Different Formica Laminate Countertop Edge Options

8 years ago

Hi I am learning about all of the different possibilities for laminate countertop edges and I want to make sure I have my facts correct. I was wondering if I could list out our options here and you guys could correct me if I am wrong/add advice etc.

Our kitchen details: We are thinking of using Formica 180fx Laminate in Jet Sequoia. I don't have any corners in my kitchen.

-We do have a small area that is 6 feet long on 15 inch deep cabinets, so that is not a typical countertop depth.

-The main area 11 feet by 25 inches (includes sink cutout)

-Third area is 18 inches by 25 inches.

-I also have a kitchen cart that I could like to consider using the same countertop on as the rest of the kitchen it is 30 inches wide and the depth could be any where from 18 inches to 25 inches.

There is a possibility I could use butcher block on the last small area and the cart.

Edge Option A:

Post form laminate- (bullnose, pencil edge-seems like there are a lot of different names depending on the fabricator?).

This is made at a fabricator and the laminate is wrapped around the front edge. The sides of countertops would have laminated glued to them and a potential to show the brown seam. Questions: I don't want the attached backsplash--can you get this type of edge without the backsplash? Also is this available only 1.5 inch thickness or could you do a 3cm thickness?

Edge Option B:

Square/Self Edge. This is where the laminate edge is just glued onto the front and sides of the counter and a brown seam might show. This could be done by a skilled handyman/diy person. can be made in 1.5 thickness of 3cm thickness. I worry a bit about the brown seam and this edge eventually peeling/chipping etc.

Edge Option C:

Ideal Edge Bullnose--same edge all the way around. Corners are mitered. tiny seams and no dark line showing. This could be done by a skilled handyman/diy person. I think this is only available in the 1.5 inches thickness.

I am also curious about how these edges hold up/look and which option cost the most--which I guess depends on which fabricator you use.

Thanks for the information!

Featured Answer

PRO

StarCraft Custom Builders

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

You can have laminate countertops made in any thickness you like -- provided you don't go so thin as co compromise the structure. In the 60s 1" thick laminate counterops was the rage for a while. We still replace a lot of it.

The 1-1/2" standard laminate thickness serves no particular purpose. It just happens to be what you get when you glue two 3/4" board together. We commonly have tops made 1-1/4" thick to match Formica's ideal edge thickness. Other edge fabricators will go as thin a 1-1/8" which is about 2 cm. This helps the illusion that the laminate is stone since stone tops are typically 2 cm.

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Comments (14)

stephanj
8 years ago
I don't know but I am "bumping" you for those who do!
Beth Cotton thanked stephanj
PRO
Taylor's Cabinets & Interiors
8 years ago
Post form counters will need to be cut to size and finished on the ends. They come from big manufacturers (mostly) in 8', 10', and 12' lengths. Most are going to be 1.5" at the face edge, you can either build up the rest of the top with 3/4" material to make them 1.5", or you can let the front edge lip the cabinets.
Around here, lowe's stocks a couple post form tops that are 1 3/8" at the front edge. Usually with an ogee type edge. My supplier only does 1.5"
Other wise, there are 5 to 8 different front edge options with post form, and almost all can be ordered in just 'deck' form, meaning no built on backsplash.

The difference between square and ideal is they way the edge material is applied and the type of adhesive it's applied with. I believe Ideal is 1.25", where square edge could be any thickness you wanted it to be, because you have to build the substrate to apply the laminate to.

How they hold up will depend on how you take care of them. Water is what will destroy the substrate and your tops.

Post form will have miter seams (typically) if you have 90/45 degree turns. With Ideal and Square since you are building the top you can usually get the seams out of the corner since sheet goods will typically be available in 5'x12' sheets.

