Mason's Mitre Joint; How to join laminate worktops together

22nd August 2017

The best way to join laminate worktops together at right angles, 90°, or maybe between 89° to 91° angle if the walls are slightly out of square, is by using a mason’s mitre joint. This is created by using a powerful router with a half inch collet (which holds the cutter), at least 1800 Watts, and a worktop jointing jig. This shapes the two pieces of laminate to fit snugly together by mitreing the first 30mm to 35mm at 45° then shaping the rest of the joint so it is parallel to one of the walls. Most fitters cut a shallow pass in each piece to be joined, then most of the waste material is removed using a jigsaw. This means it is easier to cut the rest of the joint and results in less strain on the router and less wear on the router bit. Colorfill is a popular choice of worktop sealant as is Bushboard Complete. These are colour matched to the colour of the worktop. If Colorfill is not available for the worktop you are using then clear silicon is used to seal the top of the joint against moisture. The shaped male and female pieces of worktop are brought together using standard 150mm worktop jointing bolts or 150mm Zip bolts which are easier and quicker to use. Once the joint has been adjusted any excess sealant is removed using Colorfill solvent, or excess clear silicon is removed using white spirit.

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    Typical kitchen worktop layout using two mason's mitre joints.

See:- Worktop Jointing Strips.