How to Resurface a Kitchen Countertop
There are different ways to resurface a kitchen countertop---tiling, wood, even cement---but one of the easier and most efficient ways is to put dpwn a layer of new laminate. Laminate is hard, waterproof plastic that comes in sheets and can be installed directly over most flat surfaces (including old existing laminate), as long as the surface is properly prepared. The laminate is installed using contact cement, which is a kind of glue that is designed to bond with itself after it's dry to the touch. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Hand power sander
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Sheets of laminate
- Jigsaw
- Contact cement with brush
- J-roller for laminate
- Hand-held power router set up with laminate bit
- Six or eight 1-inch dowel rods at 3 feet each
Instructions
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1
Use your power sander to buff the entire surface of the countertop, taking off all grime and shine. Thoroughly clean up the dust.
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2
Measure each area of the countertop to be laminated. Mark out each measurement on a sheet of plastic laminate, but make each marked area a little bigger all around (by about an inch), so it will overhang when it's installed on the countertop.
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3
Use your jigsaw to cut out your marked pieces of laminate.
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4
Lay the cut laminate pieces on a covered work surface, face down. Use your brush to spread contact cement over the backs of the pieces. Completely coat them.
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5
Coat the countertop surface and front edge with contact cement. Let the contact cement on the laminate and on the countertop dry to the touch according to the instructions on the packaging. (Generally, this takes about 20 minutes.) Don't allow any cemented surface to touch any other cemented surface, as the cement will bond instantly.
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Hold the strip of laminate for the front edge of the countertop up in front of the area where it's going to be installed. Position it correctly before allowing any part of the cemented surfaces to make contact. Press the laminate strip against the countertop all at once. It should overhang by about an inch on all sides.
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Roll over the strip of laminate with your j-roller. Use your router and laminate routing bit to trim off the overhanging edges of the laminate along the edges of the countertop.
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8
Lay your dowel rods over the surface of the countertop, extending front to back, with one rod sitting every foot or so. Set your large top piece of laminate over the dowel rods, so the rods prevent the piece from making contact with the countertop.
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Position the top piece correctly, then slide the rods out one by one, starting in the center. Press your j-roller along the surface as you pull out the rods, affixing the laminate to the countertop. Once all the rods are out, use your router to trim off the excess laminate along the edges of the countertop.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear protective eye covering when cutting your laminate, as slivers of it can fly off.
