What's a cheap way to add counterspace

[Pandamonium]

Our kitchen has about 1.5'x2' of usable counterspace. The other 1.5'x2' is occupied by the dish drying rack. Right now, we have a 5' 2x10 sitting on top of 4 cinderblocks. (2 cinderblocks in each "leg".) It gives us some shelf space, but the area isn't deep enough to use for food prep. Our kitchen can comfortably take an 18" deep surface, and we've got more cinderblocks. What should we be looking for?

We checked out home depot/lowes, and apparently standard countertops are 25" deep, so we'd have to make a custom order. For custom orders, we're being quoted with $110. This seems like it's a bit steep, considering we're going to put it on top of cinderblocks and call it a day. What else can we do for a (up to) 18" deep food prep surface that's about 6' long?

Edit: Pics
We're pretty limited by needing it to be <= 20" from wall to edge because any more than that, and we're worried that we will have trouble using the oven. I've been using 18" since it's a nice round number.

 

[MovingTarget]

I'd say continue with what you are doing for now. Save up and just continue with cinderblocks and a flat surface for now.

 

[jagec]

Go dumpster diving. Get a desk. Use cinder blocks or milk crates to adjust the height.

 

[dartworth]

:camera:

 

[Leros]

get a $20 sheet of 4x8' plywood
have home depot cut it to size
put it on some cinderblocks

 

[BigJ]

Just get a large piece of plexiglass cut to size.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Leros
get a $20 sheet of 4x8' plywood
have home depot cut it to size
put it on some cinderblocks

Plywood and food prep? Not a good idea. Not to mention it's going to absolutely stink after awhile with all the foods soaking into it.

 

[SampSon]

Ditch the drying rack and dry your dishes by hand.

Or you could buy a standard sized piece of formica countertop and cut it to size for yourself. I did this with a piece of $40 countertop from home depot.
I'm not sure why you would not consider modifying a piece of countertop like this, it's really easy.

You could also buy a center island/chopping block type thing that's on wheels. Though that will be more expensive.

 

[MovingTarget]

Hmmm....plywood for the base. You can get some tile to cover over it for cheap. We did that once with some scrap marble tile we had left over from another project once. You only need the plywood to hold up whatever surface you actually put the food on.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: Leros
get a $20 sheet of 4x8' plywood
have home depot cut it to size
put it on some cinderblocks

Plywood and food prep? Not a good idea. Not to mention it's going to absolutely stink after awhile with all the foods soaking into it.

I'm sure there is some kind of laminate you can put on that.

 

[SampSon]

Originally posted by: Leros

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: Leros
get a $20 sheet of 4x8' plywood
have home depot cut it to size
put it on some cinderblocks

Plywood and food prep? Not a good idea. Not to mention it's going to absolutely stink after awhile with all the foods soaking into it.

I'm sure there is some kind of laminate you can put on that.

Yea there sure is, and it even comes premade, it's called formica countertop!

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: Leros

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: Leros
get a $20 sheet of 4x8' plywood
have home depot cut it to size
put it on some cinderblocks

Plywood and food prep? Not a good idea. Not to mention it's going to absolutely stink after awhile with all the foods soaking into it.

I'm sure there is some kind of laminate you can put on that.

Yea there sure is, and it even comes premade, it's called formica countertop!

 

[Flash1969]

Text

Not exactly the dimensions you're looking for but it is cheap.

 

[skyking]

If you can get a chunk of plywood to fit the space, you can use contact cement and atttach the formica to it.
if you are handy and have access to router, it is an easy job.

 

[CycloWizard]

Obviously you're not an engineering grad student or you'd have already formed a counter out of your old textbooks... Plywood+plastic sheet FTW.

 

[Pandamonium]

Damn. I looked at regular tables, but the 24" deep thing makes it kind of hard to work with. Here are some pictures of the existing counterspace, the existing "shelf", and the walking space between the oven and where a new "counter" would go. We figure that anything beyond 19" or so from the wall would make it difficult to use the oven.

The formica pricing for 18" wide instead of standard 24" wide is basically $100 for a 6ft long segment. (and I'm barely ordering more than the minimum square footage necessary to put in a custom sized order). Can I not just put formica on the cinderblocks directly? It seems like that would be the cheapest option.

