Kitchen Renovation with quartz countertops- Can we cut & install them ourselves?

[fitteachmama]

First post!:) My husband and I are in the middle of doing our diy kitchen renovation for our little mountain house. We are doing everything from floor install, drywall finishing, Ikea cabinet install etc. it has been fun but exhausting with two small kiddos!

 We would really like quartz countertops for the durability and look we plan to be in this home for a very long time but they are pricey especially with the amount we need. After shopping around I found a good price in budget for a slab and a half-the problem is the cut and install cost more then the slab by ALOT. Ive also looked into pre fab pieces, IKEA etc. and the pre fab is not deep enough to do an island so that is out, and IKEA Denver is still pricey per sq ft with install by double compared to buying the slabs outright from the wholesale place.

THis leads me to wonder if we can cut the slabs ourselves? We would have to create our own template/puzzle piece to know which counter sections we were getting out of each slab piece and join a few seams. We would also need to cut a hole for the sink and faucet as well as a cook top-we are keeping the edges simple and squared,  nothing fancy. I think even if we buy or rent (if we can) the tools and buy the diamond blades etc to cut, polish and grind the edges it would still be much cheaper. We could then bribe friends to help carry and set the pieces.  Does this seem crazy to try? It would allow us to get the material we want vs choosing differently. However, I also sometimes its better to pay for a professional or just pick something cheaper to fit a buget than mess something up and lose the cost of the materials.

Anyone ever done this on their own in a kitchen before? I also thought of trying to hire someone just to cut it but I havent found anyone or anywhere who just does that on prebought slabs? ANy ideas to save a few bucks??:)
Thanks!!

[radram]

Can you get a hold of a few scrap pieces you can play with? Most places might just have a piece or two just waiting to be thrown away. Practice the cutting to see if you can get a nice clean cut, and a nice line with 2 of your cuts.

If you can, then why not try?

Keep us posted.

[radram]

Another place to try: Your local high school. If they have a Tech Ed department, it could be a great experience for the students.

[Dicey]

Buy inexpensive Formica and upgrade later.

[Mgmny]

Buy inexpensive Formica and upgrade later.

Second. We installed formica and the couldn't be happier. Some neighborhoods will demand quartz or granite for resale, but if you aren't reselling, get formica with a cool edge profile - i think you'll be impressed, it's come a long way.

Their 180fx series is pretty impressive and is what we used 2 years ago. Here is their new 2019 styles: http://www.formica.com/en/us/landing-pages/campaign/2019/residential/living-impressions-2019

[ysette9]

That faux wood one on the landing page looks slick. I imagine there is still the heat issue with Formica though? After living with stone for years I am afraid I’d put a hot pan on the countertop without thinking and ruin it.

[Jon Bon]

Ok I am willing to DIY nearly anything, but I dont think this will work.

What are you planning on cutting this with? I dont know what professionally use to cut them, but it is almost always done in a factory and never on site for this reason.  One mistake and your sunk you either scrap the piece or live with the imperfection forever.

Feels a very risky way to save a buck.

[partgypsy]

I agree with Jon Bon. There is a reason people have this professionally done; the liability is on the installers if something goes wrong. Even thought I did a lot of DYI for the kitchen, when I was considering quartz, I would have had it professionally installed. I did have inexpensive granite cut and used for my counters. They are nice, but do not look as nice if they were professionally done (you can see the seams). Also if the granite broke I would have been out 100's, not thousands of dollars.

So, my suggestions are a) formica, b) save elsewhere and get the quartz professionally installed (it is super low maintenance and will last close to a lifetime; install a nice undermount sink while you are at it) or c) inexpensive granite, especially if you know a handyman who can cut and install for you. 
you will have to use an overmount sink for the formica and granite choices to hide the rough (non-polished) opening.

[Dicey]

I'm chiming back in again to say that we're in the middle of a major house flip. (Sorry, I know some of you know this, because it's taking for-freakin-ever.) DH is a painting contractor with a lot of building experience. That man can do anything. We will NOT be DIY-ing the countertops. Last night, we had a double birthday dinner with his brother, who is also building a new house for himself. The conversation turned to our next door neighbors, who just did a massive tear down and rebuild of their house. DH helped him a bit by painting their house gratis. DH was telling his brother that the neighbors chose quartz countertops, done by [XYZ Company] and what a terrible job the installers did, so even the pros don't always get it right.

