timber kitchen bench tops

[ljb]

I am trying to spruce up my old kitchen but don't have much money. I have timber veener cupboards that I am going to paint white and I want to have timber bench tops. Is it possible to glue planks of wood onto my old laminate benchtops or do I have to pull them off and start from scratch. I was thinking that if I could just glue wood on top and then have some kind of wooden cornice or moulding around the sides/edges that it would look OK. Am I completely crazy as my husband says?

[glenn k]

Maybe your husband is right. It would be easier to make a new bench top if you want to do it cheap see if you can get yourself some second hand 4" x 2" hardwood pull the nails and glue together and make a 2" slab cut to size and get it dressed. Lots of work but it will look good and should be stable. Hope this helps.

[Iain]

Like Glenn say's, also a piece of timber on top of laminate is going to look just like what it is, and the proportions will be wrong too which will make it look crappier still.
Tear of the tops, carefully, there is not much supporting a benchtop, even use a piece of melamine MDF while you are making a new top.
Benchtops are not expensive (it's all relative I know) but we had three benches made up, two at 1.5m and one just over 3m complete with joiners for the corners for just on $700.00.
Universal Timbers in Dandenong.
They even have bench tops on display that are dicontinued or not picked up even cheaper.
Worth having a look maybe, next to Audel Tools on Princes Highway.

[ljb]

Thanks Glenn and Iain for the helpful advice. It is amazing what you can find out on this site. After posting my query, I had a look in the archives and there was actually someone who had done what I was thinking of doing. My husband nearly fell off the couch when I told him!!!!!

[seriph1]

hi neighbour (Kilmore here) - what "look" are you working to achieve in the kitchen? Just a fresh benchtop? Also, what width is ideal for your benchtop? I have successfully achieved what you were initially describing about fixing the benchtop to en existing laminted one ..... it worked fine but in hindsight was not the most practical way ..... I feel, getting 32-38mm material, joggling the boards (before glueing, ensuring each board's grain runs opposit to its mate - this lessens warping) laminating them together and correctly fixing to your benches is the way to go for a great, long lasting job.

One successful benchtop job I did that is still happily in service today can be seen below. This was just second hand building material - (Douglas Fir or Oregon as it is called here) that I thicknessed down, glued together and fixed correctly.

[ljb]

thanks for your advice steve. my benches are 90cm and 60 cm wide. the 60 cm bench is 400 cm long while the 90cm wide bench is 210cm long. I also have another bench 60cm wide by 200cm long, so you can see I have a lot of bench top. The 400cm bench runs along the end of the kitchen under the window, then 200cm long is at right angles along the side of the room and contains the cooktop. The 210cm long is at right angles to this bench and forms the breakfast bar, dividing the kitchen from the family room. I have painted over the woodveneer (antique white)cupboards and now want the benchtops to be timber (like you see in the madeover kitchens that either have the black granite or the timber benchtops). The colour I want is that lovely honey colour. My husband has made some timber shelves from old wood he brought home and I want to try to match that colour.

[reeves]

I would say yes it's possible to do anything, but u will have repercussions for what u do.

Maybe a bit more fefort will get u there, a nice slab or two, some new framwork and u will have anice rustic benchtop.

I'd get togther iwth yr husband and make a bit of a plan, do some sketches even knock up some prototype sof what u wnat, dont hurry, work together and u will achieve what u want

cheeeeers

[seriph1]

I have a feeling Douglas Fir might achieve the outcome youre looking for. Happy to discuss further privately via phone if you need further info or wanna chat abt it person to person - just PM me with your thoughts etc.

Have been trying to find more pics to show you without success so far, but can get more as I am still in touch with the people who bought my place ..... if you have time, go to my site and scroll down through the rubbish to the architecture to see the entire project.

www.geocities.com/seriph1