Kitchens – What are the substitutes for kitchen wall tiles above a kitchen counter

We are happy with our Granite. The only drawback is that we have to watch out for stain's - from oil or red liquids like red wine. And even then, as long as you don't let it sit overnight, you are fine, just wipe it up. After living with Corian and Formica, the ability to place very hot pans on the surface it a must. I can't tell you how convenient that is.

depending on the style of granite and edge you use, it may actually be just as cheap as many of the other "cheaper" alternatives. We found that going to the local Granite supplier, was way cheaper than buying it from a kitchen place or major home improvement stores. In our case, we started at Home Depot, and we wanted to see larger samples. They told us to go look at their supplier's location. We went there, and they were like, just buy it from us directly, we not only supply it to Home Depot, but also install it for them, so we completely eliminated the middle man.

Corian is also soft, and can be scratched. They will tell you, "we can fix scratches, and buff it out", but that costs money. Why not just get something that can't scratch.

I am not 100% familiar with all the others listed. I would just recommend going with something that is heat resistant and scratch proof. If any other the other alternatives over granite are also less porous (resistant to stains) that would be a plus.

Cutting the countertop to length:

Try making a custom circular saw jig to cut your countertop to size. 3/4" plywood placed together at right angles with a cleat for guiding your saw should give you a straight cut. Assemble the jig with extra material, then cut it to size with your saw for a perfect fit.

Use a saw blade with a high tooth count and cut the counter upside down. That way, the blade teeth are traveling down (but really up) into the counter surface, minimizing chances for chipping out. Start by cutting the backsplash first, with the rest of the counter pointing towards the floor. Then stop and rotate the countertop so it's upside down and finish the cut. Be sure to support the cutoff material so it doesn't break off a chunk of the laminate near the end of the cut.

As @auujay points out, masking tape can also help reduce the likelihood of chipping.

Source: woodworkingtips.com

Cutting the sink hole:

I crawled several forums looking for advice on this one. Some suggested techniques (in the order that I would try them) were:

• Use a jigsaw with a down-stroke blade to cut out the sink hole. By cutting on the top surface, you have a more accurate picture where your sink hole will be, and the downstroke blade will eliminate chip-out. Start each rounded corner with a 1/2" spade bit.
• Use a jigsaw with a metal cutting upstroke blade. The finer teeth will make for slower work, but have less of a chance of chipping.
• Use a circular saw to cut straight sides from underneath the countertop. Flip over and finish the rounded corners with a downstroke jigsaw blade.

Once again, use masking tape for both cut line visibility and to reduce the chance of chipping the laminate. Also remember to support the cutout section to avoid tearing the laminate near the end of the cut.