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The Kitchen Table

Drilling into formica backsplash?

9 years ago

I posted earlier about filling in hole where cable comes through window. Next question: will the FIOS guy be able to drill through my formica backsplash? Maybe that is why the DIRECT TV guy ended up going through wood part of window frame. Not too sure. What do you think? Can this be done? I really want much less cable wire.

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Comments (6)

User
9 years ago
Yes...it can be done, Anne...but it's a rather testy job when it involves old Formica. Aged Formica is often dry and brittle. It can crack and chip if the drilling project isn't handled carefully..or the drill isn't sharp enough.

Also...depending on the age of the Formica...it might contain asbestos. If that's the case...it shouldn't be disturbed for any reason. Not to mention that the FIOS installed is not licensed to disturb it...or work with asbestos in any way.

Then, there's always the unknown of what lies within the area behind the Formica. The DIRECT TV guy probably considered all these not-so-lovely possibilities and decided not to risk the drilling. He probably didn't want the liability.

If the FIOS installer elects to drill through the Formica...which would surprise me...keep a close eye on the project as it progresses and make sure he puts some sort of collar in the drilled hole to protect the edges of the hole. Sort of like the metal collar around the shoe holes where your threat through the shoe laces.

Actually...when you first posted about this project...I wondered why these installers were giving you so much line. It shouldn't be that necessary. If it were me...I'd ask some questions about that and see if they will reduce the length of the line. That might solve a lot of your installation angst.

Good luck.
Annegriet
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the informative post. I think I will just ask for shorter line. Someday I will redo my kitchen and tackle all of these issues. I'd be happy if the line was beige--it's black right now. YUCK.
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Hi, Here is your Formica: Is all the nice wood staying with the open shelving? If the shelving will stay open, what will the color be where the jade/turquoise is now? Is the backsplash going to be just the area that looks the pinky-beige color now? Are you refreshing the finish on the cabinets or changing the pulls? It appears to me that you like the 1950s vibe, with the colorful pottery. Will that all be visible? I am thinking that if the open shelving and the colorful dishes stay, your backsplash will need to be more uniform to not fight with it. Not necessarily a boring backsplash, but one with either a subtle pattern or no pattern to it. And if the counters will still have lots of appliances and things out on them, you don't want something that has a pattern because the things on the counter will make the pattern all chopped up. Make sense? Give us more information on these issues and I bet you will get more input.
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Most ceramic tile can handle having a cabinet hung so it rests against the tile. That is often more that 25#. However, that weight is spread out over a large area. It seems to me the weight of a 19" LCD TV and mount would be concentrated in a much smaller area(specifically along the bottom edge of the mount). That concentrates the weight on a much smaller area and increases the weight per square inch a lot. That might not be a problem if the arm/TV were never moved or there were no movement in the wall, but some kind of movement(settling/earthquake/heavy thunder/etc.) could cause the tile to crack. Also, if the tile were not securely installed, the weight could cause a crack. One way to minimize the danger would be to use the wall anchors to install a wooden panel to the wall(decorative kind of a plaque) and bolt the mount to the wood. Basically, I(nor anyone else) can say positively what you should do since we cannot see the wall/mount/etc. We can give general advice.
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I guess it's done per the comment above?? I was wondering about cracking too! I see photos all the time of what looks like one large tile slab w/ a wall mounted range hood on it, but wasn't sure. Thanks both of you + have a nice weekend!:)
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User
9 years ago
Paint it, Anne. There isn't a house I've ever lived in where the open utility lines ever matched my color choice...so I painted/paint them to match my decor. Latex paint does the job very nicely and doesn't harm the lines at all. I made sure of that by having a lengthy discussion about the subject with some poor, cornered utility guy many moons ago. Currently...I'm looking at "Litchfield Grey" [a nice melted chocolate color] TV cable lines. :-)
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
9 years ago
It takes a special drill bit or saw blade to cut formica so it doesn't chip or split . Also very important is to put tape over the area to be drilled like blue painters tape . That keeps the bit from jumping and skipping on the formica .
cynic
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wait a second, if it's true Formica, there is no asbestos in it. Formica is a brand name for a plastic laminate. There are some countertops and flooring too that were made with asbestos yes, but plastic laminate does not contain asbestos.
User
9 years ago
Depending upon how old her house is...and how old the Formica installation is...the adhesive that was used to apply it may contain asbestos and shouldn't be disturbed without protection.

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