With Post form you will have brown lines on the ends where the end caps are applied. With Square you will typically have the brown line around the whole top where the top sheet meets the edge. With Ideal you shouldn't have any brown lines.
Beth Cotton thanked Taylor's Cabinets & Interiors
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If your long straightedge is bowing from the pressure of the router, you could support it in the middle by butting a two-foot-long scrap of particleboard (or almost anything, really) against the back of the straightedge and clamping it to the far side of the counter. That said, as long as the bow in the front edge is a smooth, even contour without abrupt jogs, it shouldn't cause any problem with the laminate. It might be better aesthetically if it were straight, but the laminate doesn't care if it's got a gentle curve in it. It's hard to imagine the counters are sagging on the sawhorses so much that they'll be permanently distorted by gluing laminate on them in that position. However, you'll need them fairly well supported for the glue up so you can lean some of your weight on the roller you use to press the glued surfaces together. For that reason alone it's worth supporting them well. You don't need a lot of sawhorses; I'd just put a couple of 2x4s on edge, on top of the sawhorses to provide even support along the whole length. You'll need to stabilize those 2x4s a bit, probably by nailing or screwing a couple of cross pieces between them, so they don't fall over flat at some inopportune moment. What size router do you have? There's nothing wrong with holding the router sideways except that you don't have practice doing it, and it could be difficult if you have a large, heavy router. The ones made for laminate trimming are small and light and can be held at odd angles with one hand. If you're stuck with a bigger, general-purpose router then it may be worth getting some help to set the pieces on edge as you described. You don't need a giant vise; just clamp it to some stable vertical object like a cabinet frame or the side of a sawhorse. When the clamp gets in the way, stop routing and repostition as necessary. Whichever way you go, if you've never done it before and you can't afford to goof, PRACTICE on some scrap!
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Gldngrl, Thank you. I am very pleased with the quality and overall appearance. You made me laugh with your "granite obsessed" remark as I had the same problem. Go to the Wilsonart web site and use the HD dealer locator within a 50 mile radius. Go through that list with a hawk's eye looking for the one or two that would have a fabricating business on site. Not the kitchen and bath type businesses, as they usually outsource to a fabricator and also you do not want someone who uses postform. After getting the Wilsonart list, I compared it to some names on Angie's list. It took a few weeks but I knew I had struck gold when my decorator took me to a custom cabinet shop and the salesperson said that they use "so and so company" to make their laminate countertops because they do the best work. It was the same company I had.narrowed my choices to. My location is a major metropolitan area and the company was 20 miles outside the city. HTH
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We have installed laminate over our existing countertop, and the edges look perfect. It sounds a bit like the edges were not cut and sanded properly. Or maybe the tools that your dad used to cut the edges were not the right ones, or were not sharp enough so the laminate ended up rough. We used a router to cut the excess off at the edge and its important that the router bit is the one used for laminate trim - a flush cut bit. Also, presumably the router bit should be sharp, not old and rough. We also then took a sanding file so that the edge wasn't too sharp. Ours looks great. If the Sharpie by itself doesn't do the trick, could you use a file to smoothen out the roughness? If nothing works, perhaps try again by installing another piece of laminate. There are lots of youtube videos that describe the process. I think that is how we learned how to do it.
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ci_lantro
8 years ago
OP is planning to get Jet Sequoia Formica--with a dark colored formica like that, the brown lines are pretty much a non-factor.
Beth Cotton thanked ci_lantro
Beth Cotton
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks so much for the information I really appreciate it.
mark_rachel
8 years ago
All of our big box stores around here stock the ogee edge for the 180fx, then you have to apply the end caps.
Beth Cotton thanked mark_rachel
PRO
Taylor's Cabinets & Interiors
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
You have to cut them to fit, then apply the end caps, and build ups, a sink hole...

If you go that route, look around for a local shop. As an example I stock 15 or so colors on different edges, priced under the big box stores in the area. So before you buy at the blue or orange stores, look for a local shop that can provide not only the top, but the service, support, and advice to make replacing your counter tops easier and cheaper.
Beth Cotton thanked Taylor's Cabinets & Interiors
mark_rachel
8 years ago
We were set on Formica 180FX and got estimates for our kitchen at our last house. After everything the price was much more than I had expected. I went to a granite fabricator and got estimates, and found that the granite was only going to cost us $500 more. We ended up with granite & never looked back.
Beth Cotton thanked mark_rachel
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
8 years ago
"Also is this available only 1.5 inch thickness or could you do a 3cm thickness?"

3cm translates to about 1 1/4". A skilled fabricator could rip 1/4" off the edges of you 1 1/2" tops before installation.
Beth Cotton thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
PRO
ProSource Memphis
8 years ago
Laminate is a great budget choice! If you order the blanks and DIY the cutting and installation yourself, or you choose a basic color to have fabricated for you. When you want the upgraded colors and edges, the price starts to creep upwards to not much difference between it and stone.

I DIY installed this Formica 180FX counter/sink/faucet display in our showroom. We ordered it cut to size, with the sink hole already cut, so it was a hybrid between complete DIY and Do It For Me approaches. The more you can DIY, the lower the price can be.

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Beth Cotton thanked ProSource Memphis
PRO
Taylor's Cabinets & Interiors
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
^^of course that depends on the type of top and edge profile. More importantly, ripping off a 1/4" really would serve no purpose.
Beth Cotton thanked Taylor's Cabinets & Interiors
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
8 years ago
"...ripping off a 1/4" really would serve no purpose."

Sure it would. It gets you to 3cm. If that's the look you want.
Beth Cotton thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
8 years ago
A word of caution to all the post-form DIYers.

Many years ago, I picked up a post-form top at a big box for a customer who had ordered it. The big box fabricator cut a perfect 45 degree miter. Unfortunately, the homeowner built his addition out of square. When I threw the L-shaped top on the cabinets with the short end against the wall, there was about a 3" gap between the wall and the splash on the long end. The top was junk. If you can't measure out-of-square walls and bisect an angle, you'd better walk away from this one.
Beth Cotton thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
duffys mom
3 years ago
In addition to the IdealEdge formica which has the mitered edge to hide the black lines, there is another line called ColorCore. It is solid all the way through so there is no dark substrate to show upon cutting. Here is a link:

https://www.formica.com/en-us/products/ccore

Different Formica Laminate Countertop Edge Options

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stephanj

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