Fitting Custom Countertops

Project: Manhattan Remodel and Cape Cod Affordable, Episode 14, Part 4



Bob's in Mashpee, Massachusetts, where the four affordable homes are nearing completion. An 84 percent efficiency, sealed-combustion Burnham Spirit boiler will allow the homeowner to finish off the basement at a later date, since it can be enclosed without concern for combustion air. It is made of cast iron, has a 25 to 40 year life expectancy, and carries standard parts, so repairs will be simple and fast. The interior is painted by CertaPro painters using Sherwin Williams' Duration Home latex paint enhanced with acrylic polymers for durability and washability. Joann Borges shows Bob how spraying at a distance of 12 inches from the wall, covering ceilings, walls, trim, and doors, makes for speedy, even coverage throughout. Borges also shows the crew cutting into a wall with a 2 inch angled brush and rolling with an 18-inch roller for quick application. Sequoia Cabinetry's solid-wood, Maple cabinets with concealed hinges are installed in the kitchen. Kenneth Carmode of WW Wood and Jim Wagoner of Falmouth Lumber go through the installation process with Bob. John Spellman of Cape Cod Counter Works installs shop-made laminate counters, scribing and sanding the back to fit a bowed wall and accommodate the free-standing range.
Part 1: Efficient Burnham Boiler for Heat and Hot Water
Part 2: Discussing Interior Painting Techniques
Part 3: Installing Solid Maple Kitchen Cabinets
Part 4: Fitting Custom Countertops
John Spellman of Cape Cod Counter Works shows Bob the installation of the shop-made laminate counters in one of the Mashpee, Massachusetts, homes. They were fabricated in the shop and are now being fit to the cabinet frames and walls of the kitchen. Spellman finds that there is a bulge in the wall that keeps the counter about ? inch off the wall, preventing it from sliding into place and accommodating the range that will sit between the cabinets. Spellman scribes the counter with a pencil to show how much will need to be removed to fit it flush against the wall. He then uses a belt sander to grind away at the counter until he has almost reached his scribing line. He puts the counter back in place to check the fit. It is nearly flush to the wall and just proud of the opening for the range. He estimates another 1/16 inch will need to be shaved off the countertop to make a perfect fit.
This project deals with two very different notions of home. Bob begins on New York City's Upper West Side, where an 1890s Brownstone is revitalized through high-quality craftsmanship and sensitive design. New York's past meets its present, as the entire floor is recaptured and refurbished to create a spacious urban apartment on the doorstep of Central Park.

At the same time, Bob works with a Cape Cod developer to apply Massachusetts land use statute 40B to create affordable housing, and a neighborhood of homes in Mashpee, MA. These Energy Star certified homes show how quality building practices and reasonable asking prices can work together to provide livable, affordable homes and neighborhoods to those who work in our communities.

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