How To Build A Laminate Countertop 

One of my favorite things about your videos: you show the wayward thoughts, where you almost cut the wrong end, and admit to it. Showing us that human element is important, in a world where only 'perfection' often exists in how-to videos. We do these things in practice, but you show it despite editing, which is really important vulnerability and humanity. Thank you, great work.

I am a cabinet maker of 17 years and during 90's and early 2000's I have built and laminated hundreds and hundreds of counter tops. You did a couple things in this video that I always do and most other guys don't. Breaking the edge on underside of bevel edge is one and I also liked the fact that you did not edit the part where you nearly cut the wrong end of edging. Even the best of us STILL make mistakes however a seasoned pro can sense it just before it happens. lol. We get our best experience from learning what not to do and what separates the good cabinet makers from the skilled woodcrafters is the little extras we do. It comes down to the love we have for our craft.

By far the best instructor on RU-vid

I watched this video at least five times, and just did the project myself. This was such a help to me, thank you so much for posting this!

This was a good refresher for me. I have not done counter tops for years. Thanks.

Thank you! With no experience I was able to build my counter top all by myself. Great video.

This fellow is one of he best I've seen on You Tube.

Shannon...you have helped me with my shed build in 2012, bath in 2015 and now laying LVP flooring in 2020! Can't thank you enough for your details and expertise!! You have a gift to help people!

Excellent ! I was afraid to do it with contact cement until now Thank you !

I do appreciate all of you that take off your time to give details on installing.

Thank you Shannon for making this video, it came just in time. I had a couple questions on counter tops and this video answered them all......

Outstanding video and teacher! I’m in the process of replacing the kitchen sink and the plywood under the old laminate is falling apart due to a poor seal between sink and counter. This was an excellent tutorial and reminders of how to do a professional countertop. Thanks so much.

I just landed a small job that needs new counter tops built, which I have zero experience in. This video showed me everything I needed to tackle the job with confidence - and it turned out great! I am continually impressed with your comprehensive skill set and teaching style Shannon - thank you again!

Perfect, I learned everything I needed to know...and then some! Thanks for producing the video.

I'm a novice at countertop building. This video is EXCELLENT. Going down stairs to my shop to get started. Thank you for sharing your knowledge..

I was yelling "What are you doing?!" when you were about to cut the wrong end. Great video!

After watching and reading many articles on a project like this, your video answered all my questions, Thank you for a very well put together video! Excellent job, Thanks

Thanks for all your videos. I needed to do this custom counter because the project is in a 1900s house, base cabinets were done onsite with various spare parts/wood. Good stuff.

Always love watching true professionals at work, and Shannon is the best! Great video and such a change from those videos trying to show you shortcuts to do things. There is no substitute for craftsmanship and this vid demonstrates why. Thank you for taking the time to make it.

Excellent video without skipping or doing fast-motion over the important details as I see with so many other DIY videos. If it got a little repetitive, that was no problem--I just fast-forwarded--but at least the detail was there in case. And some parts I needed to re-watch a few times to get it. Very helpful. Thank you!

thanks i really love the way you've explained how to install and do your own counter tops.

Great video. I've been building for 40 years and recently started making videos too. Most are Kitchen design and remodeling tips, but still developing ideas and learning how to do this. Thank you for your video.

I enjoy all your videos Shannon. You’re a great instructor and very knowledgeable. Thanks.

Love your videos, thank you for making them!

Thats a masterpiece. While watching this i was already creating all those various shape tops in my head. Cant wait to try doing this myself

This is the best how to EVER - a pleasure to see a true pro

What a fantastic, easy to understand and informative video. I've never done any laminating and your video has given me all the information I need to give it a go. Thanks from Down Under, Bob - Australia.

Thanks Shannon I really enjoy watching your videosn and picking up a lot good tips. And I really need them as I am about 20 years behind on my own home improvements thanks again take care and well done .

My next search was to find what is used to fill partial board the end grain to paint over for different job, nicely included here, Great video. Love the sticks as I will be doing this on own and around the same size!

Thank-you. I appreciate you demonstrating the use of the tools.

Great video! The tip about doing the sides first for a square edge top is worth the whole 46 minutes (though the whole thing is worth watching). This gives me confidence to do my own wet bar top.

Thank you! I will be making my countertop this weekend!

Just wanted to say thank you for your videos. One of the few channels I have found that actually gives a detailed and descriptive video for the project. Your channel has become a tool in itself for a "do it yourselfer" like me.

Excellent Job in explaining the process. I am a wood worker, and I think you did a wonderful explaining this task. Thanks.

This helped me tremendously today. I thank you Sir. Doing the banding tomorrow!

Well done, you totally covered it for my project! Thank you!

As a New Designer this was super helpful to get the basics on how a laminate counter top is made. Thank you for your video!

I loved this video. Thank you for sharing. This is going to help me a lot installing new laminate in my kitchen.

Thank you very much. I will be starting on a new countertop to be shared between both the kitchen and Dining room. There is a window opening between both rooms and there used to be one solid wall that separated the two areas before. I will be working on this new countertop soon.

very informative, and showed me what I needed to know. Thanks Shannon

Nice to see a professional at work. You represented your craft well!

Excellent video... you did an awesome job explaining the whole process. Like your teaching approach very much!

great job and excellent communicating - thanks for the video

Great demonstration very well done. Thanks

Very nice. I'm a DIYer getting ready to do a countertop with the beveled edge trim, so a detailed tutorial like this is great. You mentioned possibilities for purchasing the edging. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could purchase the laminate and beveled edge trim that I want directly from my local Wilsonart distributor without having to go through another retailer or contractor.

Glad you did this. It is a great help for those of use that like to do as much as possible ourselves. Plus you can get the look without the cost of stone countertops.

