Too expensive and cuts/slices too easy. I'd think it would mar way to easy from chopping and hot pots.
For the money a good laminate would be better, and if weight doesn't matter I'd go with a thin stone or other top.

 

Agree with chucklesR: Starboard is too soft. Thin Corian would be better,but our 22 yr. old boat has laminate and it still looks good. You need to use cutting boards, in any case and a trivet or potholder if you need to place a hot pot, no matter what kind of plastic surface, if you want it to stay in good shape.

 

Laminate (Formica, et cetera) is probably best. Corian is pretty heavy.

 

Agreed, starboard is not good countertop material. If its a do-it-yourself project, I recommend going to Home Depot or similar and see what scraps they have available from a recent home installation. Could be anything from formica, to corian to stone, or even the thin fake corian laminated to plywood. Often, they are more than big enough to do a boat galley. If you do use something that has a wooden back, I would seal it with penetrating epoxy.

 

Agreed, starboard is not good countertop material. If its a do-it-yourself project, I recommend going to Home Depot or similar and see what scraps they have available from a recent home installation. Could be anything from formica, to corian to stone, or even the thin fake corian laminated to plywood. Often, they are more than big enough to do a boat galley. If you do use something that has a wooden back, I would seal it with penetrating epoxy.

Ummm....

A slab of stone, 100-200 lbs (or more?) of added weight, several feet above the boat's ballast and maybe off-center.

Does anyone else see a problem here?

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback.. Exactly what I needed....So between Formica and Laminate not sure I know the difference? Anything I need to ask for to get a better quality?
THANKS again everyone!!

 

Formica is just a brand name for laminate.

 

Yep. Formica does seem to be one of the best, if not the best, brands of laminate. However, as far as I can tell, the difference in quality among the best brands is pretty minimal. Go to you local Home-Depot/Lowes/whatever and take a look. They usually a basic selection in stock, and you can always order whatever color you want. I would stick to a solid color, rather than a pattern, as patterns almost always look too busy in a small space (like a boat galley).

 

Also try some local kitchen/bathroom cabinet shops. Bib box stores don't build any of that stuff, just sub it out for build and install. In bigger towns to local cabinet manufacurer. Whenever possible, go to the source.

 

I bought enough type 316 stainless to cover my galley counters for $13 , from a scrapyard. If you find restaurant stainless in a scrapyard, sometimes you can find it with a galley sink molded right in . You can put anything hot directly on it, with no worries. Best counter top available . Restaurants have figured that out long ago.

 

Any pics? It sounds awfully industrial, but I work in a machine shop so there is more stainless laying about then you can shake a stick at, so it would be dang easy to just slap on top of the existing laminate(yellow yuck).

 

formica gets dings and gouges easily--was used extensively in the 50s-70s in tract housing. is a pita, as it isnt durable and not beautiful for quality work. is a poor tribute to the builders who used the cheapo materials to save dough and offer boats at mid income pricing.
i will mebbe go to corian or granite, as that extra weight is not a problem with my heavy displacement cruiser. maybe be impractical on a racing boat, but this aint that....

 

I have some pink Corina from remodeling the kitchen. If you want a hunk, pm me and
we will work something out. I think the problem with any of the thick counter top materials, Corian, granite, soapstone, ect is the additional work around the sink, faucet, icebox and stove as well as the fids. The stainless steel approach is practical as well as functional but a bit cold aesthetically IMHO.

 

Most of the synthetics like Corian can be worked with with normal wood working tools abet carbide bits. Routers make quick work of holes for faucets and sinks. Though they are available in different thicknesses. For a boater the epoxy glues should not be much different than working with fiberglass.

i found over time since 1956, when i began noticing the counter tops in mommas house that formica is an inferior product from 1950s that equates with inavbility to cleanand keep clean and stains happen and do not come out and the dings and open sores made with pots and pans..ugly stuff. was made for cheap kitchens in tract homes and v=brought to boatdom by cheapest builders.
if ye dont believe it dings and comes apart and stains a lot more than other surfaces, then hit it a few times with a decent pot or pan or a baseball bat, lik emomma did when we bought our house in ny..she hit it to see if it stood up to her kids. it did not. mpmma had tiles placed by 1958. bought house in 1954. no tlong to last, methinks, for a large investment, one would think the surface would not be levittown quality.

