In the middle of planning on removing countertops and trying to figure out what the best way to remove them is. Has anybody tried?
I know I can just take a hammer to him but I don't want to damage the wood. I've tried using my oscillating tool and the problem with that is getting access to all of the adhesive underneath. You can't get it from the front because of the overhang and unless I break the sink out I can't get to the back. So I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on this.
After looking at granite marble Corian etc I have decided to go with epoxy coated MDF. Been watching a lot of videos on coating MDF with colored epoxies. They look really good and I believe the weight will be less than the corian and certainly less than granite or marble.
My plan is to replace all of the corian the coach this way.
Got to admit, I kind of had a knee jerk reaction to the idea of destroying $$$Corian to install MDF. Took a look at the videos though, and still don't get it. You do realize epoxy is readily attacked by UV, right? And MDF is pressed wood fiber just looking for an opportunity to absorb moisture and return to its natural state.....dust. Have you considered the possibility of epoxy coating the existing Corian?
Doubt you'll save any weight, MDF is some heavy stuff in itself.
You did ask for thoughts.
Corian is one of the best materials for counter tops. With the current issues with illness and its ability to live on surfaces. I would explore your medical side to overcome your designer side. Sand it down to restore the orginal luster. Be happy! Saving labor and time for your new steps system.
MDF. Never
99 has cast by Foretravel countertops as I understand it. Not Corion. Made in house.
Why did the coach come with Corian paperwork and the instruction for the care of countertops?
The epoxy is UV stabilized.
The MDF is covered in paint/primer and all areas that get moisture coated in waterproof coating.
I like Corian. Just not this.
I can always change it out if it doesn't work.
Corian is epoxy with additives.
But the question remains.
How to remove it.
https://youtu.be/nbOyQjJ-ksQ
To remove. Countertop. Maybe use a Japanese saw double sided. This to slice thru the adhesive that was used.
Ask Fot how they remove the tops.?!
Well I used the oscillating carbide blade on my bosch tool. After a while threw my hands up and said #$@^.
Then I tried to use a pry bar. Nah.
Finally, took to the ball peen hammer. It worked like a charm.
Took maybe 20 min and that was cleaning up as I went, removing the drains and faucet, etc.
Found mold behind the backsplash. Some water intrusion but no damage.
I think this is going to be a fun project. And I think it will look outstanding !
New backsplash too.
Also going to even out the counter so it's all one height. Will not build in the induction cooktop, but leave it out on top. Will have space for 2 now.
Single undermount sink in the kitchen with a above counter vessel sink in the bath.
Pics will follow.
Nice job. I look forward to the tops. Did you decide on what you were going to back on top?
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQne5U-UMzo)
something like this I think.
Sink is a elkay quartz on amazon.
Really looking forward to seeing your results. That video was really interesting. Thanks
jor
It's the same basic solid surface material, just not made/cast or branded by DuPont or in one of their proprietary color blends.
okay so after some time I have started on the countertop for the kitchen. Actually I have more than started on it I'm a halfway done. I wanted to post a pictures and say look at my new marble countertops But they're not really done yet so. But I'm really excited to show these pictures cuz they actually look really damn good. The look I was going for was Carrera marble and I achieved it. I put two layers actually of colored epoxy down because my first layer I overworked it a little bit and kind of messed up one part. So I put another layer down and this one turned out near perfect. I'm really happy with it. And the layers just give it more depth and a thicker layer of epoxy over it. Tomorrow I'll put a float coat over of just clear epoxy. And then in about 5 days I will hone it to make it really look like marble stone. they say you can use the countertops in 3 days but it takes up to 30 days to fully cure. So I'll be putting them back in maybe in about 6 or 7 days depending on what's going on. I'm doing it in my garage and I don't have a whole lot of room so I'm only doing one at a time I still have the bathroom countertop to do as well as the coffee table/bar across from the galley. But I need to go out and get another sheet of MDF for that and right now put the quarantine going on I'm just waiting.
On my coach there is smaller cabinet next to the jackknife sofa that's about one and a half inches lower than the main galley cabinet. I didn't really like that I wanted one level countertop. I also have a recessed area for the stove which is no longer in my coach anyway and an induction cooktop is there. I didn't really want that anymore either. So it's all one level. I'll still use the induction when I want to cook with it and it'll be in the drawers below. I actually have two separate units so I can cook with two separate ones either under the microwave or one on each side of the sink. But if I didn't want to use the induction and wanted to use like an instapot or something else I could. lots of times I don't cook anyway I have cereal or something like that. Or maybe I'll just use the microwave. This way I have a larger expanse of countertop.