You're the best MASTER.......I like to watch all of your videos .

workmanship at its finest! thanks alot.

Thank you. You gave a lot of detail. I am going to do this for a small bathroom.

Thank you. Very informative. Now I’m ready to tackle my countertops.

Just the help I needed. Thanks!

Shannon, Thanks for posting. Nice Job

Excellent vid, explained to perfection.

Great video! I’m planning on making a countertop for my mom in May and watching you do this gives me hope lol.. keep the content coming!!

I love how thorough you are! Thank you for teaching us the fine details. Love ALL your vids, keep them coming!

AWESOME and INFORMATIVE -- As always, thanks brother!

A thorough and excellent video, thanks!

Good clear approach to this project. Thank you for your service!!!

Excellent video. Definitely adding to favorites!

Very informative! Thanks again Shannon!

Thank you. Great video. Kept looking for a good video on this and you've got it!

this video shows you everything you need to know. great job!

Thank you so much, as always, your videos are very informative, appreciate it.

Thanks, answered many questions in this video and other videos as well- very helpful.

Real enjoy your videos, very easy to follow. Great teacher

Very well laid out information.. I can't find that on most RU-vid videos. Thanks

Thank you so much for this informative video. I was Quoted a price of 750 to do a bar I built in my house on a half wall and was able to do it myself for 275.00 and the best part its all one piece, again thank you@@@@@!

Wow! By far the best laminate how to on you tube thank you definitely subscribing

Fantastic! Thank you very much for a great step-by-step video

Thanks, I didn't know about the laminate the sacrificial board deal. Neat!

HE IS A VERY GOOD TEACHER !

Also like to comment on i like your tapeing down of the side piece to hold it in place while you work. Its a good trick that can be applied in more general settings. Once again great video.

Excellent video! Really appreciate the detailed instruction.

Thank you for this. Great video!

Excellent, very informative video! Thank You

Happy Canada day! Thanks for the video.

Good videos - informative & top quality

im handy and like to do it myself, this video helped me understand it all, i probably would have made few mistakes if didnt watch this, didnt know i can buy the ready edge ...it will help alot..... i think i would grab gray sharpie and run it on edges so i dont see the cut discoloration. overall i wish i had garage like yours where i could do all my work.

He makes it looks so easy!!!

Very nice shop. Reminds me of the one I had back in the 70s 80s and 90s. Now I built a shop on my own property in 1999 and its a shitty mess now inside. Not using it everyday like I used to the old shop when I had my company.

Great instructor! even you did not edit the mistake...thank you, I am thinking of doing this alternative for our new kitchen top upgrade.

Excellent tutorial. Thanks!

Thank you, this is fabulous!

Man you're awesome. We're watching here from down under

Great video very informative. Thanks for sharing.

I like plywood decks and I like the spray on glue Stay-Put is my go to nice work !!

Thank you so much for this video, THANK YOU.

Great video!! Keep up the good work!!

Great job! Thank you for sharing.

Very nice and well done. Thank you!

Thank you for this video!

Hi Shannon, I have to do my first counter top soon and you helped me a lot. I have to buy a laminate router, but otherwise you are a life saver. Thanks for the help..:) Frank C.

Great Video, You were really a big help to me, and Again Thanks So Much!!!

Nicely done and presented.

Thank you! I'm remodeling now determining what the impact in the kitchen will be and when I do the countertop if I want to replace the countertop with Formica again, which has served me very well for 4+ decades, or go with Granite. Thickness is one thing that needs to be compensated for. It would be going from 1 1/2" thick to 1 3/16" thick, a 5/16" difference, which obsoletes the current Formica counter-material backsplash that would have complimented the Granite with another Formica backsplash which also the compliments the Granite. The popular tile backslashes are only good for show-kitchens that you don't use, and soon ugly and unmaintainable. A Granite counter-material backsplash weighs a ton, costs a ton, and impacts the flexibility of the range and microwave area whereas Formica can simply run behind everything from countertop to the bottoms of the cabinets. Another piece of the puzzle is the sink. For materials it is down to porcelain-cast-iron hudee-ring or undermount, ever-stained-always-ugly-scratched-up-noisy-easy-to-work-with-inexpensive stainless undermount, and the ever-stained-ever-scratched-up stone-dust-and-plexiglass composite/laundry tub undermount sinks are my only usable sink options for a not-just-for-show kitchen. It will be single bowl with rounded corners you can keep clean, that can be used to bathe the iron gas stove grates, babies, and do small children's hair washes, while they lay on a towel on the counter. Drop-ins are for show. Liquids, crumbs, and baking and cooking waste, cannot be swiped into the sink. I totally love what I have with oak edges all around my countertops that have been stained and soaked in tung oil where you used Formica. But after 40+ years, the oak edges are the only things that is still perfect. Everything else is the problem after running 6 kids through it with more on the way. The pattern on the tops of the leathered Formica has finally worn off in the high areas of the leather pattern from use, which is not noticeable unless you carefully compare it to the backsplash of the same material, the bottom of the Kohler cast iron porcelain sink is dull and scratched from 40+ years of use, which makes it stain easier and require leaving bleach water in it overnight once a week to make it look like new again, but the driver of the project being rust beginning to crawl from beneath the hudee ring. If I have to replace the sink, it's time to redo the kitchen. Cost is not nearly as important as achieving another maintenance-free run like I've had. Spending more to get less is easily accomplished if what drives decisions is what is trending. I'll go with the lighter earth tones again for lower maintenance, and compliments the medium natural oak cupboards, woodwork, and natural oak floors that are throughout the house except the kitchen and bathroom.

great video! i appreciate the thoroughness.

Thank you so much this was fantastic!!! 🙏

Very good video. Thanks!

Great video, very informative, thanks!

Great Video, nice work.