Installing laminate countertops requires only a few basic tools including a drill for the screws used to fasten the countertop from the underside, a 11mm wrench for tightening the miter bolts if you have a layout with a corner, a drill and jig saw with a new fine-finish blade for sink holes and cutouts, and ideally a belt sander or planer for shaping the back of the countertop to fit tight to the wall.
You will also need a good quality water-resistant wood glue, Canadian nickels (for the Swift-exclusive miter alignment grooves), and wood screws long enough to fasten into the wood countertop through your cabinet rails/brackets.

Our miter joins are cut at 90-degrees on a laser-aligned countertop saw, and come with Swift’s exclusive alignment grooves to simplify the assembly process. Begin by coating both sides of the miter with a good quality water-resistant glue. Then insert nickels (Canadian $0.05 coins) into the alignment grooves on one side of the join and push the two sides of the join together. While the glue is still wet, make sure the countertop is well aligned at the front corner and that the two countertop decks meet at a clean and level join. Once you are satisfied with the join and position, miter bolts (supplied with your countertop) are used on the underside to tighten the join and hold it together firmly. Once the bolts are tight, recheck the top alignment and make any adjustments required while the glue is still wet. Allow some time for the glue to set up and the join to stabilize before proceeding to fasten down the countertop.

Chips on laminate tops can be successfully and permanently repaired using products that have been engineered specifically for this purpose. SeamFil is one such product that has been successfully used for many years in the laminate countertop industry. Laminate repair products typically come in a number of different colours, and can often be blended to match the specific colour of your countertop. Repairs made using laminate repair products like SeamFil will cure to a non-porous surface that is at least as durable as the original laminate surface, making a permanent repair for any chips or scratches that appear on your laminate countertop.

Countertops should be installed with proper clearance for cabinet doors and drawers, which is dictated by the configuration of the cabinetry or area the tops are being installed into. Countertops can be installed “without buildup” for configurations where the doors and drawers are ¾” or more down from the surface on which the countertop will be sitting, so that the face edge of the countertop lips over the top of the face of the installed area. Countertops should be installed “with buildup” for applications where the doors and drawers are flush or near flush to the surface on which the countertop will be sitting, so that the countertop sits entirely on top of the face of the installed area.

Please add “buildup” to your order if you wish for your countertops to be completed “with buildup”.

Swift Countertops, based in Calgary Alberta, offers full service laminate and wood butcher block tops. We are positioned to serve Western Canada through home centers and online orders both on a rapid-ship basis from our designer-curated selection and with competitive lead-times for the full range of color and profile options.

Properly measuring your countertop for a good final fit is as simple as taking full length measurements of the countertops at the back walls, including to the outside of any bar tops to be used (overall dimension). First, check which of the depth options will best suit your particular application: standard vanity 22.5” deep, standard kitchen 25.5” deep, standard bar for no additional overhang 26 ¾ deep, snack/beverage overhang bar 32” deep, or seated dining bar 36” deep. Bar tops and tops without integrated backsplash can also be cut to depth using a circular saw (cut the top upside down using a finish blade) or jig saw (using a new finish blade). Once you have determined the depths of your pieces and determined where your countertops will sit, measure the total length of each section of countertop along the back wall where the top meets the wall, to the nearest 1/16”. Bar tops and islands should be measured to the end of the countertop. Don’t forget to include length for overhangs or other details. Make sure to plan out which ends of the countertop need to be finished, and if those finished ends are full height finished ends (open end) or appliance caps (against a stove or fridge).

Laminate countertops can be successfully installed in both residential and commercial settings. Today’s laminate countertops are no longer “delicate” – in fact, laminate is as scratch resistant as many granite and quartz countertops. When properly installed, laminate tops provide a durable, non-porous, and easy to maintain surface that works well in any area that requires a countertop or working surface including kitchens, bathrooms, laundry counters, working desks, tables, meeting spaces, collaborative working tables, bars, eating counters, and workbenches among many other applications.

The Swift Countertops process has been specifically designed and is carefully overseen to ensure delivery of both excellent value and a high quality standard for our customers. All our countertops are prepared and finished in a shop overseen by master cabinet makers, with over 100 years of combined experience. This high level of experience, and the resulting focus on quality, is paired with a series of processes designed to reduce waste and minimize our physical and ecological footprint, with the resulting savings passed on to our customers. Swift’s unique combination of a highly skilled and experienced team with an intense focus on minimizing our waste and footprint allows you to simultaneously enjoy both lower prices and a superior product.

Swift Canadian Countertops provides an industry-leading turnaround time through our exclusive designer-curated Express program. This program includes four colour options specifically selected to match up to a broad range of interior colour pallets, available in a contemporary edge and five depth options now. These can be purchased through our online store and be available for pickup/shipping in as little as 2 business days. We also offer the full range of laminate colour selections from Belanger laminates in 5 face edge profiles for customers who have a little more time and are seeking a particular look for their project.

Postformed laminate countertops are always made in straight blanks with one profiled edge (or two parallel profiled edges for bar tops). In order to make an L or U shaped layout, miter joins are cut into the straight blanks to be joined together on site. An L shaped layout will require both a left miter and right miter piece, which will make the L when joined at the one corner. A U shaped layout requires a left miter and right miter and also requires a double miter to form the center section of the U with a miter join on both sides.

In the case of bar tops, the miter join is completed at 45-degrees with the depth aligned to the shallower of the two pieces, ensuring the front edges meet at a common angle for better and cleaner fit and alignment.