Miter cuts for inside corners are extremely difficult and best handled by a professional. Your dealer should also be able to predrill the fastening-bolt slots underneath. Ask your countertop supplier if they have specific measuring instructions for your particular design. Then sketch your kitchen, including the following dimensions:. Also note the locations of your sink, stove and refrigerator and include measurements of any necessary cut-outs for quick reference later on. For detailed countertop removal instructions, check out our related post: How to Remove Countertops.
If you need to make adjustments to your preformed laminate, grab the sketch with all your measurements and take the following steps for cutting Formica countertops.
Set the countertops in place and test the fit. If you notice a gap along the wall, use a compass to measure the width and scribe a line along the back edge. Remove the new countertop and use a belt sander to sand the edge of the countertop for the best fit. Check to make sure the cabinet drawers will clear the edge of your new laminate countertop.
If not, measure the additional clearance needed. Next, cut buildup strips to install at each corner underneath the counter.
Screw down the buildup strips and predrill holes to easily attach the countertop later. To secure the countertop to the cabinets, position the countertop pieces on the cabinets. Apply a bead of caulk or construction adhesive along the top edge of the cabinets that support the countertop. Lower the countertop pieces into place or remove the shims holding them up. Use a power drill to attach the buildup strips to the new laminate. Double-check the thickness of the countertop and buildup strips to determine the correct nail length to use.
Install the miter bolts and tighten. If necessary, use a mallet and a scrap piece of wood to tap the seam until even. Once everything is attached, use adhesive to attach return splashes where the counter meets the walls and end trim to cover exposed edges. If necessary, file any rough edges. To seal the joint between the countertops and walls or your backsplash, use a caulk gun and a matching caulk to make an even line.
Now you can bring in your refrigerator, stove and other countertop appliances. And voila — your kitchen countertop installation is complete! Selecting a new material is often the most difficult aspect of replacing countertops.
To use snips, hold the sheet in your nondominant hand and cut straight through your line. Apply contact cement on the back of your laminate and let it dry for 20 minutes.
Put on some gloves and flip your laminate over. Drop a big dollop of contact cement in the center of your laminate with a mixing stick or spoon. Use a roller with a thin nap to spread it out across every surface of your laminate. Cover the top of your countertop with contact cement and let it dry for 20 minutes. Use the same brand of contact cement that you used with your laminate sheet. Spread your contact cement across every section of the top of your countertop with the same roller.
Place wooden dowels perpendicular to the length of your countertop. Contact cement bonds instantly to itself, so you need to use dowels to complete this process carefully. Set wooden dowels on top of your countertop so that there are 6—8 inches 15—20 cm between them. They should lay on top of your counter to form a degree angle with the long sides.
Arrange each dowel so that is parallel with the dowel on either side of it. Flip your laminate over so that the side covered in contact cement is facing the top of the countertop that is also covered in contact cement. Contact cement will bind them instantly together if you do. Slide the middle dowel out once your laminate is lined up.
Pull the edge out toward you, keeping it parallel to the countertop and laminate as you pull. Slide it all the way out and then set it aside. Press down firmly with your palms to set the laminate in place.
Press straight down and then slide your palms across the middle section of the laminate to join it. Be careful to not slide any other dowels around as you do this. Depending on how long the dry time is, you might want to use some type of clamps or some type of heavy weight objects to hold it down in its proper position. Remove an adjacent dowel, pushing down as you move along the surface. With your dominant hand still pressed against the middle section of laminate, slide out an adjacent dowel with your nondominant hand.
Run your palm up and down the section to affix it to the countertop. Finish one end of the laminate before removing dowels from the opposite side.
Repeat this process by removing the dowel next to the one you just removed. Trim the excess edges with a plunge router. Put a bolt on your router that is designed for cutting laminate by unscrewing the opening in the center and sliding it in before locking it. Set the plunge router so that the bolt sits 0. Place a flat edge parallel to the countertop to guide your cut. Turn the router on and slide it along your straight edge to remove excess portions of laminate.
Run a file along the edges at a degree angle to smooth them out. Once you have trimmed each side, use a file to remove the remaining smaller sections of laminate. Hold your file against the laminate at a degree angle and brace the laminate by pressing down with your nondominant hand. Run the file back and forth over a section until the laminate is flush with your wood. Apply construction adhesive to the sections where the countertop meets the cabinets.
Take your countertop and flip it over so that the underside is exposed. Cover each section completely. Work in a well-ventilated area; construction adhesive can be quite pungent. Liquid Nails is a popular, inexpensive brand of construction adhesive. Squeeze silicone caulk along the edges where the countertop meets the wall. Use a caulk gun and clear silicone caulk to cover the edges that will rest against the wall.
Run a line of caulk against each section, squeezing the gun slowly as you go to release the caulk. Slide the countertops as needed to fit them perfectly on your cabinets. Look underneath your counter to see if you successfully lined it up with the tops of your cabinets. Hammer a block of wood along sections where the cabinets meet the countertop. Take a thick block of wood and place it on top of a section where your cabinet meets the countertop. Hold it along the side with your nondominant hand and hammer it down.
This will press out any air pockets and affix your countertop tightly along the cabinet edge. Repeat this process for each area where your cabinet meets the counter. For laminate countertops that will be installed near water, it is often a good idea to seal the bottom with two coats of primer.
This protects the moisture-sensitive particle board against water. Lay the laminate sheet with the top side facing down. Lay the particle board upward. With the chip brush, coat the laminate sheet and the particle board. Lay the wood dowels on the substrate, perpendicular to the long side. Space the dowels evenly. With an assistant, rest the laminate sheet on top of the dowels, being careful not to touch the two coated pieces yet.
The laminate should overhang on all sides by about an inch. Starting at the center, remove a couple of the dowels and let the two surfaces touch. They will immediately stick together. Work outwards on both sides, pressing the laminate firmly to the substrate with the J-roller.
Have the assistant remove dowels as you work. With the metal file at a degree angle, create a bevel on the top piece of laminate. Push downward, not in both directions. Cut a piece of particle board to by-5 inches. Cut the laminate: one piece at by-7 inches front , one piece at by-2 inches top , and two pieces at 5-by-2 inches sides.
Make the backsplash as you did with the countertop. Add the side pieces first, then cut off the excess with the router. Next, add the front of the backsplash. Use dowels, just like you did with the top of the counter. Cut off excess. Screw the backsplash to the back of the counter using six screws. Be sure to create pilot holes before driving the screws. Some types of laminate countertop work can be difficult, such as bending around corners, matching two pieces of laminate side-to-side, or making cut-outs for sinks.
Using a router can be difficult, too. You may want to call a professional countertop fabricator for specialized work, or for work that you feel is beyond your skill set. Lee is a home improvement writer and content creator. As a professional home expert and an avid do-it-yourselfer, he has decades of experience at fixing up and writing about houses. Lexie is an assistant editor who is responsible for writing and editing articles over a wide variety of home-related topics.
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