Speaking of new Formica, have you seen the new style that looks like brushed aluminum? Sweet! Alas, DH says if I put it in a $1.1M flip house, it might not appraise, so I can't use it. Boo-hoo.

And Partgypsy is right. Formica and BB require a drop-in sink. If you do the now-and-later scenario, you might then want an undermount sink, and they aren't cheap. Do you have a drop-in sink you can use temporarily until you put in the quartz countertops?

Finally, quartz is very, very heavy, requires specialized blades to cut it perfectly, and special techniques to join the pieces. If you DIY Formica or Butcher Block, you have a reasonably good chance of success. Starting with quartz with no experience could be a recipe for an expensive disaster. If you ever watch a DIY show on HGTV, pay attention to the number of people it takes to install the countertops. And that's after they've been measured and fabricated elsewhere.

[dmmms]

We DIYd our countertops with Soapstone using a diamond blade saw. It's HIGHLY durable, seamed easily, and ours doesn't show any wear at all. It's so easy.; we love it! Depending where you live, it might be worth exploring.

https://www.soapstones.com/soapstone-countertops/ is who we used (NJ).

[Radagast]

Possible. I did something similar myself with free scrap granite, documented here https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/do-it-yourself-forum!/the-kitchen-thread/msg1928749/#msg1928749. It looks better and less cluttered in real life, but it is still a high end finish on a $250k house in a neighborhood of similarly DIY homes, not a finish for any but an idiosyncratic $1M house. Actually I really dug the look, it matched the house better than actual granite or quartz would have. All the tools you need are standard woodworking electric saws and drills which just need attachments similar to their woodworking counter parts but with diamond edges. Diamond router bits, hole saws, angle grinder pads, circular saw blades, and sand paper are all available. Those, a GFID outlet, a straight edge, and a garden hose.

I need to note though that you will not get a "machined" finish going the DIY route. Your edges will at best come out looking "off" unless you are extremely talented. You will need to plan to include deliberately crude edges in advance, and undermount sinks may be off the table. You also need a plan for joints, mine looked fine with epoxy grout but a solid color quartz would not. I adjusted the depths of mine by sliding them more or less under the backsplash piece and they extend various amounts over the edges of the cabinets along different edges, which again would not be appropriate in many or most cases. It will also take considerable time, unless you are pretty knowledgeable in advance.

[Mgmny]

That faux wood one on the landing page looks slick. I imagine there is still the heat issue with Formica though? After living with stone for years I am afraid I’d put a hot pan on the countertop without thinking and ruin it.

If you google it, SUPPOSEDLY formica holds up to heat better than quartz.I've never tested this though, and i find that suspect... https://www.curbly.com/13373-wait-what-three-kitchen-building-facts-that-might-blow-your-mind

[Mgmny]

And Partgypsy is right. Formica and BB require a drop-in sink. If you do the now-and-later scenario, you might then want an undermount sink, and they aren't cheap. Do you have a drop-in sink you can use temporarily until you put in the quartz countertops?

Not true!! You can absolutely do an undermount sink with Formica. There are loads of youtube videos on it. Definitely increases cost though. Our formica installer does them a lot, but i think he charged an extra $200-$300 for it, so we opted for drop in.

http://www.formica.com/en/us/advice-and-ideas/sink-options_undermount

[partgypsy]

I've never tested the formica countertop and heat but man, I inherited a formica table from the 50's and the top looks pristine despite eating on it for every meal for decades (including putting hot plates, coffee mugs), using as on the spot work horse, and various art projects. So I would say formica is on the durable side unless the 50's formica is somehow qualitatively better than the current stuff.

In contrast my granite countertops, while not stained, have areas that are already less shiny than other areas. It seems to require more upkeep to continue to look nice.   I am super-pro low-maintenance.

[lthenderson]

Does this seem crazy to try?

ANy ideas to save a few bucks??:)

I have done just about everything to do with DIY home projects but never installed a quartz countertop by myself where a seam was needed or a sink hole. Not only does it require specialty equipment to cut the outside dimensions and apply the appropriate edge contours, it requires more specialized equipment to cut sink openings with straight lines. I can't image what someone would use to do this at home.

