
news

But remember that tiles are unforgiving, drop ceramic or glass on it
and it
doesn't have much chance.

Oh I fully agree - I don't like them as kitchen worktops at all - I like
my kitchen worktop like my TV room floor - laminate :-) (I wonder if AH
is reading?)

He has a special room for TV!


' course I am. All I can say is that in the almost three years
since the worktops have been granite and the floor slate, the rate of
breakages has not increased and is very small.

Not increased:-)

Careful is not an adjective that I'd apply to either of the kids
either. I can think of a few others, but they are not repeatable in
polite company like Mary's.

I doubt that you know any words I don't - but thanks. I'm not keen on seeing
weak language on my screen and usually dump people who can't be more
articulate.

I've dropped glasses and cups on the previous laminate worktop and the
granite ones.

Tut. You should be more careful!

Sometimes they break, sometimes not.
The granite, and I don't see tiles differently, are not an automatic
death sentence to glassware or crockery any more from what I've seen
than laminate.

I didn't say that there'd be 100% casualties.

The slate is no worse than anything else that you might use in a
kitchen - except perhaps carpet, but I don't know of anybody with
carpet in a kitchen - that strikes me as being as revolting as carpet
in a bathroom.

Or carpet anywhere.

shudder



But I think it's probably the only way to end up with a good looking
hard wearing worktop while still using the one already there.

It's certainly a problem. I think I'd sulk until Spouse took it off and
replaced it with what I wanted - but what that would be I don't know because
I'm not in that situation.

Mary



.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message . net...
"N. Thornton" wrote in message

You CAN still get Fablon and lookalikes - try decorators' merchants -
but
it's not all that durable for a kitchen surface. Also, when you have to
lift
it, it can leave deposits of adhesive. It might do the job for a few
months
as long as you protect it from hot and sharp objects. I'll be interested
in
others' suggestions.

Dont even think about it. The surest way to totally trash your
worktop.

I agree that it's not ideal but it wouldn't trash the worktop any more - in
fact not as much - as formica or tiles.


On the contrary, it would wreck it good and proper. Sticky coverings
have 2 major failings: firstly they are not in any sense durable, and
will soon become a real eyesore. Secondly they leave adhesive all over
the remaining surface thats near impossible to remove, captures lots
of dirt, and oozes out all the places where the covering has been
damaged. Stick on coverings were popular once, but time has proven
them to be the worst option available.

Formica does work, had it once, its acceptable if not great. Tiles are
I would think the better option here, and replacing the worktop
probably the best. And if the OP has neither time nor money I would
even consider a vinyl mat.


Regards, NT

Mary Fisher wrote:

He has a special room for TV!

Well, it's a library/music/TV room - but not the same as the living room.

--
Grunff

Jerry Built ] wrote in message news:D3B1OFGKJVHTEKONHWIEFQGNAMFWDVH1MEMIDVN2@zip lip.com...
"S. Endon-Lee" wrote:
Is there something like a hard-wearing form of sticky-back plastic
(suitable for kitchens) that I could simply glue over the existing
worktop? If so, where can I find it - there doesn't seem to be
anything like it in the 'sheds'. It would need to be flexible
enough to 'roll-over' the chamfered front edge of the worktop,
otherwise I'm sure it would lift in no time flat.

Hi Sid, you might think about using sheets of Formica - you'd
need to attach a strip of timber to the front of your existing
worktop, though.

===============# = is Formica
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@## # is new timber moulding
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@# @ is existing "worktop".
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#

You use impact adhesive with this stuff, so you must be very
careful to set up the Formica dead right before you glue it
on, you don't get two chances!

You'd need to make up a moulding (router?) or even machine off
the "nose" of the counter if possible, then attach the moulding
to the existing top, leaving a rebate suitable to take the
Formica. The Formica could then be loose-fitted, trimmed, and
then the top and Formica glued before sticking the Formica on.

J.B.

Wow!

thanks to everybody for their replies.

