How to install kitchen skirting on the countertop?

Kitchen skirting on the table top is a rather small detail, but it plays an important role in the overall interior of the kitchen. It is from this edging that the perception of the appearance and the duration of the service of kitchen furniture depend.

Functions

The purpose of the plinth is not only to close the unaesthetic appearance of the gap formed between the table top and the wall. His role is much more important.

So, installing a skirting board on the kitchen countertop:

• Helps prevent the ingress of domestic garbage, food and small items in the slit, and as a result, the appearance of unpleasant odors and cockroaches;

• Protects kitchen furniture from the formation of mold, swelling and deterioration due to moisture, prolonging its life and maintaining an attractive appearance;

• Helps hide the unevenness of the walls and other flaws, which do not allow you to put the table close to the wall.

Baguette selection

If you order a ready-made project, the kitchen plinth on the table top always comes complete. In the case of individual kitchen assembly, you can choose the baguette yourself.

The main parameter, which is guided by the choice of plinth, is the material. Here it is important to consider that the baguette must necessarily be in harmony with the material of the countertop.

For example, for a table top made of wood it is necessary to select a wooden plinth or a laminated chipboard.

Edging made of metal-plastic or artificial stone is most suitable for granite covering.

Aluminum skirting boards perfectly match with steel surfaces.

If the table top is made of plastic, chipboard or MDF, the optimal choice is plastic baguette.

Today, the most popular products are plastic and aluminum.

Plastic skirting board

It is made of PVC by coextrusion. When manufacturing in the melted plastic pigments that determine the color of the future product are introduced. The result is a product of natural color.

With the help of lamination, the plinth can be given the appearance of natural wood, stone or metal, which allows it to be used in combination with any desktop surfaces.

The advantage of the product is that the plinth kitchen plastic for countertops is not afraid of moisture, easy to install, has a wide range of colors and a long service life. The material easily bends, so it is ideal if the table is adjacent to an uneven wall. In addition, the price of a plastic product is quite democratic.

Aluminum skirting board

The aluminum baguette is superior to the plastic model in that it is more heat-resistant. Therefore, it is often installed in the area of plates and cooking surfaces. In addition, the kitchen plinth aluminum for the table top is easy to clean from contamination, is not afraid of aggressive detergents, and its price is slightly higher than the plastic counterpart.

The versatility of silvery hue allows it to successfully combine with most modern kitchens, but most of all it is suitable for a countertop in stainless steel or other similar material.

The only thing that can not boast of a baguette of aluminum, so this is a great variety.

Shape and size

Before you buy a plinth, you need to determine its shape and size. The choice depends on the size of the gap - the wider it is, the more spacious the hardware should be.

The plinth is triangular, rectangular, flat, rounded and shaped. The choice of this or that configuration depends on the design of the kitchen furniture and the personal preferences of the buyer, but still most of them stop on products of a triangular shape.

The main thing in choosing is to choose the right size. Kitchen plinth for countertops sizes can have different. It can be made both in the form of a narrow strip 5 mm wide, and also have a voluminous wide shape up to 50 mm in size. The length of the product, as a rule, varies from 3 to 4 meters. The choice of size depends on parameters such as the size of the slit, the thickness of the countertop, the design of the furniture, etc. So if the gap between the wall and the tabletop is small, you can use narrow rectangular skirts similar to those that are placed on the floor.

Equipment

Since the kitchen skirting on the table top is not an integral product, before you start installing it, you need to make sure you have a complete set that must consist of three elements:

1. The basic part. It is a profile rail with special latches.

2. The outer part (decorative profile).

3. Corners and plugs. Perform the function of decorative connectors and are installed in the corners and at the end of the baguette. Corners are internal and external.

Ways of installation

Before deciding how to install a skirting board on the kitchen countertop, you need to know that there are 2 ways of mounting: on the glue (you can use silicone or liquid nails) and with self-tapping screws.

Installation on the adhesive is more easy and simple, but it has some drawbacks. The drawback of the method is that the plinth is attached tightly. Therefore, if in the future you want to remove it, then the slats are likely to break when you dismantle, and on the attachment site there will be traces that will not be easy to remove. In addition, when installing in this way there will be no niche, which allows you to hide electrical wires, because the plinth will fit snugly against the wall.

As a rule, the adhesive method of installation is used for plastic, ceramic and stone products.

It is better to install the self-tapping screws in case of the need for quick and careful disassembly of the baguette.

Installation on glue

Installation skirting to the table top is as follows:

• The surface on which the baguette will be fastened is thoroughly cleaned and degreased with an alcohol-containing agent.

• On those parts of the bar, which will be in contact with the wall and countertop, a layer of glue-sealant is applied.

• Next, apply the bar to the wall and countertop, carefully pressing and enduring the time according to the instructions for the glue.

• Install the corner element.

• We cut off the decorative bar, taking into account the fact that it should enter the corner a little.

• We set the edge of the panel under the corner insert and snap into the grooves along the entire length of the guide.

• After installation of a decorative overlay we establish end caps, inserting them in the mechanism.

Self-tapping

In this case, the installation process involves the use of a screwdriver. Most often, skirting boards are fastened to the table top, because if it is fixed to an apron, it can be deformed with the slightest displacement of the table.

To avoid the difficulties associated with the installation, you must perform the work in the following order:

• The first thing to do is to measure the countertop and cut a piece of baguette of the appropriate length, using a hacksaw with small teeth. Trim the edges with an abrasive.

• The place where the plinth will be located, for better sealing and preventing the ingress of moisture, we process silicone.

• We attach the base part (profile) to the installation site.

• Using a screwdriver, screw the screws into the bar and table top at a distance of about 30 cm.

• We install the faceplate, inserting its base groove before the click.

• The corners are closed with corner pads, and end caps are attached to the edges of the baguette.

• Places of joints of connecting elements are processed with silicone sealant.

Fashionable solution

As an interesting and additional option you can install LED lighting. For this, a plinth of translucent plastic or polyurethane with a special groove is used, into which the LED strip is placed.

Such an idea will help radically transform your kitchen, give it a touch of modernity and romance. In addition, with the help of lighting, you can do without switching on top lighting at night, so as not to wake someone out of the household.

Conclusion

Kitchen skirting on the countertop is a small, but extremely necessary detail, without which the interior will not have a complete look, and kitchen furniture will be regularly exposed to destructive effects.

A great place where you can buy a kitchen skirting on the countertop - "Leroy Merlin". In this construction hypermarket you will find a huge range of finishing materials, so you can easily select the desired option.

Almost any person can install the skirting board. Even with minimal experience, installation will take very little time. But in order to avoid common mistakes, it is better to look at the auxiliary video.