Zee, I think in the last 50 years they may have improved it just a bit. I just put in an offer on a house though that was built in 1958 and has the original counter tops and they look new. Very ugly but look new. I don't think they had very much use as it is a two bedroom house likely no kids. Current owner was an elderly lady. But in my "newer" houses I have never had any modern laminate counter top get any significant damage except one guest that decided to cut a lime for drinks without a cutting board, but that was real abuse with an extremely sharp knife.

 

I would not say that laminate scratches or dings easily, but certainly more easily than stone or corian. Best to use light colors that won't show minor abrasion. The real problem is, if you do scratch it, you have to live with it.

They do make some laminate patterns that don't look as 60s as they used to.

 

i found over time since 1956, when i began noticing the counter tops in mommas house that formica is an inferior product from 1950s that equates with inavbility to cleanand keep clean and stains happen and do not come out and the dings and open sores made with pots and pans..ugly stuff. was made for cheap kitchens in tract homes and v=brought to boatdom by cheapest builders.
if ye dont believe it dings and comes apart and stains a lot more than other surfaces, then hit it a few times with a decent pot or pan or a baseball bat, lik emomma did when we bought our house in ny..she hit it to see if it stood up to her kids. it did not. mpmma had tiles placed by 1958. bought house in 1954. no tlong to last, methinks, for a large investment, one would think the surface would not be levittown quality.

 

the formica that was used in this boat is crap--white, badly stained, and holes and dents and nicks. i like the idea of ss countertops--or granite, as i can stand the weight on this boat
btw--my boat is a 1976.
my ericson has butcher block formica--is a 1979--that stuff cracks and peels, but isnt as bad as this white stuff is.

 

We have corian and it seems to hold up well

 

ss counters would mean being able to chop/mince and slice stuff easily without a cutting board.....easy clean and no 5 yr change out..LOL

 

Not really - they get badly scratched up and the knives get quickly dulled. Commercial kitchens have lots of cutting boards around.

 

I have butcher block counters in my house (Ikea). Generally we like them but you can't set anything ferrous on them or there will be a permanent stain. Regular tin can? Circular stain. US dime? Circular stain. Cast iron pot lid? Circular stain.

The above stains are actually the only ones we have since we've gotten careful with not putting ferrous metals on the counter. Problem is if you let someone else cook in your kitchen....

What I'd like to use when I re-do my boat's galley is use copper flashing over plywood. I've seen several restaurants that use copper for their table tops and I think it looks great! Seem to me that it would have all the utility of restaurant stainless but look much more ship-like and homey. Copper is antibacterial on contact as well....

MedSailor

 

I have butcher block counters in my house (Ikea). Generally we like them but you can't set anything ferrous on them or there will be a permanent stain. Regular tin can? Circular stain. US dime? Circular stain. Cast iron pot lid? Circular stain.

The above stains are actually the only ones we have since we've gotten careful with not putting ferrous metals on the counter. Problem is if you let someone else cook in your kitchen....

What I'd like to use when I re-do my boat's galley is use copper flashing over plywood. I've seen several restaurants that use copper for their table tops and I think it looks great! Seem to me that it would have all the utility of restaurant stainless but look much more ship-like and homey. Copper is antibacterial on contact as well....

MedSailor

Copper has a lot of bad taste it can add to food. Note how copper pots are only copper on the OUTSIDE where the food doesn't contact it. It's also toxic - that's why they put so much of it in bottom paint.

 

Do you mean flashing used in roofing? Copper is a soft, ductile metal, flashing is particularly so and is thin for easy bending to conform to corners. I expect you'll have a problem with denting if you use it. If you really want to use copper, then get something thicker and harder than pure copper. I'd take a look at Beryllium Copper alloys since they are both harder and resist corrosion.

There's also the issue of cost and availability. I would expect to pay around $100 a square foot for 1/8" copper sheet, more for a sheet of Beryllium Copper alloy.

I'd recommend using aluminum instead. It is widely available in a number of sizes and thicknesses. I would use 1/8 or 3/64 sheets to resist denting. This page from The Metal Store online catalog shows you the price of various sizes of 3/64" smooth aluminum sheet. 24" x 36" x 3/64 is under $30.00 US, while the same size in 1/8" (the thickness of aluminum deck plate) is $67.00 US. The metal store is just an easy-to-find example from Googling. There are lots of other places to choose from -- doubtless some are cheaper than this.

