Good Material for galley counter and icebox lining

[zengirl]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

My vote would be for Formica.

1 It wears like iron.

2 Cheap and easy to purchase.

3 Easy to DIY with simple tools.

4 Come's in any color or texture imaginable.

5 Will last the life of the boat.

6 Light weight.

7 Durable and wear resistant.

8 Easy to clean.

9 Impact resistant.

10 Can be formed around corners.

I'm with him! Granite and others weighs a ton. They have some beautiful faux countertop coverings.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by zengirl

I'm with him! Granite and others weighs a ton. They have some beautiful faux countertop coverings.

I agree. In a 24' boat, weight is important. Although if you use 1/4" corian supported by plywood, it won't be that much heavier than laminate. However, it will be more expensive. You can finish the edges with wood strips to form fiddles and the effect will be very nice.

For the icebox I would investigate vacuum insulated panels.

[slowpoker]

Another idea: Regular local Tile stores carry some thinner than regular, but large, (up to 16") tiles used for bathroom walls. Those come in many materials and colors, real marble or granite. Even a very attractive black with other dark colors swirling through, made of recycled glass with some other composites to form a tile that, although scratches easily, is easy to work with and weighs very little.
Any of these tiles can be glued to the existing counter tops and come with optional trim for borders and corners and backsplash, etc. Not too expensive either.
May save the work of having to use the router to finish the edges of Formica, or the chance of measuring or cutting or placing the whole cut piece of laminate in one piece incorrectly.... and looks magnificent.
Yes, there will be thin grout lines, fill those and the corners with polyurethane caulk or regular fine grout. May need to seal the counter surfaces with tile sealer once in a while as with the real granite or marble stone that they are. Keep one or two extra tiles to replace any tiles that may get damaged over time. Slowpoker.

[jimbunyard]

Thin tile (or really any tile at all, unless one's using a stray piece to put hot things on) in a small, flexible boat is a probably not a good idea (at least if you plan on sailing it). Even if you use a flexible adhesive like 5200 (for masochists only) or silicone, cracked tiles are not a function of if but when...

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

................................
..............................., but there must be something better than 25 yr. old formica.....?

Yes, there is


Laminate counter Makeover for $28 with Epoxy & Contact Paper…Yes.. I really just said that…

I did this on my cousin's home kitchen counters and it looks and works great.

For your 24 foot boat, I'm not sure what issues you have with what you already have, but this may be one of the simplest solutions.

Good luck.