 

[BigJ]

You have a double sink. Use one to wash dirty dishes and food disposal, use the other to dry.

 

[dbk]

Originally posted by: BigJ
You have a double sink. Use one to wash dirty dishes and food disposal, use the other to dry.

Yep..that's what we do.

 

[Pandamonium]

Even if I put the drying rack in the second sink, the space is pretty limited. I guess I just don't see the point of moving the drying rack into the sink to expose a countertop that's two sinks and a counter away from the stove. I'd like to be able to prep closer to the stove, so I figured a countertop solution would be optimal.

 

[SampSon]

Originally posted by: Pandamonium
Damn. I looked at regular tables, but the 24" deep thing makes it kind of hard to work with. Here are some pictures of the existing counterspace, the existing "shelf", and the walking space between the oven and where a new "counter" would go. We figure that anything beyond 19" or so from the wall would make it difficult to use the oven.

The formica pricing for 18" wide instead of standard 24" wide is basically $100 for a 6ft long segment. (and I'm barely ordering more than the minimum square footage necessary to put in a custom sized order). Can I not just put formica on the cinderblocks directly? It seems like that would be the cheapest option.

This is very simple. You go buy the cheap piece of precut formica from your local home depot or whatever store. Then you cut the countertop to the size that you want.

Quick search yielded this.

This idea really isn't too complicated. You're doing organic chem or something, but you seem to have an issue with very simple problem solving.

I have used the full size standard 24" formica countertops with the backsplash lip and I have also cut them down to fit a space better. I put the countertop directly on top of cinderblocks. A couple times I put a sheet or something between the blocks and the countertop so the blocks weren't viewable. You may need to use some sort of shim to make the countertop level, but usually it's fairly level without a shim (as long as you use that huge brain of yours to pick out the most similar and level blocks you have or can get).

If you actually order a custom made piece of formica countertop for $100 just to put on cinder blocks, you deserve to be slapped in the mouth and kicked out of school.

Now here is the important part you may not be able to figure out... you need a saw!

 

[thedarkwolf]

Do you already have an over the range microwave? I just installed one and it helps clear up a lot of room. If you are renting thats probably not an option unless you can get the landlord to foot the bill. Home Depot did just have a bunch for $99 though so you might be able to get him too. They were ugly but they were cheap.

 

[Pandamonium]

LOL Sampson. That's pretty much what we're trying to do. The only thing is, we don't want to buy a saw and we don't know where we can borrow one that can cut smoothly lengthwise.

darkwolf: this apartment isn't that fancy. We used to have radiators and window air conditioning units until about a month ago when they refitted the building with central heat/ac. In one of the pictures, you can see a piece of paper on the ground. It's covering one of the vent-holes left by the radiator removal people. Offhand, we're missing a hood, dishwasher, and garbage disposal. I'll be honest, I haven't tried asking; but there are other things more important to me, like 3-prong power outlets.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Pandamonium
LOL Sampson. That's pretty much what we're trying to do. The only thing is, we don't want to buy a saw and we don't know where we can borrow one that can cut smoothly lengthwise.

darkwolf: this apartment isn't that fancy. We used to have radiators and window air conditioning units until about a month ago when they refitted the building with central heat/ac. In one of the pictures, you can see a piece of paper on the ground. It's covering one of the vent-holes left by the radiator removal people. Offhand, we're missing a hood, dishwasher, and garbage disposal. I'll be honest, I haven't tried asking; but there are other things more important to me, like 3-prong power outlets.

You can rent saws at Home Depots that have a Tool Rental. The max it's going to be is $50 for an entire day, and I don't think it should run you more than $20 for an hour.

Just please don't be one of those jackasses that buys a tool from Home Depot, uses it, and then returns it. We wind up having to either destroy or attempt to get credit from the vendor as a result of this.

 

[Eeezee]

What's not cheap about cinder blocks? That's really the best way. If you want, buy some particle board, paint it, and attach it to the sides of the blocks so that it at least looks like you don't have cinder block furniture.

I had cinder block shelves forever when I was an undergrad. There's nothing wrong with it. Frankly, it's a badge of honor.

 

[Bryophyte]

Go dumpster diving for a big dresser (the kind that are two drawers wide and about waist high.) Ask around and you will find someone with one they want to get rid of if you can't find one. More drawers for storage and a top that's good for food prep.