Kitchen upgrade

[Dutch445]

my SO truly hates the current kitchen countertop, mostly
the color, so I have been looking at changing it out.
I am not ready to do the kitchen over, although it needs
it, so I don't want to spend a lot of money to change the
countertop. I have gotten a quote from a local guy,
sounds fair for what's involved, on new laminate, which would
match the current shape, including an overhang so we can still
sit at it and eat. Sounds like large stock pieces, cut to the
shape we need (the island is over 11' long).
does anybody have experience with covering existing laminate
with a new color? the price for the 2 new countertops for the island and wall
cabinets, will run around $750. I was hoping to do it for $500,
but an extra couple hundred isn't a deal breaker, especially if it
will go a long way with SO.

 

[herd]

What kind of counter top material are you calling laminate? Are you talking about a formica type product or something else.

 

[Dutch445]

yes, formica type,
the new would come as a "post form?" and
be cut to our shape, but what's nice about it will be
we gain a rounded edge instead of the sharp square edge,
and at the wall will be a backsplash which we don't have.

 

[Tony_S]

Hi Dutch,
I believe if he is installing post form counter tops, he will be removing the old tops completely. Post form tops are "premade" tops that you can buy at many home centers and are cut to fit.
I can't see how he would install post form over old laminate.
Now, it is entirely possible to just install new laminate over the old laminate. There are too many variables to know which is most cost effective without seeing the project and knowing how sound the existing tops are.
Might be worth getting a few more estimates for both scenarios.

Good luck, and send photos :thumbsup:
Tony

 

[Dutch445]

sorry if i wasn't clear,
the pro form would replace the entire countertop, which
i ordered today.

the other idea was to cover the existing laminate
with new, but nobody seemed real excited about
doing that, so this will be nice , will gain a rounded
edge and a backsplash we didn't have.

pics? i'll see,, should be 4 or 5 weeks to
get them in

 

[mostly_gas]

What about just changing the doors if the cabinet is in decent shape. We did that with custom cabinets and turned out real nice :thumbsup:

 

[Dutch445]

that could be an option, but we don't really like the layout of the
kitchen as it is, i can see an overhaul down the road.

 

[Pops15]

What about just changing the doors if the cabinet is in decent shape. We did that with custom cabinets and turned out real nice :thumbsup:

That's called "refacing" and often costs more, sometimes much, much more than replacing the cabinets.
We do a few refacing jobs a year....usually for someone that has recently replaced their c-tops and sink. In other words, someone that is redoing their kitchen incrementally as they can afford it.

As for the original topic....
Post formed describes the profile of the top. Radiused top-front edge, radius where top transitions to backsplash and radius on top of backsplash.

The square edge the OP talked about is called self edge. They can be covered with another layer of laminate but there is usually not much if any financial savings.

 

[mostly_gas]

That's called "refacing" and often costs more, sometimes much, much more than replacing the cabinets.
We do a few refacing jobs a year....usually for someone that has recently replaced their c-tops and sink. In other words, someone that is redoing their kitchen incrementally as they can afford it.

Interesting. The guy that made our original cabinets did our new doors. 1/2 the original cost. My mom had her cabinets done because they were darker that she wanted. After pricing equivalent cabinets and having the doors refinied she opted for new doors. The doors were less decorative but still was cheaper then new.

 

[Dutch445]

here's an update in case anybody wanted to see.
the countertops came in yesterday, and i had
time to change one out.(obviously i wasn't
finished trimming the caulk). they hadn't cut out for
the sink or cooktop, which was ok, just meant a little
extra time for me to install. we may totally change the
stove arrangement anyway and go with a freestanding
oven/range instead of that cooktop that's there.
here's a pic of the island finished, (almost) and of
the old colored countertop on the wall cabinets.