Counter suggestions needed

[Miriam C.]

Well I am getting back to the point I need to put a counter in. Problem is I haven't decided what to put in. I was going to make a butcher block but it will take too much time.

So what does everyone think of Parkey on 1/2" plywood. Should I finish it with pour Epoxy or something else?

Would tile be better?
Thanks for helping.

[fornesto]

Are you referring to real parkay? Or, the vinyl stick-downs? I like the prefab formicas or good 'ol plywood and varnish. Butcher block is very heavy.

[Mary K]

Well, I dont know anything about the Parkey, but I wouldn't use Butter...too soft...lol

I'm doing the 3/4" birch, with the spar urethane and if that doesn't look good I will cover it with formica.

Mk

[Guy]

Deaubstrate and will r Miriam,

The only problem with the parkey is that it expands and contracts differently to the substrate. You must really let the epoxy encapsulate both the top and the bottom with a really thin epoxy to minimize the problem. Then use the hardest hardwood parkey with the lowest expansion rate.

[Miriam C.]

ummmm. The box stores have parkey that is in 12" squares and tongue and groove. I love it. Butcher block would be heavy but..........

Mary K. I thought spar varnish wasn't as hard as pour epoxy or even floor finish. I am thinking I will put the ply down and do the tile or parkey later. Gettin itchy to see something done instead of lots of little pieces sitting around.

[Miriam C.]

Deaubstrate and will r Miriam,

The only problem with the parkey is that it expands and contracts differently to the substrate. You must really let the epoxy encapsulate both the top and the bottom with a really thin epoxy to minimize the problem. Then use the hardest hardwood parkey with the lowest expansion rate.

Soooooooo If I use epoxy to glue the parkey down.... The last I saw had a glue substance that allowed it to move. It said not to glue the individual squares but I am because I don't want water to get in and damage it.

What if I make the slab of parkey then epoxy the top and bottom then put it on some plywood. Is that what you are saying?

[b.bodemer]

I went with a wood border around my counter and then tiles set within the border.............If I have any problems down the road I can slide the counter out. I'm happy with it.


Have fun with whatever you decide!!!!!!
Barb

[Miriam C.]

Barb,
That is as pretty as the first time I saw it. Maybe I need to tile shop too.

Thanks all just keep the idea's coming. It is of course raining so can't go anywhere. Can't even start a bon fire with my Mess.

[rbeemer]

Miriam,

You might check out Kitchen remodeling places as they may leftovers or pieces thay have removed from a recent job that you could buy cheaper than building your own or if you like the butcher block look you might think about "stripping" your countertop, like they do for boats, just have it laid over a 1/2 thick piece of plywood

For a finish I have alway liked Enduro Poly, they have a hardner that you can add. This finish with the hardener is used on Bars and Pianos. I use it on cutting boards, you can easily sand and refinish and lay on pretty thick coatsplus it is waterbased.

[Guy]

Dear Miriam,

First cut the plywood exactly to your counter. then encapsulate your plywood with thinned epoxy. Then encapsulate the bottom of your par key.

Epoxy the encapsulated par key to your plywood, then encapsulate the top with epoxy.

Then finish the counter with Hardwood flooring urethane, not spar urethane. Spar Varnish Urethane is nowhere near as hard a finish as flooring urethane, nor does it need the inherent flexibility of spar varnish.

[Steve_Cox]

Aunti,

$12 for the ceramic tile, it came in 12" X 12" squares.

I used oak parquet flooring on my TD floors. It has a plastic coating that may or may not be compatible with epoxy. I had considered the parquet for the counter top and took the belt sander to a spare square of it, one to smooth it down a little and two to prep it for epoxy. Anyway, for some reason I can't remember I went with the cheapest option, tile.

[fornesto]

As another thought, didn't someone lay some vintage teardrop photos down and epoxy/varnish over them, embedding them into the countertop ala decopauge.

[Arne]

1/2" birch ply and spar varnish... everything on my next one will be light(er)...

If you try to make it like your home... it will weigh as much as your home.

[Mary K]

Mary K. I thought spar varnish wasn't as hard as pour epoxy or even floor finish. I am thinking I will put the ply down and do the tile or parkey later. Gettin itchy to see something done instead of lots of little pieces sitting around.

Ya know, I was thinking the same thing, but I'm sure I'd suckith at trying to do epoxy! Mixing chemicals and then having a time limit to geterdone, ya know what I mean?...maybe I should just do the formica.... sorry to hijack.


Mk

[toypusher]

Miriam,

I don't know that you can see it very well in this photo, but I put a 1 1/2" x 3/4" (ash) edge on a piece of 3/4" plywood (using biscuits) and made sure of a coorect fit in the tear. Then I used spray on contact cement and applied a piece of formica that I got at HD 2' x 4' for about $15.00. Just cut it oversized a bit and then trim it with a router or zip tool after you apply the formica. I then use a roundover bit on the exposed edge, but you could use almost any profile bit. I then stained and polyed the wood edge.



Look in my build photos for more pics.