I have a Hunter Legend 37 and the gallery counters are finished in Formica, however, the head and forward cabin sink counters are finished in Corian. I would like to refinish the galley counter tops in the same corian material. Has anyone worked on a project like this and if so what advice can you share? Thanks in advance. Barrie
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Corian Installation
Corian and other 'solid surface' materials is fairly expensive per square foot, typically installed by an installer certified by the manufacturer, since the seaming and edging is not a do it yourself project. You could save money by removing the existing countertop, faucet set and drain fitting and probably give a measured sketch of your layout to a kitchen countertop installer and get a ballpark price. They will probably want to see the installation and measure it themselves as there is little room for error in a one piece installation. Another advantage of corian is the posability of a corian sink integral with the top and maybe using a raised trim strip as the edge all round.
Corian and other 'solid surface' materials is fairly expensive per square foot, typically installed by an installer certified by the manufacturer, since the seaming and edging is not a do it yourself project. You could save money by removing the existing countertop, faucet set and drain fitting and probably give a measured sketch of your layout to a kitchen countertop installer and get a ballpark price. They will probably want to see the installation and measure it themselves as there is little room for error in a one piece installation. Another advantage of corian is the posability of a corian sink integral with the top and maybe using a raised trim strip as the edge all round.
Corian
You have to have the work done by a "Certified" installer. We don't work on boats but are a general conctractor and you have to have it done through them which is just as well since they have been trained to do it and you will get a professional job. Rob Morton
You have to have the work done by a "Certified" installer. We don't work on boats but are a general conctractor and you have to have it done through them which is just as well since they have been trained to do it and you will get a professional job. Rob Morton
It is doable.
If everything you make turns into an ashtray...forget it. If you have above average DIY skils and tools, it is actualy a lot of fun to work with. It cuts, routs and sands pretty much like wood. It is a plastic, which you should not forget. You should use carbide cutters as it is tough on cutting tools. Never force the tool as it will melt instead of burn and you will end up with a mess. It will scratch easily, so you need to keep your work area clean and the corian surface protected, work from the back when ever possible. You need to be able to make an accurate pattern and transfer it accurately as well. As noted the stuff is very expensive. Last, it is very dense, a large piece is heavy and could create a list on the side where it has been installed.
If everything you make turns into an ashtray...forget it. If you have above average DIY skils and tools, it is actualy a lot of fun to work with. It cuts, routs and sands pretty much like wood. It is a plastic, which you should not forget. You should use carbide cutters as it is tough on cutting tools. Never force the tool as it will melt instead of burn and you will end up with a mess. It will scratch easily, so you need to keep your work area clean and the corian surface protected, work from the back when ever possible. You need to be able to make an accurate pattern and transfer it accurately as well. As noted the stuff is very expensive. Last, it is very dense, a large piece is heavy and could create a list on the side where it has been installed.
Look Project Over Carefully
Barrie - Seems like an interesting project but I'd look this project over really carefully. For example, does the existing countertop go under the cabinets that are above the countertop? If so then how much work is needed to take them out. If it's just a bunch of screws then with a driver drill this might not be that bad. But if other stuff has to come out to remove these cabinets then it becomes one of those one-thing-leads-to-another projects. Ice box: These are screwed to the underside of the countertop so the ice box will have to come out too. However, if you have refrigeration..... well, you get the idea. This is a really good time to add lots of insulation to the ice box and I'm sure it can use it. Stove: This will have to come out too but, hey, that's a good time to give it a thorough cleaning. Lower Cabinets: If these have to be removed to access the screws to the counter top then there may be screws under the salon seats that need to come out. In which case, the plywood seats may have to be removed (unscrewed) in order to access the other screws. And... to remove the seats, the plywood backs may have to come off! Oh boy, are we having fun yet? Liner: By the time all this stuff is removed and you look at the liner and decide a new liner would look better, will you want to replace that too? If so, then there is finding the proper replacement material, removal of the old (how to do it) and installation of the new (what adhesive, how much, and how to apply it). Weight: Good point (mentioned earlier). The stuff is heavy. Maybe add a couple golf carts on the other side of the boat somewhere? As they say, "Nothing is so bad that there isn't some good." Ahhhh, nothing like a good winter boat project, eh?
Barrie - Seems like an interesting project but I'd look this project over really carefully. For example, does the existing countertop go under the cabinets that are above the countertop? If so then how much work is needed to take them out. If it's just a bunch of screws then with a driver drill this might not be that bad. But if other stuff has to come out to remove these cabinets then it becomes one of those one-thing-leads-to-another projects. Ice box: These are screwed to the underside of the countertop so the ice box will have to come out too. However, if you have refrigeration..... well, you get the idea. This is a really good time to add lots of insulation to the ice box and I'm sure it can use it. Stove: This will have to come out too but, hey, that's a good time to give it a thorough cleaning. Lower Cabinets: If these have to be removed to access the screws to the counter top then there may be screws under the salon seats that need to come out. In which case, the plywood seats may have to be removed (unscrewed) in order to access the other screws. And... to remove the seats, the plywood backs may have to come off! Oh boy, are we having fun yet? Liner: By the time all this stuff is removed and you look at the liner and decide a new liner would look better, will you want to replace that too? If so, then there is finding the proper replacement material, removal of the old (how to do it) and installation of the new (what adhesive, how much, and how to apply it). Weight: Good point (mentioned earlier). The stuff is heavy. Maybe add a couple golf carts on the other side of the boat somewhere? As they say, "Nothing is so bad that there isn't some good." Ahhhh, nothing like a good winter boat project, eh?
Installation thoughts
The existing counter actually can remain as a substrate for the new counter to glue down to. A substrate will be required to support the corian. This may negate removing all the other cabinetry refered to by fitting up to them. In addition to the corian sinks available you can also consider under mounting your old sink or a shiny new SS sink by routing into the existing counter flush for under mounting. If you don't want to change the fiddle mouldings you can reuse the old ones or fit new mouldings. of course you have the option to finish with a round bullnose or even duplicating the old fiddle mouldings in corian if you wish. I have seen installations where the the owner wanted a deeper sink so the underside of the counter was built down to add depth before the sink was mounted. This required a very expensive router bit that was 2" + deep to flush trim. If you can find a good corian contractor to work with you he can fabricate for you to install as a lot of these guys are intimidated by boat installs. Good luck, it can be done. Tim
The existing counter actually can remain as a substrate for the new counter to glue down to. A substrate will be required to support the corian. This may negate removing all the other cabinetry refered to by fitting up to them. In addition to the corian sinks available you can also consider under mounting your old sink or a shiny new SS sink by routing into the existing counter flush for under mounting. If you don't want to change the fiddle mouldings you can reuse the old ones or fit new mouldings. of course you have the option to finish with a round bullnose or even duplicating the old fiddle mouldings in corian if you wish. I have seen installations where the the owner wanted a deeper sink so the underside of the counter was built down to add depth before the sink was mounted. This required a very expensive router bit that was 2" + deep to flush trim. If you can find a good corian contractor to work with you he can fabricate for you to install as a lot of these guys are intimidated by boat installs. Good luck, it can be done. Tim
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