Jun 27 2009
Laminate a Countertop #3
Wipe the countertop clean and go over it with a tack cloth. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, apply contact cement to the entire counter surface and to the entire back of the laminate sheet; let the adhesive cure as directed. When the cement is dry, cover the entire countertop surface with brown paper or sheets of wax paper, laid back to front; make sure all the cemented surface is covered. The paper will not stick to the cemented surface.
Set the laminate sheet carefully into place on the countertop; make sure you don’t disarrange the paper. Align the laminate sheet exactly on the coun¬tertop, butted firmly against the wall be¬hind the counter, if any, and overhang¬ing the counter slightly on all open sides.
Keeping the laminate exactly in posi¬tion, carefully slide out the brown paper or wax paper strips along the counter, pressing the laminate to bond it in place as you go; be careful not to let air bub¬bles form between the laminate and the countertop. If the countertop is a long one, you’ll need an assistant to hold the laminate in place as you remove the paper.
To bond the sheet of laminate firmly and evenly in place, go over the entire counter surface with a roller or a rolling pin. Be sure to press out any air bub¬bles left between the laminate and the countertop.
To complete the countertop, carefully trim off the overhanging laminate edges with a router and an edge-trimming bit for plastic laminates; wear safety gog¬gles as you work. Use a fine-toothed flat file to trim tight spots. Trim the edge of the top laminate sheet exactly flush with the outside face of the edge strip. Fi¬nally, bevel the cut edge of the top sheet slightly with a fine-toothed flat file.
Remove excess cement from the completed counter with water or the cement solvent; use water or solvent sparingly so it doesn’t seep into the joints of the countertop. Scrape off large blobs of cement with a scrap of lami¬nate; do not use a metal scraper. Clean the countertop according to the man¬ufacturer’s instructions.