The example above lays out the bench top, with all the exact measurements. It doesn’t have to be to scale, nor as neat as this example, however the accuracy of your measurements and the correct shape are crucial to successful ordering.

The above example shows the bench tops broken up into numbers, typically it is recommended to start from the Left hand side, break the bench top into ‘rectangles’ and work the numbering sequence around in a clockwise direction, as this will aid in avoiding mistakes and creating a logical sequence. Number the Tops as if you were standing in the Kitchen (refer to the three pictures of a person standing at the fron of the top and the coloration to the numbering system). Add in any ‘finishes’ to the very edges (left or right ends or sectors) of the bench top, below is a quick breakdown of what the options for the edges are:

Unfinished: = No Edge treatment required. This end will be square cut on the saw, leaving a straight cut with the substrate exposed. This end may be used for example where the bench abutts a Wall Oven or Pantry

Finish: Square Laminated Edge = A straight routered edge, finished off with a vertical (flat) strip of Laminate. An important note here is that you will need to EXTEND the bench top a minimum of 5mm past the Cabinet end, otherwise it is possible (e.g. when the walls are out-of-square ) that the bench top does not cover the cabinet underneath.

Finish: Bananna Edge 100mm = A curved routered edge, finished off with a vertical (flat) strip of laminate. The 100mm refers to the arch distance of the curve, from the centre of the width to the outer most curved edge. Typically used at the end of a Breakfast bar or on the end of an Island cabinet (where the Rear edge doesn’t butt a wall). An important note here is that you will need to EXTEND the bench top a minimum of 100mm past the Cabinet end, otherwise the curved corner will not cover the cabinet underneath.

Finish: Half Bananna Edge 50mm = A half curved routered edge, finished off with a vertical (flat) strip of laminate. The 50mm refers to the arch distance of the curve, from the front edge of the top to the outer most curved edge. Typically used on a 600mm wide bench top where the Rear Edge butts a wall. An important note here is that you will need to EXTEND the bench top a minimum of 50mm past the Cabinet end, otherwise the curved corner will not cover the cabinet underneath.

Finish: Rolled Edge = The Laminate will be Postformed (rolled) around this edge. Where the Edge and the Face (Leading) Edge of the laminate meet, this can’t be rolled, so the corner will be clipped (cut off) at 45 degrees and finished off with a vertical (flat) oval piece of Laminate. An important note here is that you will need to EXTEND the bench top a minimum of 50mm past the Cabinet end, otherwise the clipped corner will not cover the cabinet underneath.

Finally, you will need to draw in where the joins in the bench top are going to occur (note: Whenever the bench top changes direction, a joint is required). It is advisable to have the joints away from the Sink (wet area) as far as possible, but it’s not compulsory. In the example diagram, you will notice that the second joint (where the 600mm wide bench top meets the 900mm wide bench top), the joint runs the depth of the 600mm wide top –This is because the rear of the 900mm wide bench top is rolled and you wouldn’t want the join to run the length of the 900mm top, as it most likely won’t meet up to give nice finish on the rear roll, as always run the joint on the opposite side of a top that has a rolled (finished) rear edge. Note: that the maximum length that a single strip of bench top can be cannot exceed 3550mm without a Joint. If you have a specific design, or you are just not confident with ordering your bench top, you can e-mail the bench top lay-out to us and we can personalise a quote for you. Just remember, the neater the drawing and the accuracy of the measurements to the millimetre, the better chance it will fit your required space.

Name the specific Joint on either side of your joint location. This is important because one section is a ‘male’ joint and the other is a ‘female’ joint, so when they come together they interlock. We have simplified the Joint names to just ‘Join: A’ and ‘Join: B’. Use ‘Join: A’ ONLY for the very ends (left or Right hand side) of the bench top and use ‘Join: B’ ONLY for any joins that occur along the Front (Leading) edge. Look carefully at this diagram above to understand what is meant by this, as this is very important. Careful placement of these names on your drawing will ensure correct fitment! Remember too that because you will be ordering these tops as separate entities in the actual ordering process, we will be relying on you correctly placing the joints, as we will not have a plan –Please take your time with this. The process is easy and we have made it as simple as we can to aid in reducing possible mistakes and ensuring faster data entry. In doing so, we have also only provided a small range of the manufacturing possibilities for our laminated range of bench tops,

We understand that you may have a more complicated top that can not be specified and fed into our equipment using this system, so for these tops please e-mail or fax them to us and we can personalise a quotation for you. Please ensure that the plan you provide us is clear and contains all the relevant dimensions to facilitate in a faster and more accurate quote & turn-around time.

Now is the time to break up the bench top into more manageable pieces, getting ready for the actual ordering process. It is a good idea at this stage to just double check your diagram for correctness, as from now on you will be dealing with only pieces, rather than the bench top as a whole.

The above diagram only displays bench top number: 1, treat each bench top as a separate order line item.

Now go to the website, drill down to select the type of bench top that you require, choose the correct length & width ranges and when you get to the actual order page, you will be given 6 choices. Correspond the choices available with what you need to have done on your bench top. For example: in the above diagram, you would be selecting the product that has the bench top that has a ‘Finish:’ on the Left Sector and a ‘Join:’ on the Right sector, as this will correctly price the top for you.

Enter the values in the Length and Width boxes that correspond to the bench top that you are working on. The ‘Green shaded’ sections are simply there to remind you to look at the Left or Right side (here called Sector) of the bench top to see what (if any) Joining & Finishing details there may be. Use the drop down lists to select what you would like to happen to the Left Sector and then what you would like to happen to the Right Sector.

If you have selected ‘Join: B’ in either the Left or Right Sector, you will need to supply the Width of the ADJOINING bench top. This is needed because otherwise the software doesn’t know how far to route out the joint to accommodate the joining bench top. In this case the adjoining top is 600mm wide.

The above diagram has the details for ordering the centre bench top (bench top number: 2).

Above are the details for ordering bench top number: 3

That’s it, you’re done!

At first glance, ordering a simple ‘U’ shaped bench top looks a little daunting, but once you understand the methodology behind it, it’s really quite simple. If it all still seems too difficult or your required bench top doesn’t fit within the manufacturing options available, don’t forget that you can e-mail or fax your design to us for a personalised quote.

NOTE: To extend the maximum length of a benchtop from 2400 mm we need to Butt two or more lengths together. Please ensure you specify a Butt Join for each End.

CDAS
Last updated: 11 April, 2007