Fitting wooden worktops

[Bluekingfisher]

I'm going to give fitting our new wooden kitchen worktops a go. After getting a quote of £500 to fit three counter tops I figured I will try it myself, after all I'm a woodworker.

The counter tops are 40mm thick which square edges, I understand the right angle (The 3 tops will form a U shape around the kitchen) between such work tops are butted rather than cut with the male and female joint normally seen on laminate work tops?

I have a work top jig, bought some time ago in case I decided to give it a go myself and now the time has arisen.

How much of an expansion gap should I leave between counter top and wall, I was thinking of 5-6mm?

Should I use biscuits to aid level alignment as well as the panel bolts for the right angle joint?

The guy who gave me the quote, stated I should cut them then oil them as it was not a good idea to oil them then cut them? I think he was concerned about the heat of the blade causing the oil to ignite?

He also reckoned it was a two man job, (heavy and required two men to manouver them hence the price.

If anyone has experience of such a job I would appreciate any advice given.

Many thanks

David

 

[kostello]

don't forget to use stretcher plates forthe fixings so they have room to move...............

you need to give the undersides 3 coats of oil to seal them.........................

 

[jasonB]

Forget using the worktop jig just use a straight edge to run the router against.

I prefer not to use biscuits as you often find there is a slight cup or bow in teh worktops so you have a straight side butting against a cupped end and the biscuits wont allow adjustment. With no biscuits as the bolts start to bite a block of wood and large hammer gets things level

Don't worry about expansion gap at the back have solid foxings at the rear and slotted at the front, that way all the movement is at the front and you won't crack any grout/silicon joints.

I cut, dry fit and sand then take the tops apart to oil. Remember to apply as much oil to the undersides as the top face to keep things balanced. Once they are oiled offer them up and just before bolting run a bead of clear silicon into the gap, then tighten up. onve the silicon is dry trim it off, if you need any local sanding over the joint do it then before touching up the oil

3.0m can be done by one man, 4.0m its handy to have a helper but not impossible.

 

[jt100]

hi
I always put a foil sheet over the oven top if built in for heat
and over the fridge for damp
good luck

 

[Tomyjoiner]

Remember to put foil if theres a dishwasher aswell. I always give wooden tops 3-4mm clearance of walls and i biscuit an glue the joints. As everyone else has already said try an give the underside as many coats as you can. Also if you have any cutouts seal them aswell.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Don't forget to earth your sink - sometimes the back of the sink is quite inaccessible once fitted, and that's often where the fixings are. Fix your earth wire first, then fit the sink (if your fixing is awkward).
You can buy "Tap Tites" or similar washers to ensure the tap(s) don't work loose- it can be an absolute sod to reach them when everything has been in place for a couple of months and then you find them loose. If you can connect some of the pipework first it's even easier.

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Many thanks fellahs, I really appreciate this advice, I'll be that little bit happier now I am a little more knowledgable on what is required.

Thanks again all.

David

 

[jt100]

hi dave
i get them from howdens but not the worktops
jt

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Many thanks JT, luckily I have a howdens about a 10 minute walk away. Cheers mate

 

[jasonB]

Make sure they will serve you before making the journey they are really trade suppliers.

J

 

[Bluekingfisher]

I can only ask I guess

 

[Jake]

Don't forget to earth your sink

There is no requirement to earth sinks and it actually increases risk.

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Thanks for the info but how so ?

 

[Dee J]

Don't forget to earth your sink

There is no requirement to earth sinks and it actually increases risk.

Agree on this within certain limits... if all plumbing to the sink is plastic and there are no other dangers of fault voltages transfering to the sink via the pipes or other routes, then earthing would be superfluous. Also if you receive a shock from some other adjacent equipment - the possibility of being in contact with an earthed sink at the same time would make your problems worse. Far better to let the sink float to your body voltage.

Dee

 

[Jake]

We ought to be more careful with language - bonding rather than earthing.

My understanding (layman and diyer, distilled from the more knowledgeable posters on the IET forums) is:

If the sink is capable of introducing a potential then it needs main bonding. But the pipes to the taps are irrelevant, even if copper, as they have themselves to be main bonded. So either there is an earth path established to the sink via the pipes and taps, or there is not (plastic washers giving isolation, etc). If the former, the sink is already bonded via the main bonding on the pipework. If the latter, a supplementary bond introduces a possiblity of a live to earth fault making the sink live, and increases danger from giving current from elsewhere a path to earth through the sink where there was none.

But yes, there are circumstances which need to be considered and eliminated where a sink could be capable of introducing a potential from a route which is not main bonded - a copper or lead waste for instance, or a sink attached to building metalwork which is not main bonded. But then you are back to main bonding with much more beefy cable.

I had a big debate with the council electrician who inspected my kitchen wiring and wanted me to supplementary bond all my stainless steel worktops, which was an insane thing to propose. I won, eventually, but it took some doing.

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Jake - sounds like you know what you are on about, unfortunately a little too confusing for me.

Therefore does a platic/composite sink with plastic waste pipes and copper hot and cold water supply pipes, will this set up need to be earthed/bonded???