subject: Laminating a Kitchen Worktop for Increased Durability [print this page] Laminating a Kitchen Worktop for Increased Durability
Kitchen worktops are usually laminated to increase their life time and for easy maintenance; as they become old and scratched as time pass by. It is wise to cover a kitchen worktop with laminate materials when the original parts are starting to peel. To set up the new laminate properly and attach perfectly, all the fixtures like the sink, soap dispensing items must be removed from the actual surface.
The first step in laminating the kitchen worktop is to take an electric sander to sand the worktop completely. The entire surface region must be made rough in a uniform way. Then, the worktop must be cleaned with a rag that is dipped with an all-purpose cleanser and a degreaser. It is very important to wipe perfectly to get rid of the sanding dust entirely.
After removing all the sanding dusts, the laminate sheets must be placed on the upper portion and the bottom portion of the worktop and the outline region must be traced properly. Gently cut by following the traced outlines with the help of a utility or a jigsaw knife. Take a paintbrush to coat the contact elements in the worktops as well as the back portions of the laminated area.
Set up the dowels by leaving a gap of about twelve inches on the upper portion of the worktop and attach the new laminate on the upper portion of the dowel. The dowels will be helpful for preventing the cement covered surface regions from getting stuck with each other when positioning the laminate at the right place.
The dowels must be removed after the laminate is positioned in the right place. A laminate roll must be rolled on the entire surface in order to set the new laminate downwards. The edge portions must be covered with the cut strips of laminate to suit the breadth of the worktop. Use a paintbrush to coat the edge portions of the worktop with the contact element at least twice.
The coating must be allowed to dry well based on the appropriate time mentioned in the instruction manual provided by the manufacturer. The back portions of the laminate strips must also be coated perfectly and pressed well. The contact element must be allowed to set entirely. Using a metal file, try to make all the rough surfaces of the kitchen worktop smooth.
