Counter top options

I'm trying to decide on a refinish for the counter top in my C&L trawler. Currently its the original Formica. I would like to put something over it I think, and I'm looking for what others have done.

Obvious choice is a layer of new Formica type material, but looking for options/suggestions. I do not really want to rip counter out and redo unless there's really good reason.

I am going to use a solid surface by LG on our counters.

"I do not really want to rip counter out and redo unless there's really good reason."

Since the Formica has worked for a decade or two perhaps if when you replace it you can make the replacement easier.

Rebuild so you undo a few trim pieces , mount the new sheet.

Then you can change it whenever , for very little cost or effort.

We are having CesarStone installed in our boat. It is a highly durable man made quartz that requires no sealing or maintenance.

We installed this in our RV 3 years ago and have been extremely happy with it.

It is much brighter white in real life than what the sample shows!

In the pilot house we overlaid the old Formica with new Formica. After 4 years, no problems.

In the galley and head we laid Corian over the old Formica. It’s nice to have undercounter sinks now.

Lots of options out there. From a cost standpoint, the Formica was the cheapest by a lot.

Black granite with blue streaks. undermount sink. Counter is now a cutting board for scooping veggie off cuts into sink and we never worry about a hot pot melting formica again.

One thing we heard from number of people during our countertop quest was that Corian actually voids the warranty if it is installed in a boat.

We had already made up our mind on the Cesarstone so didn't do much homework to check if this was actually the case or not though...

If you decide to go down the Corian route, I would make sure to get in writing that you will have coverage if the day comes that you need it.

I've watched several of these how-to videos and I think we're going to give it a go on our 70's vintage laminates in the galley & salon.

AdmiralS said:

One thing we heard from number of people during our countertop quest was that Corian actually voids the warranty if it is installed in a boat.

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This got my attention, having installed Corian in my galley and heads a couple years ago and it's doing fine in all respects.

If you go to www.corian.com, you'll find find Corian encourages installation in boats and mentions its attributes in a marine environment.

We have had the LG solid surface installed in a previous boat. No problem with LG having it in a boat. Only problem was trying to find an installer. Big box stores would not come out to a boat due to their insurance. Got a yacht carpenter to do it so it only cost a fortune. This time I will do the install myself since our current boat lives behind our house instead of 420 miles from home.

Does anyone have good ideas for a LIGHT weight, but strong countertop?

One of the advantages of Corian, Wilsonart, Avonite, etc. is that you won’t have seams. When we redid our galley, the counter had to go in as four pieces. The upper counter was in the way so we couldn’t just slide a solid piece in. Also the section behind the stove was only ~2” wide. With the solid surface, the seams disappear when the sections are glued together. We did have to replace the fiddles since the new counters are ~1/2” thicker.

Ken E. said:

This got my attention, having installed Corian in my galley and heads a couple years ago and it's doing fine in all respects.

If you go to www.corian.com, you'll find find Corian encourages installation in boats and mentions its attributes in a marine environment.

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Happy to hear we were miss informed! Thanks for that info!

Comodave said:

We have had the LG solid surface installed in a previous boat... Only problem was trying to find an installer...

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That could be a problem since some (most) of the solid surface companies won’t sell to anyone. We got lucky. We know a shipwright who works with Corian. Still not cheap but done right.

Boomerang - that's of real interest. I'm in the same "boat" with my '76. Looks like a good compromise.

I used a bamboo countertop in my boat head, sealed with epoxy and varnish, looks pretty nice and strong. I think I will use the same when it will time to replace my galley countertop or I may go with a wood countertop like elm. I like the look of wood aboard and I don't want anything like melamine laminate.

L

Seevee said:

Does anyone have good ideas for a LIGHT weight, but strong countertop?

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If weight is the primary concern then plywood and formica is probably what you should look at. It will weigh less than a solid surface material.

Seevee said:

Does anyone have good ideas for a LIGHT weight, but strong countertop?

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May I ask why weight is a concern? Is the reason linked to transport to the boat or anything else?


