The Counters Blog

Solid Surface Countertops Material Formica Laminate Sheet

You never know when somone will drop off a sheet of old plastic laminate, and their prices are usually very reasonable. When you find a table or cabinet with a laminate surface large enough for your purposes, you can cut up the top to fit your dimensions and attach some retro polished aluminum trim around the edge. Use lacquer thinner and a putty knife slid between the laminate and substrate. Go slowly and keep the lacquer thinner off the top surface of the laminate. You can even combine pieces of vintage laminate with pieces of new laminate. Applying the flooring is very straightforward and the results are often quite stunning and professional looking. Yeah, sounds pricy, but old laminate is rare so be prepared to pay for that rarity. Also let store employees know you’re looking for vintage laminate and ask them to call you if somthing comes into their store. It’s a long-shot and it might take some friendly persuasion, but hopefully they’ll remember seeing a few old sheets of laminate that have been there for years, that they’d love to get rid of. A contractor or homeowner just might see your plea and give you a call and save themselves a trip to the junkyard.It’s also sometimes possible to remove the plastic laminate from the wood surface it’s glued to. If you find a piece of usable plastic laminate, but it’s not large enough for your restoration project, consider using this piece in conjunction with one or two other pieces of laminate in a different pattern or color to cover your table or counter top. The laminate must be cut with perfectly straight and chip-free cuts, and you need to make sure the pieces are similar in thickness, but the end results of a “mix and match” laminate job can be very retro. The main drawback to these flooring products is that they’re softer than plastic laminate and an accidental knife slip while preparing a meal, can leave a permanent cut or scratch in the surface.