Countertop template material and method of use
View Patent ↗A roll of template material has an elongate form between ends and with opposing parallel lateral edges defining a width thereof. Holes are optionally provided passing through the material from a top surface to a bottom surface. Template segments are formed by cutting the roll. Alternatively, the template material can be provided in linear segments. In a method of use, template segments are placed adjacent to edges of a cabinet top with the holes aligned with the cabinet top edge. The template segments are joined together or marked where they overlap to form a full template. The template segments can then be transported to a sheet location and reassembled upon a sheet for cutting thereof at outermost lateral edges of the full template, and to provide for cutting of the sheet into a countertop with an overhanging edge matching spacing between the holes and lateral edges of the template segments.
1 . A method for providing a template for use in forming a countertop for a cabinet top from a sheet of original countertop material, and with the countertop having an overhang extending beyond at least one edge of the cabinet top being covered by the countertop, the method including the steps of:
placing a first template segment over an edge of the cabinet top which is to have the countertop overhang the cabinet top;
said placing step including the template segment having two parallel lateral edges extending along opposing sides of a longest dimension of the template segment;
said placing step including the template segment having a plurality of holes passing through the template segment at similar spacings away from the lateral edges of the template segment, the holes spaced from at least one of the lateral edges by a distance about as much as an amount of overhang of the countertop beyond edges of the cabinet top;
repeating said placing step with a second template segment on a second edge of the cabinet top;
establishing relative position of the first template segment to the second template segment;
removing at least the first and second template segments from the cabinet top which is to have the countertop placed thereon;
positioning at least the first and second template segments onto a sheet of the countertop material;
cutting the sheet of countertop material along at least portions of the first and second template segments; and
affixing the countertop resulting from said cutting step upon the cabinet top, and in an arrangement matching an arrangement associated with the template segments of said placing step and said repeating step, and with the overhang of the countertop beyond the edge of the cabinet top being about the size of spacing of the holes of the template segment away from at least one of the lateral edges of the template segment which is to have the solid surface material placed around, being replicated by the solid surfacing material.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said placing step includes the holes passing through a midline between the lateral edges of the template segment.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the template segment is about 3.25 inches between lateral edges, and with the holes being about ¼ inch in diameter, with an about 1.5 inch spacing between the holes and each of the lateral edges.
4 . The method of claim 2 wherein said holes are located closer to one of the lateral edges of the templating material than to the other of the lateral edges of the templating material.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein said placing step includes the templating material having indicia visible thereon, identifying spacing between the holes and at least one of the lateral edges.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein said placing step is preceded by a step of cutting a length of templating material from a roll of templating material to form the template segment.
7 . The method of claim 6 wherein said cutting step includes the step of measuring an edge of a surface to be covered with solid surface material, and then cutting the templating material to have a length generally matching that of said measuring step, within about half a foot.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein said establishing relative position step includes attaching at least two individual template segments together where they come together at edges of the cabinet top to be covered by the countertop.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein said placing step includes looking through the holes in the template segment and moving the template segment until the edge of the cabinet top is visible through the hole.
10 . The method of claim 1 including the further step of temporarily securing the template segment to the cabinet top which is to have the countertop placed thereon.
11 . The method of claim 1 wherein said establishing relative step includes marking individual template segments where they come together with marking to allow for the template segments to be positioned upon a sheet of the countertop material during said positioning step at positions for the template segments matching about where the template segments were positioned during said placing step.