Solid Surface Counter Top

[countryguy]

Has anyone had experience with having a solid surface counter top installed to replace a laminate (or other material) counter top? I am having it done through Home Depot (who contracts with a counter top fabricator in Toronto) and both Home Depot and the fabricator say that I must remove my existing sink and counter tops so that the measurements can be done. Because it takes approximately 6 weeks for the counter top to be made I will then be forced to re-install the laminate counter top and sink because I can't go without them for that long - something I was not planning on doing nor have any experience with. I was wondering if anyone else had to do the same thing.

Thanks.

Gary

 

[sikiguya]

Silestone

We had it done through EXPO (home Depot) and it was a wreck. Although we did not have to remove the laminate before measurements. They had someone come and remove the laminate the day before so we were supposed to be without the countertops & cooktop for 1 day. Well, when the install was happening, they dropped and broke the piece that held the cooktop. They could not fabricate it for 2 weeks so I could not cook for my family! Expo was pretty fair and refunded $600 plus refunded the reinstall of the cooktop, which my husband ended up doing since the guy could not get back to do it for even a week after the new countertops were in.

In the end, it was worth it because I loved them. Although I know that if I had to be without countertops for 6 weeks, I would not do it! That's crazy.

 

[bethann]

My 2 cents

A. The contractor should come to your home and measure him self. If YOUR measurments are off then that takes the liability off of both of them. ( what if you were someone that couldn't read a tape?)

B. There is no reason to remove the counter tops until the new ones are ready to install.

If I were you I would not go through Home Depot. Write down the manufacturer, style number, and color and call a tile and counter top place they can get the top. Plus do a better job. Just make sure that they have installed that type of countertop before.

 

[countryguy]

Thanks for both your input.

A. The installer is coming from Toronto to my home (180 miles north of Toronto) on Mar. 7 to do the measuring. The counter top has to be removed for that day. Then the top will be fabricated (takes about 6 weeks) and then he will come back to install it.

B. Home Depot, the fabricator in Toronto as well as another local cabinet/counter top supplier all told me that the counter top has to be removed so that they can scribe the template precisely to the wall. Otherwise they can't get accurate measurements. Whether that is right or wrong, I don't know.

 

[nmaineman36]

When we had our kitchen redone they came out and made a template of how the cabinets were installed. We also gave them the sink so they could cut the opening and mount it properly. The piece of granite in the pantry where my sink and dishwasher are is one piece. It took 8 guys to bring it in. Its a granite countertop...absolute black its called. And it took them a week to fabricate it. They also dont scribe a template...its made out of wood pieces that are glued together...thats what my installer used. It sounds to me that Home Depot may not know what they are doing.

 

[countryguy]

But it isn't just Home Depot that told me this. The actual counter top fabricator in Toronto (Corian Dupont) told me the same thing as did another local counter top/cabinet maker company.

 

[mattl]

CAD

I had granite countertops installed in a house I'm redoing and when they came to measure they had a nice "tower" they set up linked to a laptop computer. The exact position of the apparatus was plotted into the matching then a long arm was extended and moved from point to point and the exact measurements were plotted into the computer. The granite was an exact fit when installed.

As to removing the countertops, it seems there should be other options. Depending on the type of back splashes you have removing them should suffice. The finished surface of the new top should be pretty much where the existing one is. If they can measure to the wall without the splashes then I would think you would have an accurate measurement.

What are you using for back splashes? If it's the same material then it should give a little leeway in the measurements, actually most any material will. I found that adding granite back splashes added 1/3 to almost 1/2 to the cost, I found other options.

 

[mattl]

Sorry, that should be "machine" not matching....

 

[countryguy]

Unfortunately I have a laminate countertop now with a 4" backsplash (all 1 piece) so just the backsplash cannot be removed. I've seen on TV how they use the CAD machines and laser (I think) to take measurements. As for the new backsplash I am going with the 4" Corian.