Lol. This post is from 2006 and I'm still getting notifications of replies to it. We replaced our counter tops with the inexpensive Formica at Lowe's about 5 years ago now. We had a water leak at the kitchen sink which caused some damage that we wanted to fix so while we were ripping things out we decided to replace the counter tops. We did end up having to build a new face for the base of the counters as the thin paneling stuff was not the best, so my cupboards on the bottom are stronger than ever. My husbad also had to cut the piece off the back of the countertops to make them fit as mine weren't as deep as the ones from the store but with a little trim along the back of the counter and nobody knows. I love my kitchen even to this day. The money was well worth it! If I remember correctly they cost about $150? In Sept we will have lived here for 12 years!!

The tiled backsplash usually sits just off the countertop by an 1/8th inch or so and the gap is caulked. The caulk can be cut away and the countertop should be able to be removed without damaging the backsplash. That's in a perfect world. Some installers set the bottom course of tile right on the countertop. Less clearance. Depending on how the countertop is attached to the cabinets below, that can affect things. The shape of the counter. A straight run or and "L" shaped? Are the ends open or captured? How the countertop is constructed? A slab of stone? Or a tiled-in mud bed? Sometimes the countertop needs to be sectioned out in pieces. In general, the backsplash can usually be preserved, but getting the countertop out might be ugly, especially if it's piece by piece. So..."it depends".

Thank you for all the help. I have read over the older threads and it has given me a lot to think about. These were helpful and thank you for posting them. I really liked the trash bags on the counter idea to see how it would look. Can anyone explain to me the difference in honed or leather Absolute Black? The leather Absolute Black would give it the rustic look we want. rgps can you tell me which quartz that is. Soapstone would be my number one choice but it really is not an option. Soapstone looking quartz could look very nice. RightDi I don't know the name of the granite slab, but I can find out tomorrow to let you know. Thank you for your help.

Joseph Corlett, the existing edge profile is eased. Is it more difficult to seam to finished edges? Will there be cutting/grinding required in the house? I imagined that they would get the two pieces cut to size and attach them, maybe with some supports underneath. Is it more complicated than that? Should I just get a new countertop instead of considering this patch job? damiarain, thank you for all the links of the drawer units under induction cooktop. I am aware that there are clearance concerns for the top drawer. However, all photos there also show new countertops under the cooktops, which brings me back to the original question of how required a new countertop is for a cooktop install. This discussion is telling me that this new cooktop installation is more complicated that I originally imagined. I thought replacing 30" range with 30" cooktop would pretty standard. I need to consider leaving the range in place until I get enough money to get a new cooktop, drawer units AND a countertop.