Kitchen Laminate Countertops:.. provide a durable surface in kitchens and give you the opportunity to bring color and patterns into the kitchen. When selecting a material, consider whether it must stand up to water, knives, heat, or dirt and balance these needs with your aesthetic wishes. Almost all kitchen laminate countertops come in a myriad of colors and patterns, which you can often combine to create a custom design.
Plastic laminate comes in 4x8 foot sheets that you can glue to substrate to make your own countertops.
Form a substrate using two pieces of 3/4-inch plywood cut to size. (Make the substrate 3/4-inch wider than the cabinet to allow overhang.) Glue and screw one sheet on top of the other to form a 1 1/2 inch thick surface. (pre-drill before screwing, and countersink screws.) Add a
1x2 edge, using glue and 6d finishing nails; countersink nails. Clamp tight and let dry overnight.
Using a table saw, cut laminate face up. Begin with countertop edges, cutting laminate strips 1/2 inch wider than the substrate edge to allow a margin of error. Brush water-base contact cement on both the substrate edges and the backs of the laminate strips, working with one strip at a time.
When cement appears cloudy and is dry to the touch, visually align a laminate strip along an edge and press it into place, If the strip is very long, you may need a helper. Once the glued surfaces touch, it is impossible to lift the laminate to reposition it, so align carefully.
Use a laminate roller, available at hardware stores, to compress the strip uniformly to the wood edge.
After all laminate edges are in place, use a router to trim the laminate to about 1/16 inch above the top of the countertop substrate surface.
Use a belt sander outfitted with 100-grit sandpaper to bring the edge flush to the countertop
Cut the laminate top piece 1 inch longer and wider than the substrate. Apply contact cement to the top of the substrate and the bottom of the laminate. Once cement appears cloudy and is dry to the touch, lay venetian blind slats or thin pieces of wood side by side across substrate. Have someone assist you in aligning the laminate atop the substrate using the blind slats as a temporary barrier between the two glue-covered surfaces.
Once the laminate is properly aligned with the substrate, start at one end, lift a corner of the laminate, and remove three or four
slats. Lay the laminate down so the glued surfaces in that corner come into contact. Continue working in the same direction, removing several slats at a time and pressing the countertop into place as you go.
Run the laminate roller over the entire laminate top. To create a bevel where the laminate top meets the laminate edges, use a router with a tapered bit equipped with a roller bearing bottom.
When finished, attach countertop to cabinets using 1 1/2-inch No.8 screws.
Now you have given your old kitchen a brand new look with custom made kitchen laminate countertops.
