How Do You Lay Tile Over A Laiminated Counter Top?
If your kitchen needs a facelift but your budget can’t handle a major renovation, a new countertop may be the practical answer. Replacing an old, worn work surface can go a long way toward giving your kitchen a new lease on life. However, while you might simply install new plastic laminate in a fresh color or pattern, you can make a really dramatic change by switching to ceramic tile. And if your plastic-laminate countertop is structurally sound, you can apply the tile directly to it. A wooden trim strip along the counter edge and a wood-capped tile backsplash finish the job. While plastic laminate isn’t the ideal substrate for tile, it will work if it’s well bonded to its core and has a smooth surface. Don’t attempt the job with slate- or leather-textured plastic laminate. Check the counter edges and seams for lifted laminate and look for bubbles by tapping with the tips of your fingernails over the entire surface. If you encounter any loose laminate, you should not cover the existing
while a lot of sites I saw recommended not putting tile over laminate, just as many said that with proper sanding, it would work. here is an example: http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_wkr/episode/0,2046,DIY_14349_26895,00.html answer #1, however, has a better solution, I think, in that it really gives you a new surface to which the tiles will adhere. here is a direct transcript of the show, nice to print out: http://www.ronhazelton.com/images/pdf/0614.pdf here is another great discussion to read before you decide: http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-320.html lots of people talk about it and some have had success: http://www
Installing A Tile Counter “Want to put ceramic tile over your laminate countertop? Here’s how to do it.” Illustrations by George Retseck Published in the January 1998 issue of Popular Mechanics. (May be available from your local library) View the entire article online: www.popularmechanics.com/how_to_central/home_clinic/1275611.html?page=1 “…If your kitchen needs a facelift but your budget can’t handle a major renovation, a new countertop may be the practical answer. Replacing an old, worn work surface can go a long way toward giving your kitchen a new lease on life. However, while you might simply install new plastic laminate in a fresh color or pattern, you can make a really dramatic change by switching to ceramic tile. And if your plastic-laminate countertop is structurally sound, you can apply the tile directly to it. A wooden trim strip along the counter edge and a wood-ca
