[SOLVED] Covering worktop with Fablon (2025 Update) Solved

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The owner of the next door flat did this prior to letting it and yes, it does look as bad as it sounds. Fits in well with the state of the rest of his flat though. :)

It may look ok for a little while though, if you are careful about applying it and what you put on it...

Lee

As in the sticky back plastic stuff? Can't see that lasting long at all if I'm thinking of the right stuff.

A friend when presented with a similar problem fitted a thin hardwood strip along the front of the worktop to square it off and tiled onto the worktop with cheap white tiles (the type that are 3 quid per acre in Wickes etc). Looked surprisingly good and lasted several years. I seem to remember him using some special grout that didn't get so dirty though - I'm sure others on here could advise.

Tiled worktops can be a bit of a nightmare but if the one you have is really that bad it maybe worth a try. Certainly I would have thought it would be better than sticky back plastic (if fablon isn't sticky back plastic then ignore me :-))!

Darren

"Rachel" wrote | My question is : Has anyone had any experience of covering | the existing worktops using FABLON ?

s/FABLON/sticky-back-plastic because I might not have been using the authentic trademarked stuff.

Yes. And cupboard fronts.

| If so, how was it?

Vile.

| Does it still look ok,

No.

| and is it a good idea.

No.

| Obviously we realise that we would have to be careful with the surface | with sharp objects etc .. but nothing can be as bad as it looks at | the moment.

Sticky-back-plastic works okay for things that have *very light* use. I've had very good results converting a bedside chest of drawers from white to "pine" and changing the knobs to brass.

However, it seems to shrink after a while leaving sticky edges, it is difficult to get edges to stick down, and any 3-dimesnional curves go wrinkly. joints are an absolute no-no.

If your worktops are square edged you might be able to just stick new laminate on the top and front edge.

Owain

Is tiling them an option?

Agree!

How about Formica (if you can still buy it)? I remember doing the same job a few years ago using this, bought from B&Q I think? It's quite thick and durable, needs to be cut very carefully with a fine saw, and is glued down with Evostik or similar.

David

I haven't seen formica in many years, but I remember my father doing a whole kitchen with it.

I thought that you scored and snapped it? I might be wrong though!

PoP

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It's obtainable and useful in certain applications.

A good trimming method is a router with trimming cutter - i.e. ball race on the bottom.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Hello Rachel

Yes. Done this in several shops where they get very heavy use.

It lasts very well as long as you're reasonably careful.

Looks? All down to taste. Easy enough to change if you don't like it or you do damage it provided you don't use too aggressive an adhesive.

Sir

For cheep and cheefull I would use Plywood, Fablon sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

Rick

We did ours 3 years ago and its still like new, we chose a nice green. The cupboards are white so it looked good and still does so for 28 pounds itsvwas a bargain.

I've seen some Fablon-like stuff being applied to car bodies - I think there was a vehicle on George Clarke's Amazing Spaces on which they used it and it cost a fortune but made it look very good.

I think it was a Land Rover being used as an outdoor cocktail bar.

But on wood it peels & splits with time. The adhesive picks up lots of dirt.... gross.

NT

We used to do that in the 80's - it generally works really quite well. Shelves and also tarted up a small freezer that looked a bit sad. If you clean the surface with a good degreaser (sugar soap if it is greasy would work best) it should last for many years.

Worktops last much longer though, and have a harder life.

NT

Didn't know you could still get Fablon. I used it years ago, As you applied it, it stretched. Over time it then recovered leaving gaps. Seemed to stick OK on smooth surfaces

Yes, it's very thin. Definitely not suitable for a wearing surface.

What do you think they wrap cars in when they do a custom wrap? Its the same stuff, you heat set it which fixes it so it doesn't shrink. You can watch them going around with a heat gun and IR thermometer if you know where they do it.

Fablon type sticky-back-plastic won't be anywhere near hard-wearing enough.

Alternatives might be:

linoleum

tile over it with worktop tiles and waterproof grout

surface over it with stainless steel

If it's just the cooker area that is going to need expensive special worktop, you could cost up getting that done in steel by a fabricator and use cheap ordinary worktop for the rest. Cheap ordinary worktop is probably cheaper than anything else.

You can also of course buy melamine laminate on its own and apply to the existing worktops, especially if you can de-assemble them rather than relaminating in situ.

Owain

Car wrap really ain`t the same as the horrendous crap once available as Fablon.

Top end is 3M Di-Noc but there are a lot of alternatives:

Great decorative finishes that take to wood just fine, your right in that they don`t shrink back, also air-release liners that mean less chasing the bubbles..

Decorative rather than wearing, how do you think cupboard fronts are done.

Fridge wraps are becoming popular.