I like the look, our tops are quite dated looking with the roman ogee edge, but it was probably HOT in 2003..LOL We'd like new tops but I'm not convinced using MDF for durability...Certainly on the list in the next year or so.
The really cool thing about using MDF is easily manipulated, tooled, and relatively strong. If properly sealed, it can last a long time. The epoxy gives it strength. And seals it from moisture. I also covered the back with a moisture blocking paint. There are videos of them hammering on it, lighting it up with alcohol, and putting hot pans on it with little effect. And when damaged it can be easily repaired and re coated. And as a base for this it's cheap. But your concern is valid. We'll have to see what the long term brings. The above pics are before my second coat of epoxy and the final flood coat that goes on today.
You can use plywood, or even coat over the coriander. But I wanted a different counter top.
It's all in the prep as they say. Only hope I do it right.
Had MDF doors for cabinets in my personal house. Held up well except for the doors under the sink. Since I had the ones without knobs, right where you open the cabinet ended up delaminating from having water on your fingers when you opened it to get dishwasher detergent or dawn soap for sink.
True but remember that these are epoxy coated and the backs painted with a water blocking paint.
Pic is of the bar top before flood coat applied. Very windy today so got some dust in it. Should be fine with the flood coat of clear epoxy.
Waiting to publish the final pictures of the kitchen until the backsplash is finished. But I I'm finished with the bathroom. I didn't do it exactly the way I wanted to with a lighted crack down the middle, I just had too much going on and I thought that there would be a little bit more of a learning curve there then I wanted to do right now.
However, to say that I am more than pleased with the way it turned out would be an understatement. It pretty much turned out the way I expected it to and hope that it would. The concerns about using MDF is the basis for an epoxy coated countertop I think we're not justified. Not only is the epoxy waterproof, but the multiple coats of waterproof blocking paint should keep any moisture well away from it.
I really didn't like bending over using the sink. My lower back doesn't really like that. The pedestal sink is just the right height now.
I understand this isn't for everybody and if you like your Corian that you have now more power to you. but I really did want to change it out and I'm glad that I did. I put a tile backsplash on, 3 by 6 in tile. Not the best Tiler out there but it turned out pretty well. One mistake I made was test fitting the countertop before I tile it fit just fine. I wanted to tile and grout before the countertop went down. With the tile and place I couldn't get the countertop back in I was about a half inch too much. After a bunch of head-scratching, I took the glass out of the shower and it slid right in. Getting the plumbing to matchup took a little fiddling. But I got that working as well. I post pictures of the kitchen once that's all grouted it up.
All in all I really enjoyed doing this project. Well it was time consuming, I learned a lot and I had fun doing it. Unfortunately I had to take the garage from my wife for 3 weeks. And it made a big mess. But I'm cleaning that up as I go.
If anybody's interested in this technique let me know I can steer you in the right direction. It can be used for vertical surfaces as well as horizontal as well. Basically the sky's the limit on what you can do with it. It's really a piece of art no two are alike.
Bob
In the like thinking of great minds we redid our S&B's kitchen and selected Metroquartz "vogue" quartz counters and back splashes. Unfortunately only in 5'x10' sheets. $1k per sheet. Small kitchen took 2 sheets.
Looks nice. Would have been 2K to do the coach in new Corian or granite. I spent around 500$ and some of that was for casting epoxy I won't use now.
Ok you had me ... Well until you mentioned you took the garage from the wife ???
When we buy a house I will check the garage and the yard, front and back. She likes the house and I like the garage and yard, We buy!!.. She gets to do wahtever she wants in the house but the garage is out of the question :)) ^.^d .. so far its worked well .. so far.. she is getting a little overboard on giving me direction though :-X .. boundaries people!! :)) :))
Looks great though and a good Job !!
Thanks David. Well my Jeep is a 2012, her Honda is a 2019. So she gets to garage. Also hers is a plug-in hybrid so she has to plug it in every night and the plugs in the garage. If I ever buy another house it'll have a large workshop. I'm willing to accept a really small house as long as it has a big workshop.
I just poking fun... We all know who wears the pants.... That's why I buy stretch jeans, just in case she feels to take chage she can fit in them lol.
If she aint happy,, No one is happy.. Fact of life.. Women are made for a couple things
Cooking
Cleaning
Complaining and not necessarily in that order :-X
Haa just kidding to all the nice women in the world... it was a joke.. Life is to short to be so serious.. ^.^d
Did you duck when you typed that?
Backsplash is finished in the kitchen and bar.
