Replacement counter top

[Timm R Oday25]

I spent quite a bit of time redoing the vanity and head in our boat last winter . I chose a formica counter top that I though complimented the asthetics of our boat .
However , during haulout this fall , I was saddened to realize the substrate under the formica absorbed considerable moisture.
Yes it sagged , quite a bit .
Where does one order a small custom shaped Corian type top ?
Thanks

 

[dLj]

I spent quite a bit of time redoing the vanity and head in our boat last winter . I chose a formica counter top that I though complimented the asthetics of our boat .
However , during haulout this fall , I was saddened to realize the substrate under the formica absorbed considerable moisture.
Yes it sagged , quite a bit .
Where does one order a small custom shaped Corian type top ?
Thanks

Oh my, that's disappointing!

Corian is pretty heavy. But it certainly would work. Just Google where to buy - there are places that will sell you sheets of the stuff. Have you ever worked with it? There are also places that will do the custom cutting for you.

How about using plywood and putting your own formica on top of that? I don't know what your fabrication skills are....

dj

p s. Just remembered a friend of mine who put in a plywood base and then did a beautiful tile job on top of it...

p. p. s. You could also redo using the same material but do an epoxy encapsulation of the underside material.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Make sure your sink and, if you have one, storage compartment step is sealed. I had water leaking into the cabinet because they weren't sealed anymore

 

[shemandr]

Ask the Hunter people at the SBO store. My 356 had Corian counter tops so Hunter had a source. Maybe you could use them. Or maybe they can order one pre-cut and ship it to you.
Corian is a bit heavy. I tried but was unable to get PHRF time for the Corian.

 

[dmax]

Corian is nice but it's hard to get small pieces in the color you want for DIY or you have to go through a Corian dealer and have it custom made, a little spendy. You should be able to use formica though, you can use exterior plywood sealed with expoxy as the substrate, will last decades. Seal the sink as Mayhem says and make sure there are no other sources of water.

 

[thinwater]

... As though kitchen and bathroom countertops don't get wet. Disappointing.

 

[Sailor Sue]

How about Star Board, or some other inorganic material, that you can work with woodworking tools?

 

[jssailem]

What about one of the big box stores? HD or Lowes have access to all sorts of countertop materials. Give them the dimensions and see if they can produce it. You could even get a built-in sink.

 

[sesmith]

For a small boat sized piece I would search Facebook marketplace for a used piece from a kitchen tear out. Sorry to hear about the moisture issue. I used MDF for a galley counter I made for a previous boat we had and installed laminate on it. I'm pretty sure I likely sealed it with thinned epoxy before putting the laminate on and installing it. Still looked great when we sold the boat several years later.

 

[nightowle]

What about one of the big box stores? HD or Lowes have access to all sorts of countertop materials. Give them the dimensions and see if they can produce it. You could even get a built-in sink.

The big box stores usually have a minimum square footage for their purchase amount and cut fees. But if it's the material you want it may still be worth it.

 

[FastOlson]

One caveat: When I bought some Formica (r), to finish the upgrades to our countertops and some other areas, I went back to Lowes, where I bought some a decade ago. I told the store salesperson in that dept what color I wanted and that it had to be the "horizontal" grade, rather than the slightly thinner "vertical" grade.
After doing the cuts and epoxy glueing it down, it showed some slightly-raised bubbles in the surface. New problem for me to ponder.
Checking the new piece against some older scrap pieces, it was the wrong thickness. It flexes and bends easier and is rather wobbly to handle, which should have been my first clue. I check it with a micrometer, way too late.

They did match the color #, which is a beige that has never changed in many years. In this case Looks can be deceiving.
So if you are replacing a countertop, specify that it has to be the stronger and stiffer "horizontal" grade. If in doubt, get the description from the sales person in precise writing and advise them that it will have be returned for full refund if it's not right.
(They will normally drop ship it to your home or in some cases you pick it up, inside a cardboard box.)