Ways to Install Formica. Select the correct Formica or other laminate for your project. Most places that sell laminate will provide sample chips for you to take home and compare to the house's color scheme. Take several of these home and test for additional properties to help you decide. Laminates come in a whole spectrum from the most glossy to the most matte, so consider each chip by its appearance, and not its marketing.

Test how well the laminate stands up to wear and tear by scratching it with a steak knife. If you're applying a thin laminate sheet, use 1/1.

Sand the surface to create a rough surface for solid adherence, and wipe away sawdust with a tack cloth or damp rag. Use a tape measure to get an accurate measurement of each dimension of the area. See Troubleshooting for more information.

Place the Formica on a flat, stable surface. This should be large enough to keep the Formica steady while cutting. Use scrap plywood or similar material that you don't mind damaging with the saw. Don't use concrete or another surface that will damage the saw blade. Draw your cut lines onto the laminate at the increased measurement, which ensures you don't waste a large piece of laminate due to cutting too small a piece.

This makes it easier to see where to cut, while also reducing the risk of chips. You can also apply additional tape to the surface beneath the formica to protect it, but you shouldn't cut over a surface you want to keep presentable. Ideally, you should use a circular saw, saber saw, back saw, table saw, or laminate shears. A handsaw with at least 1. Use a straightedge to keep your score straight. Lift carefully and keep an eye on the score to make sure the laminate bends at the desired break point.

How to Install Granite Countertops. Granite countertops are a lovely addition to any kitchen or bath. Because of the nature of the granite product, until recently, it.

Sign in to add this video to a playlist. So, I watched some videos on cutting laminate countertops and ruined the first. Laminate countertops are attractive affordable and you can install the material yourself. Download Original Movies Mobile Mp4 Punjabi Videos. Find out if you can install laminate flooring over an existing tile floor, and how to go about it from home improvement expert Danny Lipford.

Do not use these tools to make circular cuts. Cut out the laminate piece in straight lines, taking care not to cut into the marked area. Use a different tool to make curved adjustments (if applicable). If your installation place is curved, you'll need to use a jigsaw or laminate router to make these finer adjustments. The cutting tool you used earlier will have trouble turning along a curve, resulting in laminate that won't fit.

Re- Laminate Your Countertops - Extreme How To. A popular and economical choice for kitchen countertops is plastic laminate, available in many attractive colors and designs. Laminate countertops (often called Formica, although that is actually the name of only one manufacturer) come in just about every color and pattern imaginable. From contemporary patterns to styles that mimic popular stone looks, laminate is durable, affordable, and you can install it yourself.

If installing new sheet laminate over old laminate, material, first thoroughly sand and clean the old surface. During the course of a recent kitchen remodel, I recovered a laminate countertop with newer, more brightly colored laminate sheeting with a granite- type pattern.

This kitchen had three separate countertops, at various heights and locations around the kitchen. So I bought three new 4- by- 8- foot sheets of laminate and went to work.

Here’s how to do it. Then remove all obstacles, such as sinks and faucets. Prepping and Planning. If you’re installing over existing laminate, the old countertop surface should be thoroughly sanded and cleaned to remove all debris and contaminants.

The sanding helps to remove any existing glossy coating and roughs up the surface for better bonding with the countertop adhesive. I used a random orbital power sander over all existing countertop surfaces before cleaning.

Test- fit the laminate. In some cases, you can set the sheet in place, and use a marker to trace the shape of the countertop on the underside of the new laminate. The edges of these sheets are very straight, so you should plan for the edges to line the rear of the cabinet against the wall, when possible.

Take one countertop at a time and sketch its shape. As you sketch your designs, the sheet cutouts should roughly mirror the shape of the final countertop, but add a few extra inches so the sheet edges will overhang the edges of the countertop. You’ll go back later with a router and trim the edges flush with the counter. Love the look of Corian?

Click here for more information. With your plan sketched out, transfer those dimensions to the sheet laminate, marking the appropriate cutlines on the material. The rip fence of a table saw helps to guide the sheet for an accurate cut. Cutting the Laminate.

You have a couple of options for cutting laminate. There are special blades that allow you to use a utility knife to cut sheet laminate. If using a utility knife, also use a straightedge to guide the knife for a smooth and even cut. You can also cut plastic laminate with a circular saw, jig saw or table saw with a fine- tooth blade. Place a strip of masking tape where the cut is to be made to prevent chipping and make the line easier to see. When using a power circ saw or jigsaw, cut from the back side of the laminate. These blades cut on the upstroke, and cutting from the back will help prevent chipping.

