Quartz Taste on a Formica Budget – DIY Bathroom Countertop

Steve
by Steve
7 Materials
$200
3 Hours
Easy

Most of us suffer from the same affliction: having lavish tastes, but modest resources. Installing a quartz countertop is something any DIYer can do themselves. The few specialty tools you’ll need can be purchased for less than the labor cost of a professional install.

Here it is finished. Many of your local stone dealers now sell partially pre-fabricated quartz countertops that are perfect for do it yourselfers. You can purchase quartz slabs that have already been cut down to manageable sizes. The typical size is 26” wide by 9’ and often times you can find a remnant big enough for a bathroom top super cheap. These slabs always come with the long edge already polished and are ready to be cut to size and installed by DIY-ers.  



Install a diamond blade in your oldest worm drive Skilsaw and use your straightedge clamping tool guide to cut the slab to length. Slow and steady wins the race here. Did I mention that you’ll want to put on your rain gear right about now?



For exposed edges, polish with a wet polisher/ grinder. Just think of it like sanding a piece of wood, only a whole lot messier. Start with a 50 grit diamond pad and work your way up to 1000, removing the scratches from the previous grit as you go. Don’t forget to ease the edge so you don’t have any sharp corners.



Use an angle grinder equipped with a diamond blade to cut the hole for the sink. If it’s an oval or round sink like this one, mark the hole about ½” smaller than the finished size that you want. During the process of cutting the hole it will get bigger as you work your way through the material. Here we’re using a top mount sink so the hole doesn’t have to be pretty. For under mount sinks, the process is the same but you’ll have to spend a fair amount of time grinding and polishing to make the hole look perfect. 



Put a few dabs of silicone under the countertop to hold it to the cabinet and then you’re ready for the backsplash of your choosing. Here we’re using deco tiles with metal edge trim. 



 It’s all done! For a more detailed tutorial, stop by my blog https://plumbandlined.com/how-to-install-quartz-countertops-diy-bathroom/

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  2 questions
  • Jacquie Trundy Jacquie Trundy on May 11, 2019

    Good job! I'm interested in the floor. Can you tell me what it is? Is it vinyl? Peel and stick or what? I am trying to decide on a kitchen floor and I really like what I'm seeing. Must be water safe??

  • Wyldecent Wyldecent on May 11, 2019

    Can I do this for kitchen counters? It would seem I could if the the quartz were longer.

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  • Jane Doe Jane Doe on May 12, 2019

    Looks great! I wonder why, though, people don't go higher than 4 inches on the back splash when the space is available.

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    • Nelida Torres Nelida Torres on Jul 24, 2019

      Can you go higher? I’ve wondered if there is a standard rule on this too?

  • Jane Doe Jane Doe on Jul 24, 2019

    You can go as high as you want. The standard, probably due to contractor expense, is 4 inches.

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