How to Build a Counter Frame

Measure the cabinets from front to back and side to side. Record the measurements, including the thickness of the wood strips for the walls plus 1/2 inch for the overhang along each side. Double-check the measurements to ensure they're accurate, since you will construct the frame according to these.

Measure and mark a 3/4-inch sheet of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) or melamine sheet to the measurements for the top of the cabinet. Carefully cut the sheet along the lines using a jigsaw. This cutout will serve as the base of the frame.

Measure and mark 1-inch-by-3-inch poplar or pine strips for the walls of the frame to the noted measurements.

Cut along the marked lines on the strips using a handsaw. Ensure the strips for each side are identical if the countertop is square, or the two strips for the front and back are longer than the two side strips for a rectangular counter.

Set the base of the counter’s frame on a level table. Position each 1-inch-by-3-inch strip flush against its corresponding edge, in turn, and drive evenly spaced deck screws to assemble the frame. If you need to use more than one strip along a side, ensure the edge of one of the strips is flush against the edge of the adjacent strip. Continue the process of securing the strips until the frame is complete.

Insert a tube of silicone caulk into a caulk gun. Insert the tip of a nail through the end of the tube to break the seal.

Position the tip of the gun against an inner corner of the frame, and spread a 1/2-inch-thick bead of caulk along the inner edges and corners of the frame. This seals any gaps between the walls and the base and gives the finished concrete counter slightly finished edges.