But there is hope. If you want something durable, that you can set hot pans on and it is DIY friendly to install? Look into concrete countertops. There are lots of videos online showing how to make the forms, pour, grind and polish them in place on top of your installed cabinets. You can even add coloring, pieces of glass, etc. to get different looking effects. I have a friend who specializes in them and I have helped him pour several.

[Versatile]

My first instinct is to say heck no. One mistake and you have a very large, expensive cutting board.

With that said, yes you can cut quartz and polish it but you will have to buy diamond cutting tools and if you want a profile on the edge  a tool that can make that profile. Are you prepared to buy all of this tooling with a partial guarantee it will work out?

We have quartz in our kitchen and besides being extremely heavy ( I helped install it) I have found it to be somewhat brittle as we already have a couple of chips around the sink where I assume dishes have hit it. My point is if the shaping and cutting isn't done in a very controlled manner I could see creating chips everywhere.

Good luck though and let us know if it works out.

[Dicey]

My first instinct is to say heck no. One mistake and you have a very large, expensive cutting board.

With that said, yes you can cut quartz and polish it but you will have to buy diamond cutting tools and if you want a profile on the edge  a tool that can make that profile. Are you prepared to buy all of this tooling with a partial guarantee it will work out?

We have quartz in our kitchen and besides being extremely heavy ( I helped install it) I have found it to be somewhat brittle as we already have a couple of chips around the sink where I assume dishes have hit it. My point is if the shaping and cutting isn't done in a very controlled manner I could see creating chips everywhere.

Good luck though and let us know if it works out.

What? Your quartz has chipped? Really? I thought that stuff was supposed to be bulletproof.

[pbkmaine]

My first instinct is to say heck no. One mistake and you have a very large, expensive cutting board.

With that said, yes you can cut quartz and polish it but you will have to buy diamond cutting tools and if you want a profile on the edge  a tool that can make that profile. Are you prepared to buy all of this tooling with a partial guarantee it will work out?

We have quartz in our kitchen and besides being extremely heavy ( I helped install it) I have found it to be somewhat brittle as we already have a couple of chips around the sink where I assume dishes have hit it. My point is if the shaping and cutting isn't done in a very controlled manner I could see creating chips everywhere.

Good luck though and let us know if it works out.

What? Your quartz has chipped? Really? I thought that stuff was supposed to be bulletproof.

I looked at several different brands of quartz a few years ago, and it seemed to me that the ratio of stone to polymer varied from brand to brand. Perhaps more stone and less polymer can lead to chipping?

[Dicey]

My first instinct is to say heck no. One mistake and you have a very large, expensive cutting board.

With that said, yes you can cut quartz and polish it but you will have to buy diamond cutting tools and if you want a profile on the edge  a tool that can make that profile. Are you prepared to buy all of this tooling with a partial guarantee it will work out?

We have quartz in our kitchen and besides being extremely heavy ( I helped install it) I have found it to be somewhat brittle as we already have a couple of chips around the sink where I assume dishes have hit it. My point is if the shaping and cutting isn't done in a very controlled manner I could see creating chips everywhere.

Good luck though and let us know if it works out.

What? Your quartz has chipped? Really? I thought that stuff was supposed to be bulletproof.

I looked at several different brands of quartz a few years ago, and it seemed to me that the ratio of stone to polymer varied from brand to brand. Perhaps more stone and less polymer can lead to chipping?

Ugh. We're going to put it in the flip house because it's "in", but I kind of think its just this decade's fad. Corian, anyone?

[J Boogie]

I DIY'd my 3/4" quartz countertop install.

I started by buying 2 3' x 5' sheets on Craigslist that had finished edges. I think I paid $550.

I bought a ryobi wet circ saw w diamond blade for like $40 and a diamond blade for my jigsaw (~$10) for the corners. Also used a variable speed angle grinder with a diamond polishing kit. That'll run you about 150-200.

My cut edges were mostly hidden, and the one that wasn't received attention from my angle grinder and polishing kit.

Overall it went OK, doesn't look butchered - but again, I made sure my cut edges would be hidden.

I'd DIY again, but I probably wouldn't use quartz again. Mine is chipping too. At some point I might replace the countertop with richlite if the cost comes down a bit.

[Versatile]

My first instinct is to say heck no. One mistake and you have a very large, expensive cutting board.

With that said, yes you can cut quartz and polish it but you will have to buy diamond cutting tools and if you want a profile on the edge  a tool that can make that profile. Are you prepared to buy all of this tooling with a partial guarantee it will work out?