I'm really surprised there isn't a product matching what I'm after.
My father's kitchen worktop seems to be covered in a 2-3 mm thick
layer which curves over the front edge, and is extremely hardwearing -
he demonstrates using it as a cutting board with no apparent effect on
the surface, so I assumed you could just buy rolls of the stuff, if
you knew what to ask for.

I've experienced Formica before - unless the product has changed in
substance and only retained the name, I wouldn't be keen on it. In my
limited experience it 'lifted' easily, cracked, scratched, and if
broken left sharp jagged bits. Possibly it was installed improperly,
but this was in three different kitchens. Your experiences may vary.

Thanks for the suggestions - I didn't think of tiling or a wood
veneer. Of all of them, I like the wood veneer idea the best.

Best Regards,

Sid

On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 09:33:44 +0100, Grunff wrote:

Andy Hall wrote:

' course I am. All I can say is that in the almost three years
since the worktops have been granite and the floor slate, the rate of
breakages has not increased and is very small.

I gotta say, the slate floor is something we're probably going to do
towards the end of this year. Nice thick chuncky slates just look sooo
nice as a kitchen floor.


Yes they do.

If you fancy lighter colours there is some nice Cornish stuff. It
didn't suit our setup but there is some nice stuff.

One word of warning that this is not a DIY job if you want to get an
excellent result. There is a variation in thickness of the
tiles, and sorting and bedding them to produce an even floor is
tricky. It is also very hard work because the tiles are heavy.

My recommendation (and TNP said similarly recently), is to budget for
a professional to do it, recommended by the supplier.


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 09:38:58 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
news

But remember that tiles are unforgiving, drop ceramic or glass on it
and it
doesn't have much chance.

Oh I fully agree - I don't like them as kitchen worktops at all - I like
my kitchen worktop like my TV room floor - laminate :-) (I wonder if AH
is reading?)

He has a special room for TV!


' course I am. All I can say is that in the almost three years
since the worktops have been granite and the floor slate, the rate of
breakages has not increased and is very small.

Not increased:-)

I said it was small...... :-)



Careful is not an adjective that I'd apply to either of the kids
either. I can think of a few others, but they are not repeatable in
polite company like Mary's.

I doubt that you know any words I don't - but thanks. I'm not keen on seeing
weak language on my screen and usually dump people who can't be more
articulate.

I tend not to dress things up, but that doesn't mean that it's
necessary to offend - not that I suspect that you are easily offended,
Mary.





The slate is no worse than anything else that you might use in a
kitchen - except perhaps carpet, but I don't know of anybody with
carpet in a kitchen - that strikes me as being as revolting as carpet
in a bathroom.

Or carpet anywhere.

We've gradually been dumping all of it out.


shudder



But I think it's probably the only way to end up with a good looking
hard wearing worktop while still using the one already there.

It's certainly a problem. I think I'd sulk until Spouse took it off and
replaced it with what I wanted - but what that would be I don't know because
I'm not in that situation.

Mary



.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Andy Hall wrote:

One word of warning that this is not a DIY job if you want to get an
excellent result. There is a variation in thickness of the
tiles, and sorting and bedding them to produce an even floor is
tricky. It is also very hard work because the tiles are heavy.

My recommendation (and TNP said similarly recently), is to budget for
a professional to do it, recommended by the supplier.


Yeah, I've seen this discussed in a couple of threads. Goes against the
grain a bit! Get someone in?? It's not really the cost, but the
principle. I'll have to think about this one.

--
Grunff

On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 10:50:16 +0100, Grunff wrote:

Andy Hall wrote:

One word of warning that this is not a DIY job if you want to get an
excellent result. There is a variation in thickness of the
tiles, and sorting and bedding them to produce an even floor is
tricky. It is also very hard work because the tiles are heavy.

My recommendation (and TNP said similarly recently), is to budget for
a professional to do it, recommended by the supplier.


