Cutting the worktop - instructions and tips for sawing

• preparation
• Tools and materials
• Measure kitchen plate
• Cut the worktop
• Cut corner joints

When a move or renovation is due, it's time for a new countertop in the kitchen. If you do not want to afford expensive craftsmanship, there is nothing to stop you from mounting the plate yourself, but you must have the right plate in front of it. You can easily cut them yourself, which only requires detailed instructions.

Countertops are important components of fitted kitchens because they protect cabinets and equipment from dirt and at the same time create a working surface in the kitchen. With the years of use, however, it can lead to numerous signs of wear, discoloration and scratches, which strongly influence the look of the kitchen and for this reason, the installation of a new worktop is only recommended. To save unnecessary costs, you should crop the surface yourself, as this is not difficult, as long as it is done correctly and, above all, exactly. This allows you to refresh your kitchen quickly and easily, without having to call on a specialist.

preparation

Before you can start cutting the worktop, you need to make some preparations so that the work proceeds smoothly:

1. Workplace: Provide a safe workplace where you can saw the plate. If you do not have a garage, yard or garden, you should clear out the kitchen before you leave to work so you have plenty of room. In general, you should clear out the kitchen, especially the cupboards, so that you can dispose of the old plate more easily and place the new one after cutting.

2nd stove: to remove old worktops, you must first turn off the three fuses for the stove. These can be found in the fuse box and are marked accordingly. Press this. Now you can loosen the hob and store safely away from the workplace.

3. Sink: it is also important to loosen the sink siphon so you can clear the sink for the time of installation. Of course you should turn off the water beforehand, otherwise you put everything under water. As a precaution, place a bucket under the connection to prevent a small flood.

4. Time: be sure to choose a time frame for sawing that will not bother your neighbors. Be sure to stick to the lunchtime and night's sleep as tools such as the jigsaw can get very loud.

Tools and materials

In order to be able to bring the worktop safely and effectively into the right shape, suitable equipment is required to facilitate the work steps to the finished kitchen worktop. You need:

• Multi-purpose or wooden worktops of your choice
• pencil
• Folding rule or tape measure
• Saw pad, for example working sticks
• Saw: jigsaw or table saw
• Saw blade suitable for the height of the plate
• Tarpaulin made of plastic, for example painter's tarpaulin
• Belt sander or electric planer
• Wood drill with at least 10 mm attachment
• fine sandpaper
• Kellergrund, silicone or sealing tape
• Auspresspistole
• Edge band: Width corresponds to the height of the worktop

Tip: Do not use a hand saw. Due to the thickness of the worktops, the use of these saws would greatly delay the process and more often lead to inaccurate sawing results as they tend to bend.

Measure kitchen plate

The last important point before the actual cutting of the worktop is the measuring. The right dimensions are extremely important, otherwise there will be inaccuracies when sawing, the plate may not fit or sit crooked. Another problem is too high a tension, which is caused by incorrect dimensions and has a negative effect on the longevity of the plate and kitchen equipment. Measure as follows:

1. The kitchen equipment provided with the worktop must be precisely aligned. This means that if you want to install a new device, it must be exactly straight. Place the length gauge on one side and measure the equipment. Make sure that the measuring device does not shift or shift, which in turn can lead to measurement errors.

2. To measure the depth, attach the meter to either the back of the equipment or the kitchen wall. This measurement is usually easier to implement, since the depth is usually shorter compared to the length.

3. Add to the depth between two and three centimeters. This will ensure that the worktop survives after installation, which is important for the functionality and cleanliness of the kitchen.

4. Now the cut-outs for hobs and the kitchen sink are measured. There are four ways to do this:

• measure the dimensions of the sink and hot plates (length x width), draw them on the plates
• use the sink and hobs as a template
• Use the enclosed templates, which are often included with the sink and hobs
• If necessary, consult the manufacturer's product information online

5. After you have the dimensions of each installation available, you must list it on the plate. Make sure that you remove the cut-outs by two centimeters in length and width, so that at the end the hobs and sinks do not simply slip through the worktop. The recesses must therefore be drawn slightly offset inwards for this reason.

When measuring, make sure to set the pencil firmly enough so that you can see the markings at the end. Do not draw on the top of the worktop, but only on the underside, as it is never visible.

Tip: If you only replace your plate and do not make any changes to the device, you should simply measure the existing plate. You can use the entire plate as a template, which is especially recommended for the sink and hob hole, because you do not have to measure this yourself.

Cut the worktop

Once you've made all the measurements, it's time to cut the plate and get it ready for assembly. Go as follows:

1. Be sure to prepare all materials before sawing. Although you can rest the plate between work steps, the work progresses much faster if you have everything at hand.

2. Position the saw support in the room so that you have enough space to saw. Spread out the painter's tarpaulin and fasten it with adhesive tape so that it does not slip. Now you can place the pad on the tarpaulin. The tarpaulin protects your floor from wood chips and facilitates cleaning after sawing.

3. Locate your recorded markings and begin sawing the jigsaw in a concentrated manner along the lines. This cut represents the basic shape of the worktop. Do not run the jigsaw too fast through the wood, otherwise you could slip off or saw crookedly, but do not stop every inch. The more purposeful you are when cutting with the jigsaw, the more accurate the final result becomes. Of course this also applies to table saws.

4. When using jigsaws, make sure that they produce little damage (splinter damage) due to their slide, which can break into the material. Fix the cut lines with a masking tape.

5. Test the basic shape of the plate once in the kitchen. Is she crooked, too long or too wide ">

Note: You can also set the cuts with a dip saw - the guide rail will then be accurate.

8. Now it is time to seal the recesses, more precisely their cutting edges. To prevent them from getting too much moisture, which would inevitably make them swell, they need to be treated.

9. Handle the recesses thoroughly with the sandpaper. Make sure the cut edges are smooth so they can be effectively sealed.

10. Now seal the cut edges with either basement, silicone or an insulating tape. If you have decided to use silicone, you must use an extrusion gun and distribute the material evenly over the edges. For this, fill the kitchen silicone into the dispensing gun and press the mechanism that presses out the silicone.

11. It is easier with the insulating tapes, as they only need to be glued. Especially for edges, sealing tape can be used extremely well, as it saves a lot of time and can be easily installed.

12. Visible edges, such as the outer edge that protrudes from the wall, should also be sanded smooth with sandpaper and then treated with edge banding. This is either ironed or glued. This protects the wood from moisture and thus from swelling, especially in the area of ​​the sink. In addition, rubbings and splinters are prevented.

13. Now you should check the plate again before mounting. If everything is sitting and not tensioned, you can do the assembly.

Tip: If you have decided on a worktop that has a decorative edge, you should not cut this page. If you saw here, the decor flutes.

Cut corner joints

Corner joints on kitchens with an L line are prepared in different ways, and depending on the material and cost, some methods are better than the other:

1. Connection profile: a connection profile is a connecting piece of metal or plastic intended to bridge the space between two rectangular worktops, which together form an L. This is simply pushed between the two plates and prevents the entry of moisture, dirt and food particles.

2. Miter 45 °: You can make an attractive corner joint through the miter cut at 45 °. For this purpose, the sides of the two worktops facing the corner are cut at an angle of 45 ° and then connected.

3. Corner piece: with a separate corner piece, two worktops can be simply and effectively connected.

4th panel cut: the panel cut requires professional skill and should be adopted by the professional. In this case, small connectors and recesses are cut directly into the wood, through which the worktops can be connected to each other.