Makeover your kitchen benchtop with this simple step-by-step approach.

Plastic laminate provides a serviceable and attractive finish for kitchen and vanity bench tops. It excels where moisture is present.

However, over time, the surface may become damaged by normal wear and tear or scratched by the use of over-harsh powder cleaners. Also the pattern and colour may become dated.

Why not replace the tops and edging? You can do this by simply gluing new laminate on top of the old.

You'll need
Laminate cutter
Sharp plane
Straight edge
Large flat file (unless you can hire a laminate trimmer)
Some wooden dowels or slats for separators
Tape and pencil
Square

Here's how

Preparation
Make an accurate plan of the tops and edges so your supplier can help you work out how much laminate and glue you need (keep the figuring so you can cut the sheets correctly).

Tip: When you make your selection, remember that what looks good in a small sample often looks terrible en masse. Be smart and try to see your choice in someone else's house first.

The adhesive normally used is a rubber-based contact glue. For a good job, the existing tops must be solidly bonded and all lifting edges must be reglued.
Heavily sand all surfaces.

Edge stripping
Step 1
Carefully (it is easily cracked) lay the sheet, pattern up, on a table and, using a soft pencil, mark out the required width (make it 1.5mm wider). Make sure you cut the edge strips from the area designated for them.

Step 2
Lay the straight edge along the line and score heavily with the laminate cutter until much of the brown undersurface shows through.

Step 3
Hold the straight edge hard down on top of the laminate directly alongside the cut and, working from one end, carefully lift the edge until the strip cracks off.

Repeat until you have all the edge strips.

Step 4
Now cut the strips to length making them 1.5mm longer than the finished length. Apply contact glue to both surfaces and wait until it's touch dry. Now to the tricky part. It's essential to line them up correctly first time (for long pieces, get a friend to help you). Making it flush with the bottom, push one end into place, then work along to the other end pressing it on as you go.

Then go back and tap the strip firmly with a hammer and block. Continue with the other strips and, when finished, leave to dry for an hour or so.

Step 5
Trim the strips flush with the top and on the ends using the flat file, plane, or the electric laminate trimmer (which you should set up and try out on a scrap piece first).

When filing, hold the file flat and make sure you file away from the finished surface or you might chip it. The plane is much faster than the file but the laminate eventually takes the edge off it, necessitating more frequent sharpening.

To cut the edge strips, score heavily with a laminate cutter.

For the benchtop
Step 1
Check whether the benches are square, parallel and at right angles to each other and then mark out and cut the tops, allowing at least 2 mm extra all around. If the bench has a flush or circular sink in it, unscrew the plumbing and the sink clips and lift the sink out rather than try to fit the laminate to it.

Using your plane, fit the top to the bench. Laying the sheet on a table so it projects slightly past it is the best way to plane it.

Step 2
When it fits, apply the glue as before. Then, after it's touch dry, lay the separators on the surface and position the top accurately (see illustration). Slide each separator out (beginning from one end to avoid trapping any air) and when stuck down, tap all over with the block and hammer as before.

Step 3
Trim the excess off with your file or plane (or use a laminate trimmer with a bevelled cutter), making sure you don't damage the edge strips. Incline either tool at 45 degrees to get rid of the sharp edges. Clean off the glue with the correct solvent and give the surface a wipe over.

Looks terrific, doesn't it?

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Home Repairs and Maintenance (Murdoch Books)