Yeah, I've seen this discussed in a couple of threads. Goes against the
grain a bit! Get someone in?? It's not really the cost, but the
principle. I'll have to think about this one.

Well, I am not one for feeling that I can't tackle something and like
to feel in a position to do so, even if I then elect for time or other
reasons not to do so.

Here's the issue with this one though.

- I went for 600x400 slates for kitchen, conservatory and some other
areas - approximately 60-70 sqm in all. Having the larger tile
sizes, vs. 300x300 makes them look a lot better and the spaces that
they are in larger. These tiles are heavy in this size and need to
be held at arm's length to lay.

- If you buy a slate that is calibrated on both sides - i.e. flat and
constant thickness, then it is not so hard to even out the floor.
The types that are cleaved on one side (the upper) and that have a
more natural appearance, vary in thickness by up to 6mm. You have to
account for that in the laying and bedding and sorting thicknesses by
area without ending up with too uniform colours in one area. This
involves a lot of moving round of the slates.


- This is not a job that will be repeated in a hurry and there is no
real scope for learning as you go because you will have wasted
material over quite a large area before it becomes obvious that there
is a problem. It is *very* noticable when a floor is done badly.
The material is not so cheap that one would want to waste too much of
it - £25-30/m^2 is typical.

- The guys that did ours took about 8 man days on it.

When I stacked that lot up and considered that the supplier and
fitters own any problems, it really didn't make sense to DIY it.
I watched what they were doing on a couple of the days and have an
appreciation of what is involved, but still wouldn't take it on.




..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher wrote:

He has a special room for TV!

Well, it's a library/music/TV room - but not the same as the living room.

Ii was just amused that you called it the TV room!

How can you play music if folk are watching the TV though?

Because there were so many people in our house when the children were all
here there was no opportunity for a dedicated music room. The piano was in
the dining toom/library, the sitting room was the only quiet room and it was
important to have that. To have privacy daughter would play her double bass
in the bathroom - and her flute too because she liked the acoustics. Another
daughter practised her violin in her bedroom but that wasn't big enough for
the bass. A son always played his recorders IN the bath.

We didn't have a TV ...

Mary

--
Grunff

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...

I tend not to dress things up, but that doesn't mean that it's
necessary to offend - not that I suspect that you are easily offended,
Mary.

No - if people try to offend me it says more about them than about me and I
ignore them.

Mary

Andy Hall wrote:

Here's the issue with this one though.

- I went for 600x400 slates for kitchen, conservatory and some other
areas - approximately 60-70 sqm in all. Having the larger tile
sizes, vs. 300x300 makes them look a lot better and the spaces that
they are in larger. These tiles are heavy in this size and need to
be held at arm's length to lay.

- If you buy a slate that is calibrated on both sides - i.e. flat and
constant thickness, then it is not so hard to even out the floor.
The types that are cleaved on one side (the upper) and that have a
more natural appearance, vary in thickness by up to 6mm. You have to
account for that in the laying and bedding and sorting thicknesses by
area without ending up with too uniform colours in one area. This
involves a lot of moving round of the slates.


- This is not a job that will be repeated in a hurry and there is no
real scope for learning as you go because you will have wasted
material over quite a large area before it becomes obvious that there
is a problem. It is *very* noticable when a floor is done badly.
The material is not so cheap that one would want to waste too much of
it - £25-30/m^2 is typical.

- The guys that did ours took about 8 man days on it.

When I stacked that lot up and considered that the supplier and
fitters own any problems, it really didn't make sense to DIY it.
I watched what they were doing on a couple of the days and have an
appreciation of what is involved, but still wouldn't take it on.


Thanks for that - very useful.

If I do decide to do it myself, I will probably go for much smaller
slates - a local place keeps 30x40, which is a more manageable weight.

--
Grunff

Mary Fisher wrote:

How can you play music if folk are watching the TV though?

There are only two of us, so we just make sure we both want to do the
same thing!

We don't watch TV as such, we watch DVDs.

--
Grunff