Is anyone familiar with using a prefabricated slab countertop?

[aNYCdb]

I was thinking of trying to DIY this counter top from Floor & Decor and I was wondering if anyone had experience with something similar.

Some specific areas of question/concern would be doing an "L", cutting the sink hole, and finishing the exposed edge.

I have the right blades and a wet circular saw, but never tried countertops.

https://www.flooranddecor.com/count...e&shopThisStore=true&useInventory=184&start=3

Any thoughts or feedback appreciated.

 

[havasu]

Those are usually made in China, and are usually thinner than granite slabs found in a slab yard. It could be done, but it may crack pretty easy.

 

[Snoonyb]

The common thickness for slabs are 2CM if you have a roughtop and 3CM if not.

There is already an edge shape.

"L" is not a common configuration for 1 piece, they are generally 2 and glued at the joint.

The boring and cutting the sink hole is straight forward, the fun comes in polishing the opening, unless you are using a self-rimming model.

 

[havasu]

I have a local granite installer who has done lots of work at my house. I purchased two slabs and he cut and installed counters all over my house, including my BBQ surround outside. He was very inexpensive and with all his grinders, cutters, polishers, suction cups, epoxy paints and other specialty tools, you may inquire a local company to do the installation. Also keep in mind that many granite installers have leftover pieces of granite that are sold for pennies on the dollar.

 

[aNYCdb]

The common thickness for slabs are 2CM if you have a roughtop and 3CM if not.

There is already an edge shape.

"L" is not a common configuration for 1 piece, they are generally 2 and glued at the joint.

The boring and cutting the sink hole is straight forward, the fun comes in polishing the opening, unless you are using a self-rimming model.

Sorry I should have specified that I expected the "L" to be a joint, the trick part, is that my understanding is these prefab counters are meant to install on a 1/2" plywood base and have a secondary strip of stone along the finished edge (preinstalled) to cover that plywood. As a result I believe that I have to to cut it off for the ~26" where the joint will be and in addition install a similar strip along the exposed outside edge on the other end of the counter. That said the trip to Floor & Decor is a couple hours away (as is pretty much every other place) so I'm trying to better understand how this all works ahead of time (and its entirely possible I've got it all wrong).

I have a local granite installer who has done lots of work at my house. I purchased two slabs and he cut and installed counters all over my house, including my BBQ surround outside. He was very inexpensive and with all his grinders, cutters, polishers, suction cups, epoxy paints and other specialty tools, you may inquire a local company to do the installation. Also keep in mind that many granite installers have leftover pieces of granite that are sold for pennies on the dollar.

Unfortunately where my cabin is I can't even get someone to come out (trust me I would have been perfectly happy to just pay someone to fabricate and install, just as I would have preferred not to hang, tape and mud 100+ sheets of drywall).

 

[nealtw]

Cutting their edge off and adjusting the other piece to fit the molded corner would be tricky and would have to close to perfect.
You would do a similar cut at the end to us a piece of their finished nose on the end.
When you remove their factory edge you could do that before you cut it to length and that might let you selvage the cut off for the end cap.

 

[Snoonyb]

There is another option for you, and that's a decorative molding to cover the plywood edge, which allows you to leave the polished edge, as a natural edge.

You are going to need some help carrying and setting these slabs, because they are a granular product which has been compressed over time, and some patterns are not stable over their length and will flex, until adhered in place.