Hi,
I recently purchased a 5 year old home. The original owner did not do
any 'upgrade' at all, just had gotten the basic fixtures that come
with the house from the builder. I love the house, but I hate 2 parts
of the house.

1. The kitchen cabinets are all laminate type. The cabinets look of
good quality (ie: the newer types, the one that doesn't scratch or
anything) but I just wish the colour matched the rest of the kitchen!
What options do I have other than to completely replace the cabinets?
Refacing the cabinets with a different color laminate sounds like an
option, but it looks like an expensive and tedious job. Any ways to
treat it to look a bit darker?

2. The bathroom and kitchen counter tops (these are laminate too) are
the most awful of all, the ones in the bathroom are PINK! I'd like to
replace the entire counter top, but is there a cheaper alternative?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
apkesh

try alt.home.repair


"Apkesh" wrote in message
om...
Hi,
I recently purchased a 5 year old home. The original owner did not do
any 'upgrade' at all, just had gotten the basic fixtures that come
with the house from the builder. I love the house, but I hate 2 parts
of the house.

1. The kitchen cabinets are all laminate type. The cabinets look of
good quality (ie: the newer types, the one that doesn't scratch or
anything) but I just wish the colour matched the rest of the kitchen!
What options do I have other than to completely replace the cabinets?
Refacing the cabinets with a different color laminate sounds like an
option, but it looks like an expensive and tedious job. Any ways to
treat it to look a bit darker?

2. The bathroom and kitchen counter tops (these are laminate too) are
the most awful of all, the ones in the bathroom are PINK! I'd like to
replace the entire counter top, but is there a cheaper alternative?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
apkesh

If you have a laminate trimmer or the right bits for a router replacing the
mica isn't really that tough. The counter tops are usually just screwed down
with a few drywall screws under the counter so they are easy to take outside to
work on.
The cabinets are a little harder but they are usually just up there with a
frightening few number of screws.
I have found that if I need to seam the mica I am usually better off matching a
factory cut to a factory cut so plan it so all of your cuts are off the trimmed
edges and you match up factory cuts. (unless you are better at making straight,
smooth, chip free cuts than me).

In article , (Apkesh) wrote:

2. The bathroom and kitchen counter tops (these are laminate too) are
the most awful of all, the ones in the bathroom are PINK! I'd like to
replace the entire counter top, but is there a cheaper alternative?

Sell 'em to Bay Area Dave. I hear he likes pink.

"Greg" wrote in message
...
If you have a laminate trimmer or the right bits for a router replacing
the
mica isn't really that tough. The counter tops are usually just screwed
down
with a few drywall screws under the counter so they are easy to take
outside to
work on.
The cabinets are a little harder but they are usually just up there with a
frightening few number of screws.
I have found that if I need to seam the mica I am usually better off
matching a
factory cut to a factory cut so plan it so all of your cuts are off the
trimmed
edges and you match up factory cuts. (unless you are better at making
straight,
smooth, chip free cuts than me).


Straight piece of 1X and a pattern cutting bit makes it right.

"Apkesh" wrote in message
om...
Hi,
I recently purchased a 5 year old home. The original owner did not do
any 'upgrade' at all, just had gotten the basic fixtures that come
with the house from the builder. I love the house, but I hate 2 parts
of the house.

1. The kitchen cabinets are all laminate type. The cabinets look of
good quality (ie: the newer types, the one that doesn't scratch or
anything) but I just wish the colour matched the rest of the kitchen!
What options do I have other than to completely replace the cabinets?
Refacing the cabinets with a different color laminate sounds like an
option, but it looks like an expensive and tedious job. Any ways to
treat it to look a bit darker?

2. The bathroom and kitchen counter tops (these are laminate too) are
the most awful of all, the ones in the bathroom are PINK! I'd like to
replace the entire counter top, but is there a cheaper alternative?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
apkesh
Refacing the cabinets can be expensive, if you go with the best you can get.
But one thing I would look into is having a company do it, most can get it
done in one or two days. To me that time frame is worth the expense.
In the bathroom, as long as you don't need the little storage that a vanity
gives I would go with a pedestal sink. They have many very attractive
choices, and then you can do something creative with the storage you might
need. Such as a standing closet. Spend the time you save doing the refacing
of the cabinets and build something nice for your bathroom.

Dave

Sun, Dec 14, 2003, 4:35pm (EST-3) (Apkesh)
laments:
snip 2. The bathroom and kitchen counter tops (these are laminate too)
are the most awful of all, the ones in the bathroom are PINK! I'd like
to replace the entire counter top, but is there a cheaper alternative?
snip

You probably won't like this either. When I read that, first thing
that popped into my mind, paint the whole bathroom pink, then nobody'd
comment on the counter top.

If it was me, I'd possibly paint the top, or leave it pink, and
ignore it. But, I would think you could use tile over the laminate. I
think I'd prefer the little tiles myself. I think that'd look decent,
and should be pretty cheap. Try and get pink tiles. LMAO

JOAT
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might
as well dance.
- Unknown

Life just ain't life without good music. - JOAT
Web Page Update 14 Dec 2003.
Some tunes I like.
http://community-2.webtv.net/Jakofal...OMETUNESILIKE/

On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 01:02:56 +0000, Greg wrote:


I have found that if I need to seam the mica I am usually better off matching a
factory cut to a factory cut so plan it so all of your cuts are off the trimmed
edges and you match up factory cuts. (unless you are better at making straight,
smooth, chip free cuts than me).

I hope you don't mind me butting in and suggesting a better way to cut
seams in plastic laminate.
A simple jig made of 2 pieces of 1x4 (straight) about 32" long tied
together at the ends by a couple of 2" wide pieces about 7 3/4" long.
This leaves a long slot about 5/8" wide in the middle. With the 2 end
pieces down on the table top lay the pieces you need to seam across the
top and clamp them down, lapping one piece over the other, making sure
they are set up at least 1/2" too long. Take a bearing trim bit and cut
both pieces at once, using the slot as a guide for the bearing.
One pass and you have a perfect seam! Works first time every time!

On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 01:02:56 +0000, Greg wrote:


The cabinets are a little harder but they are usually just up there with a
frightening few number of screws.

Look underneath the countertops. They may be just screwed on. If they
are it is not too hard to cut the caulking around them loose, unscrew
them and replace them. If the cabinets are already laminated you could
laminate over the existing face frames and buy new doors and drawer
fronts. It won't be cheap but if the basic boxes are in good shape and
the layout for the kitchen is correct it would be better than complete new
cabinets.

On 14 Dec 2003 16:35:19 -0800, (Apkesh) wrote:

Refacing the cabinets with a different color laminate sounds like an
option, but it looks like an expensive and tedious job. Any ways to
treat it to look a bit darker?

Paint them. Scuff sand the laminate (about 240 grit), then apply a
coat of melamine primer. After that you can paint them any colour you
like.

I've used two melamine primers. One (from International Paints) worked
well, but was hard work to use - lots of trouble with runs. The other
(ESP brand) looks like water and is _much_ easier. If you're painting
doors like this, take them off and paint them horizontally.

Replacing worktops is generally cheap, but a fair bit of labour - much
depends on your layout. The ubiquitous round-edged paper-laminate fake
stone particleboard worktops are at give-away prices. Biggest problem
is forming corner joints, which need either an ugly plastic filler
strip (very cheap and quick though) or hiring an expensive jig, a big
router and a big cutter to form the joint. Don't try to just saw a
mitre in them - gives a lousy finish.

--
What ? Me ? Evil Dictator of Iraq ?
Nah mate, I'm just a Hobbit, honest