Tom

 

Boy, youse guys are sure desperate to avoid good old practical, cheap & easy laminate.

One of the best looking countertops IMHO is a black suede finish laminate. Costs about $50 for a fairly big galley.

You can also get laminate with S/S. aluminium and copper finishes - actual metal foil laminated on the top surface.

 

Laminate in a granite pattern; pix here:Life Afloat Archives: Small-Space Living ... Afloat This was done 5 years ago and we've lived aboard, full-time, ever since. Trivets and cutting boards are a must, but overall, this has been a very durable, easy-care solution. Inexpensive, and comes in a vast array of color and pattern.

 

Copper bar tops look nice, but they are always dented. I've seen them intentionally distressed when installed, so the inevitable denting blends. The tell tale, dimpled half moon impression from a beer bottle base are common, once the public has at one. I would assume, you would get the same aboard.

Maybe the copper is just polished, but they seem to have a sealant on them. I've never seen one turn green from all the moisture, which makes me think they are sealed.

 

I installed stainless panels next to my cooktop in my house 10 years ago. The are inlaid into the wood countertop, also 10 years old. The idea was to have a place to place pots without scratching or burning the wood top. Well, that worked, sort of. The stainless would heat up so much that it would expand and then "pop' itself out of the inlay it was glued into.

So if you do overlay your existing top with stainless, don't glue it and allow for expansion should you leave a hot pot on it.

 

Copper is available in all kinds of thicknesses. My local restaurant has tables that are made of pretty thick stuff and not dented. It's probably 1/16" or more. You would need tools and force to dent it.

Copper Sheet, Copper Flashing, Copper Sheets, Copper Foil Rolls, Copper Sheeting for Arts and Crafts and Various Applications These guys seem to have it all including a thickness guide with a video showing you the flexibility of different thicknesses.

As for the toxicity issue... remember everything is toxic. The poison is in the dose. The "toxicity" is actually a plus because it is antibacterial. So the salmonella from the raw chicken I put on the counter might not linger there if I don't clean it up well enough.

As for the taste issue, France (where they KNOW food) has lots of copper pots in use for various specialty cooking applications. Most of the time though I would be cutting food on a wooden cutting board anyway so if I set my food on the counter for a minute or two I don't think it'll affect the taste.

MedSailor

 

Another alternative is soapstone (saratoga soapstone) kinda in between a corian and granite, very elegant looking

 

But very soft I would imagine.

One of the advantages of granite is that it is very hard, making it pretty much scratch proof and long lasting. I'm thinking of going with granite when I re-do my galley. It's very cheap in Brazil (starting at USD100 per 10 sq. feet, installed).

 

Has anybody tried a liquid glass like product? It's the clear epoxy you see on bar and table tops at restaurants. You can embed all sorts of things prior to pouring.

Cutting boards become necessary.

 

Has anybody tried a liquid glass like product? It's the clear epoxy you see on bar and table tops at restaurants.....

I applied this to a bar top in my rec room at a previous house. It is easily scratched. Coasters, placemats, etc were needed religiously. If you look at one in a bar, they are hazed over by the scratching, although, don't look too bad. I'm also certain they can't take much heat.

Installation is probably the tougher part, unless you can remove your counter tops from the boat. They need to be perfectly level, and I mean perfectly. The stuff seeks a level and the slightest imperfection will be noticed over the length of a counter. No way any of our boats are that level. The advantage, however, is that the fids will provide a natural barrier to hold the stuff in place. Letting it run over the edge is very difficult to get right.

 

Minnewaska, I've never had a granite counter at home stain, but I suppose it's possible. Marble is porous and stains easily. Granite (at least the Brazilian stuff) stands up to a lot of punishment and keeps looking great. The weight is a bit of an issue on a boat though ...

 

Corian, marble and granite cannot take a hot pan right out of the oven or off the burner. If you need this capability look at the synthetic granites; stilestone or caesar stone. The color and detail variations are enormous and can be templated to fit the unusual shapes and dimensions of a sailboat. It is incredibly strong and very easy to clean up. It is price competitive with granite and more so if you go looking for decorator granite. The only draw back is its weight, which is only important on a smaller boat like mine.