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I’m going to make a couple of cabinets to house a laundry sink. The laundry room consists of five walls, one at a 45 degree angle to the others. The sink is to be located in this 45 wall which is under three feet long. In order to use standard laminate counter top, I’d need for the seams to be under the sink, so that’s out.
Can I use melamine for a counter top? That way I could cut the counter top out of a single piece with no seams. I’d dress up the edge with something or other and apply a melamine backsplash as well.
It seems like it’d be ok to me, but do y’all know of any reason why melamine wouldn’t work?
Thanks,
Dan
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I would not use melamine for a horizontal surface like a counter top because it would scratch too easily and probably not wear well. I have personally not had any problems with a well glued seam under a sink but if you dont want to do that what about buying a 4x8 or 4x12 sheet of laminate and make the top out of that. A lot of waste but it should move the seam away from the sink.
*Melamine makes a decent counter top. It does wear a little as Charles noted, perhaps a lot in the long run. But if the laudnry room is not heavily used it will last a long time. However, even a little water getting past your wood edging and into the particleboard substrate will expand it and slowly destroy your craftsmanship. So find a way to waterproof that joint and any other places where water might get past the melamine to the particleboard.
*Thanks Charles, Drew, I suppose I should clarify that I was refering to not wanting to use a prelaminated counter top, because I'd need to miter the whole counter top into two 22-1/2 degree cuts the majority of which would be in the middle of the sink cutout. I was looking to use a single sheet of melamine instead so there'd be no (structural) seam. A little while after that, (after I posted this question) I realized that I could simply use 3/4" substrate and laminate a top myself, so I got out my handy dandy little "Building Traditional Kitchen Cabinets" by Jim Tolpin and read through the last chapter.But using melamine would be quicker...I wonder what Adrian thinks about this one.Dan
*Dan - Personally - I would never use a particle board product anywhere near a sink. No matter how well you seal it - over time moisture will find it's way in and destroy the countertop. Additionally - the "melamine" is so paper thin - it can't take any abuse and laundry areas aren't typically "babied".With 6x12 sheets of PLam available you can get your seams plenty far enough from the sink area to satisfy that concern. With a little careful planning you should be able to order exactly what you need with only typical waste.Buz
*Buzz,6 ft. plam? If that's a yes, all colors? Brand?
*Calvin - yes - I can get virtually any style/color PLam in 6x12 sheets - I could be wrong on the 6x - it may only be 5x - but still large enough to do what you need.Buz
*Buz,You dog! I was thinking you meant 5' but I was praying you knew something new to me. Damn, a perfect place to use the 6x12. I was sure hoping. Ah well, nothing seems easy........if it was easy, anybody could do it. Hey, you take it easy.