# Forum Home Renovation Kitchens  Plywood kitchen  benchtops

## snowyskiesau

A friend who is about to redo her kitchen has asked my opinion about using plywood as a benchtop.  
As my knowledge of kitchen construction is limited (OK, non existent), I told her I'd ask here. 
She like the look of thick plywood where the plys are visible at the edge. Having seen some examples of furniture I tend to agree but I'm not sure if it will work in a kitchen. 
I have a sheet of 25mm plywood that will get cut up tomorrow so a test can be made building a laundry unit.

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## shauck

I would think a good marine grade ply, well protected with an appropriate coating on all surfaces, including the underneath, sides, top and all cutout edges. I'm not an expert by the way but I have made benchtops out of chipboard base and tongue and groove floorboards. They are holding up very well after more than a year's use.

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## hardwoodjoint

I've just finished making benchtops from 16mm marine ply with A/A faces. I laminated them to 16mm yellow tongue flooring. I used expoxy glue.
Then I edged them with Jarrah strip to hide the layers.
The whole lot was finished with about 3 coats of marine grade varnish. 
I'm also making new doors from Tassie Oak, slow process but only 17 to go!!
SWMBO is very impressed. 
Cheers 
Tony

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## Integrity

> A friend who is about to redo her kitchen has asked my opinion about using plywood as a benchtop.  
> As my knowledge of kitchen construction is limited (OK, non existent), I told her I'd ask here. 
> She like the look of thick plywood where the plys are visible at the edge. Having seen some examples of furniture I tend to agree but I'm not sure if it will work in a kitchen. 
> I have a sheet of 25mm plywood that will get cut up tomorrow so a test can be made building a laundry unit.

  
I always tell my client's that anything is possible! I personally don't like to use timber as bench tops - its possible and it works - however, bench tops in kitchens generally get a fair bit of abuse from knives, plates, pots, pans etc and the only major protection that timber has is the final coating.  This means that maintenance is significantly higher than other products such as post form tops and man made or natural stone tops - which are the direction I suggest my client's go in.  If your friend has her heart set on using the ply it can be done but she will need to put alot of effort into maintaining the finished look she is after - it will only take one slip of a knife to ruin all her hard work.  I would suggest a 2-pac poly-urethane type product to finish the surface.  If she is not confident finishing the tops I would suggest seeing a local painter who can 2-pac in a booth and they will be able to finish the tops to a fantastic standard.  Obviously this will cost a little more than diy.  If your friend is willing to consider products other than ply - a good budget product is post form tops.  These products have come a long way since the old fluorescent laminate tops - great colour ranges and very easy to maintain. 
Integrity Commercial Shopfitting | Domestic Joinery | Cabinet Making | Contract Shopfitting Services Brisbane | Shelving Products | Integrity Shopfitting

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## snowyskiesau

The kitchen is almost finished and currently has formply as a (temporary) benchtop. The black surface with the exposed ply edge does look good but as others have said. it does mark easily. Now that the plumber and electrician have finished, the cupboards will get fixed to the wall this week. The only major step then is benchtops (oh, and doors and drawer fronts but options are still open on that one) 
Current thinking for benchtops is thick ply (25mm at least) with a laminex/formica top. This will take care of the issue of having a soft timber surface but still leave an exposed timber edge.
Are there any issue with applying laminex/formice to ply? Will the exposed timber edge lead to chipping of the laminex/formica at the edge? The ply would be coated with some form of waterproofing first. 
Regards
Geoff

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## shauck

There is flooring ply, made of hoop pine, sold by Austral Plywoods Austral Plywoods - Manufacturers of Premium Grade Plywood in Australia 
If it's tough enough to walk on, surely it can take it as a benchtop, so long as you take care with use of it. There are probably other types of ply too that are equal or better.

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