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Building a Template for a Kitchen Countertop

Scott Lawyer of Solid Surfacetops is with Bob at the Punta Gorda house to make a template for the Corian kitchen countertops that will be fabricated at this shop. Lawyer has the fabrication work done off site because there are too many tools involved in the cutting, shaping, and finishing of the counters to do them on site. Lawyer creates a template from Luan plywood that is glued together to create the exact dimensions of the kitchen countertop. These templates will be laid directly on top of the Corian and used as cutting guides by the fabricators. Lawyer uses the blueprint to create the template then checks it against the kitchen space for any modifications. The system results in a perfect cut with little room for error.

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Building a Template for a Kitchen Countertop Now Playing

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Clip Transcript For:

Building a Template for a Kitchen Countertop

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Scott lawyer is. Our man he's going to be putting in the kitchen cabinets but before he took away this template I wanted to talk about why do you need a template in the first place. Well every kitchen's different. And we need to bring this kitchen to our shops that would -- so by making a template you're practically action during -- you just -- you're taking this kitchen to your workshop exactly why don't you. Just work here at at the job site to -- tools to -- equipment yet you want to good stationary table sorrow that. All right -- in a few minutes we're gonna be. Finding out about how you install. The Koran but how did you make the template. This was just taking the sticks out -- done that answerable. Precise measurements such like so you're going from the blueprint. Yes right. And you just using. We want plywood instead of cardboard or anything else that's correct and why do you have to use -- the glue -- assistant glue these pieces together yeah just attach it sort of firm positive. Connect OK and then when you're done. You take them back and you actually superimpose them on the rock -- the Koran that. The fabricator should take this put it on an -- he brought out and everything that -- No room for error. Extremely little good OK -- a minute we'll start putting down the -- thanks guys thank you."

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Kitchen Countertop Options by Price

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. Countertops are such a big part of any major kitchen remodel and there are so many new options, deciding on the best choice can seem a little daunting. Starting with the budget can make the decision easier. Countertop materials range widely in price, anywhere from $11 to $200 per square foot installed. Generally speaking, while high-end countertops can boost your kitchen s look, you don t want them too far out of sync with the price point of your cabinets and appliances. Heavier materials like concrete and natural stone can also require added support, so cabinet and countertop quality should be consistent. Once you ve decided what you can spend, you can narrow your countertop options. For smaller budgets, get creative with ceramic tile at $11 to $30 per square foot. Or, check out some of the new high-tech options in laminate, which can be fabricated and installed at $36 to $45 per linear foot. Solid surface countertops offer lots of creative color options from $40 to $60 per square foot installed, and an integral solid surface sink is a great easy-care feature. In the $50 to $100 range, there are many choices. Among them are wood and butcher block with its warm beauty and natural antimicrobial properties; natural stone like slate, soapstone, marble, travertine and granite with all the quirks of nature built in; and engineered quartz countertops with a wide color range and more consistent patterns. Stainless-steel and concrete countertops are generally the most expensive at around $100 on up per square foot. But they can also be fabricated with integral sinks and they re great if you re going for that restaurant or industrial look. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Installation of the Marble Kitchen Countertop

Bob and Chris Vila enter the penthouse apartment to look at the installation of the kitchen countertops. This particular kind of Italian marble-like stone is a schist called Pietra Cardosa, from the area of Cardosa, Italy. It is fairly porous, with great abrasive resistance, but may require a bit more care than the average countertop as it cannot be polished to a shine. Nick Tagios from Tagios Tile and Marble explains the attachment of the countertops to the Cherry Craftline island cabinet. First a bead of silicone caulk is laid down to adhere the stone to the wood. Tagios and crew level the top with shims. To install the bridge that will become the kitchen�s island sink surround, steel bars are added between the slabs by sawing out a line and then sealing the bars inside with the stone-colored epoxy. Supports are attached to the sidepieces of stone and the bridge is laid between. To eliminate the line and space between the two stone slabs a dyed two-part epoxy is added. After the epoxy dries the counter top is sanded to remove any excess epoxy.

Silestone Island Countertop Installed

The Silestone island countertop arrives in the newly updated Rowley kitchen. The cooktop cutout was done on site, since it is not a polished edge. E-counters.com specializes in custom fitting countertops through their Internet service that matches customers to their dream counters fhrough local fabricators.

Templating Options for the Countertop

Brece Rupolt of Northern Marble & Granite meets with Bob to discuss the countertop template that needs to be made before cutting. Brece makes his template from a sheet of polystyrene plastic, which is flexible and can be rolled up for easy transport. He then stiffens empty spaces with steel yard sticks to continue the straight surface and measure the countertop. First he locates the sink opening and faucet holes. Walls are rarely square, so next he cuts to fit the walls. He takes the ruler and measures the difference from one end to the other and makes a cut to fit the wall. At the other end her marks on the bottom where the finished end will be and adds a radius at the corner to soften it up. Next Brece makes an opening for the under-counter double Kohler sink using a paper template. He cuts out the template on the cutting line with a utility knife and transfers the outline of the paper template to the plastic. Using his knife and a straight edge, he cuts out the opening for the sink. This is the traditional method of making a template. Next Bob meets with Paul Hansen of E-Template to discuss how a template can be made electronically. Paul places markers on each straight section of the tops of the cabinets to outline where the countertop will go. He also places other markers to identify special sink cutouts. Many times a sink or stovetop manufacturer will provide an electronic template to add to your custom e-template. Paul also uses a scale of a known length to help define the precision of the countertop. Then he takes two or more digital photographs from different angles. The photographs are downloaded into a computer aided design program to create a template and then cut by machine.