We have quartz in our kitchen and besides being extremely heavy ( I helped install it) I have found it to be somewhat brittle as we already have a couple of chips around the sink where I assume dishes have hit it. My point is if the shaping and cutting isn't done in a very controlled manner I could see creating chips everywhere.

Good luck though and let us know if it works out.

What? Your quartz has chipped? Really? I thought that stuff was supposed to be bulletproof.

Just in a couple of spots around the sink, which is a drop-in. I think some heavy pots were to blame. Mind you, they aren't large chips but I notice them. They are right at the edges.

[Dicey]

My first instinct is to say heck no. One mistake and you have a very large, expensive cutting board.

With that said, yes you can cut quartz and polish it but you will have to buy diamond cutting tools and if you want a profile on the edge  a tool that can make that profile. Are you prepared to buy all of this tooling with a partial guarantee it will work out?

We have quartz in our kitchen and besides being extremely heavy ( I helped install it) I have found it to be somewhat brittle as we already have a couple of chips around the sink where I assume dishes have hit it. My point is if the shaping and cutting isn't done in a very controlled manner I could see creating chips everywhere.

Good luck though and let us know if it works out.

What? Your quartz has chipped? Really? I thought that stuff was supposed to be bulletproof.

Just in a couple of spots around the sink, which is a drop-in. I think some heavy pots were to blame. Mind you, they aren't large chips but I notice them. They are right at the edges.

Ugh! How frustrating. Do you think they could be smoothed?

[J Boogie]

My first instinct is to say heck no. One mistake and you have a very large, expensive cutting board.

With that said, yes you can cut quartz and polish it but you will have to buy diamond cutting tools and if you want a profile on the edge  a tool that can make that profile. Are you prepared to buy all of this tooling with a partial guarantee it will work out?

We have quartz in our kitchen and besides being extremely heavy ( I helped install it) I have found it to be somewhat brittle as we already have a couple of chips around the sink where I assume dishes have hit it. My point is if the shaping and cutting isn't done in a very controlled manner I could see creating chips everywhere.

Good luck though and let us know if it works out.

What? Your quartz has chipped? Really? I thought that stuff was supposed to be bulletproof.

Just in a couple of spots around the sink, which is a drop-in. I think some heavy pots were to blame. Mind you, they aren't large chips but I notice them. They are right at the edges.

Ugh! How frustrating. Do you think they could be smoothed?

You can smooth them with some grinding/polishing gear, but you'll have to accept whatever smushed roundover you end up having to give the entire edge, and then that counter edge won't match the others, and you'll make a big mess even with a decent dust shroud and vac setup.

So yeah, but you're probably better off just accepting the chipped edges on an otherwise clean edge profile rather than smushing the profile and making the whole thing "organic and free flowing"

[Versatile]

My first instinct is to say heck no. One mistake and you have a very large, expensive cutting board.

With that said, yes you can cut quartz and polish it but you will have to buy diamond cutting tools and if you want a profile on the edge  a tool that can make that profile. Are you prepared to buy all of this tooling with a partial guarantee it will work out?

We have quartz in our kitchen and besides being extremely heavy ( I helped install it) I have found it to be somewhat brittle as we already have a couple of chips around the sink where I assume dishes have hit it. My point is if the shaping and cutting isn't done in a very controlled manner I could see creating chips everywhere.

Good luck though and let us know if it works out.

What? Your quartz has chipped? Really? I thought that stuff was supposed to be bulletproof.

Just in a couple of spots around the sink, which is a drop-in. I think some heavy pots were to blame. Mind you, they aren't large chips but I notice them. They are right at the edges.

Ugh! How frustrating. Do you think they could be smoothed?

You can smooth them with some grinding/polishing gear, but you'll have to accept whatever smushed roundover you end up having to give the entire edge, and then that counter edge won't match the others, and you'll make a big mess even with a decent dust shroud and vac setup.

So yeah, but you're probably better off just accepting the chipped edges on an otherwise clean edge profile rather than smushing the profile and making the whole thing "organic and free flowing"

That's my plan. I did misspeak earlier though; my sink is an under mount that is glued underneath. That's why the edge is exposed. Just had a brain fart I guess.

To smooth out this chip would require a lot of work with an uncertain outcome. I'll just live with it. :)