Kitchen Installations

Softer and highly-polishable, soapstone can be an excellent choice for a stone counterby Michael Pekovich

Stone countertops too chilly for you? Radiant-heat mats built beneath them can fight off the cold.by Kurt Lavenson

Even stone is susceptible to scratches, staining, chipping, and heat damageby Jennifer Stimpson

Once the pour cures, a surgical hand protects the unfinished surfaceby Jeremy French, Matt Kabat

When a family likes to prepare meals together, happiness is having the space to work without getting in one another's wayby David Edrington

by Fu-Tung Cheng

The perfect marriage of cost, aesthetics and performance is what suits your lifestyle and budget bestby Scott Gibson

by Duane M. Dionne

A belt sander will be your best friend when fitting factory-made laminate countertops to wavy wallsby Steve Morris

With store-bought moldings and a router, you can give laminate counters the monolithic look of solid-surface materialby Herrick Kimball

by Steven Morris

An experienced fabricator explains the process from the templating to the final setting of the slabsby Joe Ranzoni

by Johannes Boonstra

From cutting a hole in the counter to attaching the faucets and drain, a master plumber shows the wayby Peter Hemp

Solid, durable and attractive, an uncommon countertop can be cast from common materialsby Thomas Hughes

by Herrick Kimball

Synthetic materials can be worked like wood and polished like stoneby Sven Hanson

by Terence Walker

Cutting shears and spray adhesive are among the tricks that make the job easierby Herrick Kimball