L

Larry M said:

That could be a problem since some (most) of the solid surface companies won’t sell to anyone. We got lucky. We know a shipwright who works with Corian. Still not cheap but done right.

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Solidsurface.com sells direct to the customer. Not cheap but they are probably where I am going to get mine when I am ready to do the galley, probably next summer.

Lou_tribal said:

I used a bamboo countertop in my boat head, sealed with epoxy and varnish, looks pretty nice and strong. I think I will use the same when it will time to replace my galley countertop or I may go with a wood countertop like elm. I like the look of wood aboard and I don't want anything like melamine laminate.

L

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I was considering wood but that will require demo If the counter top I think. I’ll probaly just go with another sheet of Formica. I need to have a close look when I take the trim off and make final decision. Thanks everyone for the ideas and product suggestions.

Comodave said:

Solidsurface.com sells direct to the customer. Not cheap but they are probably where I am going to get mine when I am ready to do the galley, probably next summer.

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Thanks, I didn’t know that. I know most Corian sellers won’t.

Larry: we have the same galley setup you have with the upper counter. That looks really smart! Pam loves it! Is that the same sink? Or did your source another one that’s similar?

Jim

Seevee said:

Does anyone have good ideas for a LIGHT weight, but strong countertop?

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A prior marina slip owner had granite installed in his boat. He had them mill the underside into a lattice shape with the large areas milled out so it was an inch thick on the lattice rows and columns and the voids in between were only a 1/4" thick. He then had them fill the big voids with structural epoxy to regain the original strength.


Struck me as dang near crazy, but it was beautiful and man it was super light.

I am using Corian. I didn't want granite - no more weight than necessary in the cabin. Found a really good source on line for corian pieces in lots of different colors and sizes at excellent prices.

SolidSurfaces.com

Easy to put in color choices and sizes and decide on the thickness of your corian.

Caution using resin countertops for marine use

boomerang said:

I've watched several of these how-to videos and I think we're going to give it a go on our 70's vintage laminates in the galley & salon.

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Several years ago I took a class on doing resin overlay countertops. I did several projects of my own (family & friends) before I did any commercial installations. From my experience, bathroom vanities are perfect for these products. Kitchens (or a boat) not so much. These resins scratch pretty easily from a plate, cup or knife. You can polish them back out similar to gelcoat, but they are not maintenance free. Most of the resins do not have UV inhibitors which would be a problem in most galley situations.

I have several projects that turned out absolutely beautiful and thought about it for my boat as well, but feel that some type or quartz would be best used.

Try doing a test piece on MDF first. IMHO

We were thinking of hexagonal tile for our galley - that sort of old school look. I was thinking white with a copper edge and back splash.

Does anyone have experience with that? I've seen it on several boats in both the heads and galley and it looked great but those boat rarely (if ever) went anywhere.

I ended up taking the old countertop out and making a new one. I used the old as a pattern and used Wilsonart (like formica) for the surface. Economical for my old 1976 GB32

JDCAVE said:

Larry: we have the same galley setup you have with the upper counter. That looks really smart! Pam loves it! Is that the same sink? Or did your source another one that’s similar?

Jim

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We were able to source an identical replacement. The old sink was a bit rough to say the least after almost 30 years. We like the deep double and all the old drains lined up.

what_barnacles said:

A prior marina slip owner had granite installed in his boat. He had them mill the underside into a lattice shape with the large areas milled out so it was an inch thick on the lattice rows and columns and the voids in between were only a 1/4" thick. He then had them fill the big voids with structural epoxy to regain the original strength.


Struck me as dang near crazy, but it was beautiful and man it was super light.

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1/4" granite tile with color matched epoxy used on the seams. Light weight, durable, heat resistant.

Only problem is edge work is a pita. And substrate prep is a must.

lbrammeier said:

1/4" granite tile with color matched epoxy used on the seams. Light weight, durable, heat resistant.

Only problem is edge work is a pita. And substrate prep is a must.

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1 1/8" X 8' X 2' 6" (didn't weigh it) granite countertop (less cutout for stove). Easily picked up and installed by myself (5'7", 165lbs.) Weight is neglible on a cruising boat.