To cut the sheet laminate, I used a fine- tooth blade installed backwards on a table saw. Note: See warning below. Here’s another tip, and also how I cut the laminate for this project: I used a fine- tooth blade installed backwards in a table saw.

Now, let me emphasize that you should NEVER cut anything else with the blade on backwards other than sheet laminate. But I was told of this trick by a professional cabinet maker, and thought I’d give it a shot. And I was pleased to find that this method works like a charm. The rip guide of the table saw helps to control a straight cut, and although the cutting process takes longer with the blade on backwards, the cut was perfect. In fact, the blade simply peels away a strip of the material in a ribbon that’s as wide as the kerf of the blade, and the cuts are perfectly smooth. Granted, you’ll need to set up both outfeed and lateral supports to work with the big 4- by- 8 sheets, but I found this to be a great way to make accurate cuts. Once you’re finished rough cutting the sheets to shape, immediately change the blade back around to its normal cutting direction.

Brush on an even coat of contact cement to both the old, prepped countertop surface and to the underside of the new sheet laminate. Allow the adhesive to dry until it is tacky. Gluing the Laminate. Plastic laminate is generally applied with contact cement. After the old countertop has been prepped (sanded, cleaned, dried), brush contact cement onto the countertop surface. Apply a smooth, even layer covering the entire surface.

Then brush a layer of contact cement on the back side of the laminate cutout for the counter. Allow the adhesive to dry until tacky (usually 5 to 1. Then place dowels or wood strips, spaced roughly 1 foot apart, over the old countertop surface. At this point, place strips of wood or dowels over the countertop roughly 1 foot apart. Don’t worry—the strips won’t stick. The wood strips will act as a temporary barrier between the sheet and existing countertop.

They should be long enough to extend beyond the edge of the counter so you can grab the end and pull them out later. Next, place the new sheet laminate face up on top of the wood strips.

Be careful when placing the sheet; don’t let the two glued surfaces touch yet or they will bond together! It’s best to recruit some help when placing the laminate—I did. Even when cut to size, the material is still slightly larger than the countertop surface and difficult to maneuver without some assistance. The new sheet should be accurately positioned right above its final installed location, “hovering” on the wood strips with its edges flush against the surrounding walls. Starting in one corner, remove the first wood strip and use a j- roller to roll the sheet down onto the countertop surface. Applying the Countertop Surface.

Starting at one end of the sheet, remove the first wood strip or dowel and use a J- roller to press the new sheet down onto the counter, bonding the two pieces together. Use the roller to apply pressure to the sheet so the glue will have a strong bond and no air pockets. Work toward the opposite end of the counter, removing the wood strips one at a time and rolling the entire surface thoroughly as you progress. Continue working from one end to the other, removing wood strips and rolling the top to bond the cement as you go. By the time you reach the end of the counter, the entire new laminate surface should be securely bonded. You can then go back with a router, fitted with a flush trim bit, and trim away the excess laminate overhang flush with the edge of the counter. Do not rush the router; let the tool do the work.

I used a Rotozip with a Tracing Bit to make the sink cutout. You can also use a jigsaw.

I then temporarily replaced the sink to keep the area neat and uncluttered while I finished the counter. Cutouts. You may encounter obstructions such as sinks, faucets, etc. For this particular project I had to remove a sink, install the laminate and then make a cutout in the new laminate to replace the sink. You can use a jigsaw with a fine- tooth blade for the cutout, but I used a Rotozip with a Tracing Bit. With a Rotozip you can easily plunge the bit through the laminate surface (no pilot hole needed). Plus, the patented Tracing Bit tip has a non- cutting “bead” at the end of the bit that avoids the object behind the surface (the high- density particleboard counter) and only cuts out the material desired (laminate, in this case). This special bit treats the underlying particleboard as a template, so you can zoom your Rotozip around the sink cutout and quickly cut the laminate to match.

One note: the Rotozip is too aggressive for trimming the edges flush, so stick with a router for that chore. Brush contact cement on the back of the strip and on the surface of the old countertop edge (after prepping).

In this case you won’t be using the wood strips. Allow the glue to dry tacky, then install the edge strip, roll it in with the J- roller, and use clamps to hold the strip firmly in place while it dries.