New Counter Tops?

[Lennie]

I'm looking at replacing the laminate on the counter tops. would ceramic type tile work? Not sure the adhesive would hold up in the marine environment. Any thoughts?

Len

[Sandero]

It works...but grout is not very sanitary.

[witzgall]

we have tile counter tops on our Wauquiez, new from 1984, and they are still in very good condition. The only drawback is that the grout is hard to keep clean. Other than that, they work great, as you can put hot pots directly on them, and they are very hard wearing.

[Stu Jackson]

Len, here's what someone did, came out pretty good at a finer cost:

Laminate counter Makeover for $28 with Epoxy & Contact Paper…Yes.. I really just said that… | Impatiently Crafty

Weight is an issue, anywhere on a boat. Depends on what you like to look at. A friend of mine, years ago, replaced his simple white formica countertop on a sistership, with a light blue color. He and his wife thought it looked great, I wouldn't have even considered it for our boat even if my wife liked it, and she didn't. So, there...

Good luck, regardless of what you end up choosing to do. Lots of options out there.

Your boat, your choice.

[JPA Cate]

Have some mates replaced theirs with Corian... It came out well.

Possible problem with tile: if your boat is particularly flexible, you may crack the grout. Grout can be kept clean with chlorine bleach and toothbrushing between all the tiles. Can get really boring.

Ann

[Sailormantx]

Corian Countertops | Discount Solid Surface Sheets

Check out solid surface countertops. They are a bit more costly, but it is a one time job as the material can be repaired and resurfaced indefinitely. Sanitary, easy to clean, long lasting, everything you need in a countertop. I just received a full sheet of Meganite from solid surface.com Friday, they had a new piece shipped within the week after the trucking company demolished the first one. On their website you can find all the materials to do the job and pdf's on how to handle it. They have all the different brands available and many partial sheets to pick from if you don't need a full 30x144 inch sheet of it. Will be patterning and building my countertops next week. Also note that's it is available in different thickness's if you are watching weight. I am using 1/2" and it doesn't feel much heavier than the equivalent size of plywood.

[robwilk37]

if setting tile, use epoxy grout ( now available from the big box stores ). its maintenance free, much more durable and wont trap the grime. its made for showers and such. no need for cement backer, just 3/4" ply well supported to reduce flex. the smaller the tiles the less likely future cracks, be sure to buy some spares so youll have matching replacements if you need them. lots of choices out there.
personally, i like the look of tile on a boat...

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Sailormantx

Corian Countertops | Discount Solid Surface Sheets

Check out solid surface countertops. They are a bit more costly, but it is a one time job as the material can be repaired and resurfaced indefinitely. Sanitary, easy to clean, long lasting, everything you need in a countertop. I just received a full sheet of Meganite from solid surface.com Friday, they had a new piece shipped within the week after the trucking company demolished the first one. On their website you can find all the materials to do the job and pdf's on how to handle it. They have all the different brands available and many partial sheets to pick from if you don't need a full 30x144 inch sheet of it. Will be patterning and building my countertops next week. Also note that's it is available in different thickness's if you are watching weight. I am using 1/2" and it doesn't feel much heavier than the equivalent size of plywood.

+1

Solid surface countertops (Corian and various equivalents) are really lovely, durable, can be sanded out and repaired, are pleasant to the touch, and are resilient so you don't break glass on them in a seaway.

They are expensive, but really, really worth it in my opinion

If for some reason you don't want to go that route, I would recommend high quality laminate. Laminate is also not bad -- also resilient etc. -- just not nearly as durable, and doesn't look as good.

Tile in my opinion is just about the worst material for boat countertops -- the grout is unsanitary, can crack, is a pain to clean, etc., as others have said, plus tile is a cold, hard, unforgiving surface which will increase breakage of things when you're bouncing around in the ocean. On top of all that, it's very heavy. The only plus I can think of is that you can put hot pans on it, but for that purpose I have stainless steel rails set into the Corian next to my stove, making a kind of permanently mounted trivet -- works great. Plus if you ever burn the Corian accidentally, you can just sand it out.

[Sam Plan B]

I opted for stainless steel. I emailed a CAD file to Stainless Steel Fabricators, Jim Schoff, at Stainless Steel Fabricators: Custom Stainless Steel, Steel, and Aluminum Fabrication. A a couple of weeks the galley top arrived and fit like a glove. I went for stainless because it would go in fast and in appearance, resembled my stove, also stainless steel. I used Liquid Nails adhesive to hold it in place. Very happy with the result.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Lennie

I'm looking at replacing the laminate on the counter tops. would ceramic type tile work? Not sure the adhesive would hold up in the marine environment. Any thoughts?

Len

We replaced our worn out laminate with 1/4" thick granite sheets.24"x 24" sheets of granite bits and pieces,set in resin and polished.Different colors and compositions are available.A bit heavier than laminate but for a small area no problem in added weight.No picture yet!

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by Sam Plan B

I opted for stainless steel. I emailed a CAD file to Stainless Steel Fabricators, Jim Schoff, at Stainless Steel Fabricators: Custom Stainless Steel, Steel, and Aluminum Fabrication. A a couple of weeks the galley top arrived and fit like a glove. I went for stainless because it would go in fast and in appearance, resembled my stove, also stainless steel. I used Liquid Nails adhesive to hold it in place. Very happy with the result.

Do you mind sharing the costs for this counter top? Did you have sink incorporated as one piece?

[Bluemansailor]

Originally Posted by Sailormantx

Corian Countertops | Discount Solid Surface Sheets

Check out solid surface countertops. They are a bit more costly, but it is a one time job as the material can be repaired and resurfaced indefinitely. Sanitary, easy to clean, long lasting, everything you need in a countertop. I just received a full sheet of Meganite from solid surface.com Friday, they had a new piece shipped within the week after the trucking company demolished the first one. On their website you can find all the materials to do the job and pdf's on how to handle it. They have all the different brands available and many partial sheets to pick from if you don't need a full 30x144 inch sheet of it. Will be patterning and building my countertops next week. Also note that's it is available in different thickness's if you are watching weight. I am using 1/2" and it doesn't feel much heavier than the equivalent size of plywood.

+1+1 I second Corian from Solidsurface.. great company and I just finishing installing the Corian in my galley and head! beautiful stuff!

[Driftwoods]

I posted a couple of months ago on my new counter tops. After a couple of months, they look perfect. No stains (wine and coffee have been spilled), no gouges or cuts (we use the galley a lot too). I'm still a fan of the instant granite for boat use. Easy to install, super light weight, cheap and looks pretty good.

[MBLittle]

Originally Posted by Driftwoods

I posted a couple of months ago on my new counter tops. After a couple of months, they look perfect. No stains (wine and coffee have been spilled), no gouges or cuts (we use the galley a lot too). I'm still a fan of the instant granite for boat use. Easy to install, super light weight, cheap and looks pretty good.

That does look pretty good. Congrats!

[Pirate999]

Originally Posted by Driftwoods

I posted a couple of months ago on my new counter tops. After a couple of months, they look perfect. No stains (wine and coffee have been spilled), no gouges or cuts (we use the galley a lot too). I'm still a fan of the instant granite for boat use. Easy to install, super light weight, cheap and looks pretty good.

Yes looks very good. Did you remove the fiddles when installed?