Starboard Countertop

[PhilPB]

Need to update the galley countertop. I want a bright white top. The current top was clear epoxied by the previous owner and looks like an old countertop with clear epoxy. Starboard, being easy to get and use sounds like a good option as I have 2 flat hinged top holes/doors for storage and trash bin that I would like to retain. Tile is also easy to work with and I have the tools but with the 2 hinged tops that probably won't be the right option.

[Shrew]

You can buy Corian in sheets and work it like wood. drill it, cut it with table, circular or jig saws, shape it with a router. It will look 1,000x better than Starboard or Kingboard.

[GoneFarrell]

Starboard is very slippery surface, stuff will hit the floor. +1 for Corian.

[mvweebles]

Starboard (PTFE) is also fairly soft. Cutting boards are made of it and show substantial wear quickly.

Corian and similar products are fairly easy to work with. Finding a source who will sell to you can be a challenge but they are out there. Will require shipping.

If you really want to consider tile, Floor & Decor has a decent selection of large format tiles that to my eye look better than traditional 4x4 tiles. They also sometimes have recut panels of stone countertops.

I look forward to pictures of whatever you decide to do!

Peter

[tiltrider1]

Starboard has a number of properties that make it not very desirable as a counter top.

It will wear badly.

It will sag if not adequately supported underneath

Requires mechanical fasteners

It can warp at the edge

I think you will find the Corian is just as easy to work with as starboard.

[Comodave]

I would absolutely not do a Starboard counter. I absolutely love Starboard but not in this application. I would go with a solid surface. People call it Corian, but that is a brand name not a generic name. There are many companies that sell solid surface material. It is just as easy to work with as Starboard. Make a template using strips of luan and hot glue gun and then transfer the template to a sheet of 1/4” luan. Cut the solid surface material to a rough size about 1/2” larger than the template, see photo of me routing. Then clamp the luan to the solid surface material and have at it with a patterning bit in your router. I got mine from a company in Tucson, maybe solidsurface.com.

[Choices]

You the man! Great pic covered in shavings.

Can you go into more detail?
Did you remove the fiddles or butt to them?
Did you set tile wall on top of it?
How did you glue it down?
Any gotchas?

[Comodave]

Originally Posted by Choices

You the man! Great pic covered in shavings.

Can you go into more detail?
Did you remove the fiddles or butt to them?
Did you set tile wall on top of it?
How did you glue it down?
Any gotchas?

I didn’t remove the fiddles as they were still proud even with the 1/2” thick solid surface. And then I didn’t have to mess with finishing the edge of the solid surface.

The tiles were PSA vinyl tiles from Home Depot. Super easy to apply and they looked great. Easy to wipe down since they are a square foot each piece.

The solid surface was glued down with silicon caulk. Just put blobs every so often. Doesn’t take much to hold it in place.

I left about a bit less than 1/8” around the edges of the solid surface front and rear and a bit more on the ends for expansion. Then I used a gray caulk to fill the gap since our countertop was gray. The solid surface is really easy to work with. I had 2 2” seams and I didn’t try to color match them just used epoxy to glue the pieces together, they were where the stove sits. The website I posted above has a lot of details on how to do it and they sell miscellaneous supplies, I bought a kit to sand out any scratches but I never used it.

I cut 2” strips of luan plywood to make the template, just hot glue the strips together. When you have a good template, use it and transfer it to a solid piece of luan plywood. Make it as perfect as you can because this is what will guide the router bit. Then use the router with a patterning bit. I have about 7 routers for different things. I just used one that is probably about 1.5 hp and it cut very easily, but messy. My wife thought it was hilarious…. Cut the aolid surface material to a bit larger than the pattern so you are only taking off as much material as necessary. If you are cutting through a lot larger piece the router will work harder and cut slower. You can use a jig saw or circular saw to cut it to rough size. We had an overlay sink so I just used a jig saw to cut the opening since it would not show. Check the sub counter for level before you try to put it on and fix it because the solid surface material will not bend, you could crack it trying. It is an awesome countertop material since you can DIY it. One issue is getting someone to sell it to you. A lot of places will not sell it to you unless you have a business. But the website above will sell it. It comes by truck so the lead time is something to consider, but I got mine from Tucson to Michigan in about a week. But that was before pandemic. Good luck and have fun. We will need some photos.

[Choices]

Thanks. On my bucket list.

[Comodave]

No problem. Any more questions feel free to ask.

[C lectric]

I would not consider Starboard for your intended surface. THe reasons have been covered and I agree. I do use it aboard but no way for a countertop in the galley, WAY to soft.

[Snapdragon III]

I would think about Stainless steel. Our current boat has it and we love it. I would like to put it in our kitchen at home. White formica is also a great countertop in my opinion. I wouldn't use it in my house, but it's great in boats. Our last boat had it, and it looked brand new after 30 years.

[Bellakins]

If it were me, I'd look into quartz.

[MaDehn]

SS one and done see before and after below. Got an industrial kitchen fabricator to make mine from pattern that I brought him. His main job is doing this for restaurants and schools. Very affordable.

[Comodave]

Originally Posted by Bellakins

If it were me, I'd look into quartz.

Most people can’t DIY quartz.

[Darlin]

I had "Corian" type material installed in my galley 12 years ago and it has worked well
It was glued over the old formica after the fillials were sawed off. It includes lift panels to access bins below. At the same time I had marble installed on the dinette and counter top. Not recommended. Red wine will leave a stain. Quartz is better.

[PhilPB]

Well, as a temporary measure, I ended up applying 3 coats of topside paint. We will see how long it lasts. We don't use the galley for much more than coffee and drinks.

It really looks much better than the image in the compressed photos