How thick for an office Countertop?

[cputnam]

Installing kitchen cabs for bases above which will be installed shelving nearly 6' high and which will be heavily laden. Shelves will be screwed to studs but counter top still must support some of the weight as wells various printers, scanners, etc and random piles of paper. Is 3/4" enough or do I need to goto something thicker?

This is in response to George's wakeup call in the earlier thread. A single 3/4" thickness would mean just laying down some walnut ply. Thicker means either 1 1/4" or 1 1/2"

I know it's a newb question but I've never worked a case where 3/4" ply might no be enough.

TIA

[Bob Vaughan]

For many years I put in counters in commercial installation. The standard was 3/4" birch with standard .050 Formica (HPL) as a work surface. NEVER particleboard. The sturdiness of the cabinets below will have some negative effect if they are light weight.

Formica makes a great work surface that can be cleaned easily and resists scratches and dents. Solid lumber or veneer isn't a real good technical choice even though it would look nicer. If you can't hide the fact its a laminate surface, then point to it by using a solid color that blends. Wood grain can work if the finish on the existing woodwork matches what's available from your laminate suppliers.

[Steve N]

You can easily make 3/4' ply look much thicker than it is.




Rated in terms of thickness of ply, and of edge. Doubling your ply greatly decreases flex, or sag, and increases strength. It also increases price, so you always need to determine if you need the extra sheet. Seeing that your edge will be hidden, it is possible to use a lower cost type of ply as the bottom, just look for something with a flush side so your mating side to the good ply on top doesn't have voids.




The thing there is how much weight will it bear, if it's a lot you need to do one of two things. Add plenty of support under it, or double it up making the plywood thicker. If it won't bear too much weight you can get along fine with a single thickness of 3/4". The sagulator is thought to be mostly a shelving tool, but it can really work with a span of most anything. My only recommendation here would be to overbuild, for the just in case loads.

Again shelves as spans. They need more info on counters.

I agree with Bob, on a counter top I like Formica. Of course LOML makes me say that she works for them Seriously it is a very good laminate, much better than wood veneer, and it comes in a lot of colors, and varieties. As to matching wood, to wood grain laminate. I usually don't go there. I think you get a better look with a solid color top, and then a solid wood edge colored to match the rest, but that is just personal taste.

[JR1]

I've built a bunch of bookcases and support the shelving at both ends and the full lenhth of the shelf in the rear. In this case the sagulator does not compute. The back of the shelf is attached to the carcuse and I've had no problems with folio and hardback reference @ around 65 lbs
per linear foot. LILs edges would provide extra strength if supported by the carcuse on either end. I agree with Bob that Formica is a good surface. Ihave one bookcase with 5' shelves and several with 4'.

[cputnam]

Bob, I asked LOML about solid surface and we both agree that we want wood. No particular reason other than that's the way our heart strings get tugged.

George, if I go to I.5" of ply (which I'm inclined to do) are randomly placed 1.25" screws from McFeeley's enough to hold it together sufficiently to add the necessary strength? Might make it easier to screw to cabs for lower layer and then to get LOML to climb under and screw the show face to the underlayment. Wow, a 3/4" sheet of walnut veneer could run me $125 each. If I leave room for cable runs might be able to get two passes out of each sheet. That would be good

[Joel H.]

As a question, will the sides of the bookcases be in vertical line with the sides of the lower cabs? If yes, then the 3/4" countertop will be sufficient because the weight will be born by the lower cab sides.

At least that's the way I've always seen them. Thicker countertop looks better, but using the method Steve N. identified will solve that.

Just my 2¢

Joel

[cputnam]

Yes, they will be standard bookcases, sitting on the counter top and screwed into the wall studs. Just can't guarantee that vertical parts will line up with cab sides.

It's not an appearance issue, just a structural question. I just built a platform for the washing machine & dryer out of 3/4" Baltic Birch. Haven't gotten the washer leveled and shimmed right yet, and the 3/4" looks a little springy. Live load vs. static?

[Steve N]

Curt when I make fat plywood I liberally spread TB (or an adhesive like I pointed out earlier) out with a roller to both sides, and put them together, then I use 1 1/4" drywall screws in a grid pattern (usually every 6 to 8" in the center, and always 6" around the outer rim) to act like clamps. Always screw into the non show side, and after an overnight the screws can be removed after the glue dries. That way if you want to drill out holes, or anything you can do so without risking hitting a nail, and making a mess.

Ooops I was in the wrong thread about "the other stuff" but it was a veneer thread anyhow this stuff

3M page I saw this stuff used at work they were fabricating a plywood bridgework, and it put plywood together pretty slick. On sale a gallon of TB is a lot cheaper though

[cputnam]

Thank you George and all.