Repair peeling laminate to make your cabinet doors look as good as new. Laminate cabinets are a cost-effective way to provide a visually appealing finish for cabinets. Although generally durable, the laminate can begin to peel back with age or potentially crack. Depending on the damage, you can either fix the existing laminate or reface the door to fix the problem without installing entirely new units. As a general rule, if there are any cracks in the laminate, the entire piece needs to be replaced; however, if there’s only peeling, you can reattach the laminate with adhesive. Slide a corner of sandpaper between the laminate and substrate, and gently scuff up the wood or particle board. This will remove any excess adhesive and make it easier for the new adhesive to hold the laminate in place. Squirt a small amount of waterproof adhesive between the substrate and the laminate. Push the laminate into the glue, and apply a heavy-duty masking tape to the repair. Wrap this around the door to the opposite side and secure it in place.

You may need to use more than one layer of tape to hold the laminate down until the adhesive dries. If you have one on hand, a clamp is often an easier option; however, a separate purchase for this project is not necessary. Simply close the clamp till it just goes over the door, put it in place to hold the laminate, and then tighten it. Remove the tape or clamp once the adhesive is fully set and use a sharp utility knife to scrape any excess off the cabinet. Remove the door by unscrewing it from the hinges, and unscrew the hardware if there is any, setting the pieces aside. Move the door to a well-lit workspace. Use a flammable grade glue solvent to loosen the contact cement holding the laminate in place. Make sure the area is well ventilated and that there are no open flames. Wear gloves and spray the solvent to the exposed corner, working a knife between the laminate and the substrate using a sawing motion. Apply more solvent as necessary. Be careful with pieces that break off, as they will be sharp.

Continue until the entire damaged piece is removed. Measure the area to be re-covered and cut a matching piece of self-sticking laminate or laminate with trim router a half-inch wider and 1 to 2 inches longer all the way around if you’re installing the laminate against a flat surface. For example, if the area is 16 inches high by 9 inches wide, you’ll cut the laminate to 17 or 18 inches high by 9½ inches wide. If you are installing the laminate into a recessed surface, cut it to size exactly and hold the laminate to the door, without taking the backing off, to ensure it fits perfectly before proceeding. Sand the substrate lightly and wipe it with a damp cloth to remove any dust. Let this air dry, and then peel the top edge of the backing off the laminate, pressing the piece in place onto the cabinet. Ensure it is lined up perfectly, and then slowly peel the backing off as you press the laminate in place with your other hand. Work your way down until the entire piece is installed. If you are installing standard laminate, apply contact cement to the back of the laminate and the cabinet front in a thin, even layer, and then press the laminate into place.

Use a laminate roller over the entire surface to set it, and then wait for the adhesive to dry. Trim any excess off the edges using a trim router. Lightly sand the cut marks to smooth them out, and wipe off the cabinet with a damp cloth. Apply some petroleum jelly to a drill bit and drill through the back of the door into the existing hardware holes to create pilot holes for the hardware through the laminate. garage door repairs staffordReinstall the existing hardware and rehang the door. bifold door blindsThings You Will Need Sandpaper Waterproof adhesive Masking tape Utility knife Screwdriver or drill Flammable grade glue solvent in spray form Measuring tape Cloth Self-sticking laminate or laminate Contact cement (optional) Tip References Homeowners Clinic: Eliminate Termites, Fix Peeling Kitchen Cabinet Laminate, Age-Proof A Roof Deck and more Read more: Homeowners Clinic: Eliminate Termites, Fix Peeling Kitchen Cabinet Laminate, Age-Proof A Roof Deck and moreThis Old Housemobile home exterior doors knoxville tn

: How to Laminate a Countertop Photo Credits Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionDoor BookshelfBook ShelvesLadder ShelvesRustic BookshelfCreative BookshelvesDoor LadderRustic ShelvingCorner ShelvesOld BookshelvesForwardMaking furniture from obsolete material and and giving new life to old ones 1Painting Laminate CabinetsLaminate Cabinet MakeoverPainting LinoleumChalk Paint Kitchen CabinetsShiplap BathroomBathroom Cabinet PaintCondo BathroomDownstairs BathroomMaster BathroomsForwardWell, it has been a few weeks since I completed my shiplap bathroom project and I have been loving the new look of my bathroom! custom entry doors northern virginiaWith one exception--the vanity. doors for sale in sligoI thought I could live with the laminate cabinets and countertop BUT I was wrong. brushed nickel door handles home depot

The bathroom did not seem complete with the dated looking vanity and since we aren't ready to replace it, I decided to paint it. Rather than use chalk paint like I usually do, I looked into how to paint laminate. I have to honestly say, I have never had the guts to recommend that a client paint thermofoil, laminate, or melamine kitchen cabinets.  This type of cabinetry is often found in lower-end kitchens – melamine and thermofoil are similar plastic materials that are applied over particleboard or MDF to inexpensively simulate the look of painted wood. double glazed door leakingAlthough I had heard it could be done with chalk paint, I really didn’t know it was possible with latex paint.  Let me reword that:  possible, maybe, but advisable? Allison really wanted to do something to update her kitchen, but didn’t have the budget to change the vinyl flooring, the countertops, or the backsplash.  

And she certainly didn’t have the budget to replace the melamine kitchen cabinets!  When the painter she was using assured us that he had done it before and that it could be done successfully, Allison decided to go for it.  Here’s a before photo of the kitchen: You’ll notice that the red paint color in this space really only acted as an accent color, since so much of what you see is the white cabinetry and beige backsplash and flooring.  I think it’s better to use a wall color that fades in and blends well with the adjoining space, which is why we pulled the gray blue from the living room into the kitchen.  We chose a dark gray color for the base cabinets. Although the countertop and backsplash are all beige and no gray, the cabinet color we selected picks up the dark gray in the vinyl flooring. The effect of the new color scheme is more sophisticated and peaceful. Now let’s talk about to how-tos.  You can actually remove the plastic coating (thermofoil) before painting, and some people recommend doing that before painting.  

However, our painter told us that he attempted to do that in his own home, and that it was a disaster! Instead, here is the process he followed: 1) Lightly sand the surface of the cabinets, remove dust with dry cloth 2) Apply XIM Primer Sealer Bonder 3) Paint with Sherwin-Williams All-Surface Enamel Latex paint in a semi-gloss finish, 2-4 coats may be needed if using a dark color The painters draped Allison’s dining table with a dropcloth and painted the cabinet doors with a fine little roller, using paint cans as pedestals.  They didn’t paint the backs of the doors in order to save Allison some money –  it looks fine since the cabinet door interiors are white like the top cabinets. Allison wasn’t able to go right back to using those cabinets the day after painting.  Latex paint may be dry to the touch in a day, but it requires up to 30 days to fully cure, so you’ve got to handle them very carefully for several weeks if you want them to retain the pristine finish over time.