Had so much fun with this I've decided to go all out and do the tv cabinet top and dining room table and office. Take a week or two for that to be ready.
And more
Thank you sir!
Looks awesome! I also love the pullout counter extension. Great idea and use of space. If only I had more time to play with toys...
Bob,
You've been very busy. Good to be busy during this quarantine. It helps us keep our sanity. Great job on all of you work. It all looks great!
And I thought my projects were big. 😁
John M.
Great idea Bob, on the extension! Not showing this to DW as that will be the next project to delve into! lol
Thanks guys. Glad you liked it. Going with a ying yang theme on the other side. Should have pics by Tuesday. You know, one side white/Blac, other side black/white....
John I'd say that painting the roof is pretty ambitious 👍
Joe, I understand. Sometimes it's better to not show them stuff. More work for us.
Eric that cutting board should get a lot of use since I don't want to cut on the new countertop.
Bob
So I've been busy. Been working on a dining room table / office. This extends from the coffee bar area forward to the TV cabinet. Near the coffee table is a 15-in x 32-in office space. They'll be a under table keyboard for a desktop computer but you can also use my laptop there as well. Then there's a 34x40-in area for a dining. Five people, six if you include the office area can snugly fit. But it'd be more comfortable for four to five people. I wanted it to be a yin yang kind of a thing with the opposite of the kitchen countertop. That one is a white Carrera marble look. Mostly white with black accents. This one as you'll see is mostly black with white veins. I got a little carried away with the veining so there is some other colors in there as well as well as some glitter. This mimics real stone. It's 90% of the look that I was going for. The pictures I'm going to show right now are right after the flood coat, which is the second coat of epoxy. The flood coat is a clear epoxy. The first coat is a colored coat with the additives glitters and mica powders. The flood coat protects the colored coat. In 5 days I will take my sander to it and go from a 220 grit all the way up to a thousand grit with sand and that will hone the surface. Toning the gloss down. With the ultimate look to be like a slate.
This epoxying / art is kind of addictive. The more I do it the more I want to do it. I still have to do the lid above the pop-up TV cabinet which will look very similar to this slate table.
Bob
The wooden brown thing is from the coffee cup holder next to the co-pilots chair. It broke apart when I took it off and had to epoxy it back together again. I used some walnut dust to glue it together. Then I coated it with epoxy. Sanded that down smooth now applying another coat.
Here's a couple more pictures that I wouldn't let me do in the first post.
Looks great! I'm getting ready for this too. From my basic measurements looks like a 25x22x9 composite sink will fit. Can you send me a link to what you used?...Thanks
Looks great 👍
Well I got a new stylish paper towel holder.. Guess I'll hold up on showing it off for now.. Darn nice work you did for certain.
I am happy with the counters in my coach, but unhappy with the counters in my 1951 house kitchen. Thanks for the know how as the kitchen here will get your treatment.
Hey it's the Valley
Craneman, it's addictive. once you do one or two of them you're going to want to keep doing them. The beauty of the system is that you can do it over anything pretty much. they recommend the MDF and I liked it so I went with that. Creates a lot of dust when you cut it, but once you're finished with that it's not bad. Couple coats of paint and primer a light sanding, route the edges over a little bit, and you're ready for the pour. You makes the epoxy in equal parts, mix it with a drill for 2 minutes, add your color, when you get to play with what kind of design you want. There's lots of ideas on YouTube on how to do it. If you mess it up you have a fairly long working time so you can easily fix it. And if you still messed it up, you can pour another coat on top. It would actually add to the depth of it, and look better because of it. You use three ounces per square foot. And another three for the flood coat.
and there's some really talented people that have made it look like almost anything, from Rock, to marble, to Wood, to stone, or polished cement.
I'm still working on the top for the TV cabinet, and I have to hone the dining table and then install it. Should be done by early next week hopefully. Of course pictures will follow.
That is just OUTSTANDING!! I have watched those guys on You Tube for a couple of years. It surely is cool stuff!! I may do it in my house. LOVE the effects you can get! Super job, indeed!
Thanks Carol! Appreciate that.
It's been about 30 minutes honing up to 1,000 grit The desktop / dining top. Looking for a slate like look. Here it is Hope you like it.
Wanted to take the shine out of it make it more like slate or soapstone.
Preliminary photos of dining table and tv cabinet. Still waiting on decent hinges for the TV cabinet lid. Not really crazy about how the front came out but it will do for now. At some time in the future I may redesign the whole thing for the TV cabinet. The pull out shelf in the desk I'm still waiting on some ball bearing slides. The first ones I got from Amazon were pretty bad.