Re-covering kitchen worktops

[S. Endon-Lee]

Hello all,

I had a fairly good search in Google Groups and couldn't see this as a previously discussed topic here, so I hope the question is not too naive.

I have what seems like acres of dark-brown kitchen worktop in a fitted kitchen - the covering is plastic of some type, patterned to look like dark hardwood blocks. It nicely matches the dark-stained wooden kitchen cabinets.

I'd like to brighten the kitchen up somewhat, and painting the cabinets is easy - but is it possible to re-cover the worktop? I'm reluctant to replace the worktop right now, as it will be a pig of a job - the kitchen's walls are not square, they've been tiled to the level of the worktop, and it seems pretty much structurally essential to the lower cabinets.

Is there something like a hard-wearing form of sticky-back plastic (suitable for kitchens) that I could simply glue over the existing worktop? If so, where can I find it - there doesn't seem to be anything like it in the 'sheds'. It would need to be flexible enough to 'roll-over' the chamfered front edge of the worktop, otherwise I'm sure it would lift in no time flat.

Many thanks,

Sid

[Mary Fisher]

You CAN still get Fablon and lookalikes - try decorators' merchants - but it's not all that durable for a kitchen surface. Also, when you have to lift it, it can leave deposits of adhesive. It might do the job for a few months as long as you protect it from hot and sharp objects. I'll be interested in others' suggestions.

I agree with you about the dark brown - why do people do it? Any dark colour in a kitchen is awful, it sucks out the light.

Mary

[OldScrawn]

of the worktop I don't think anything that flexible would be tough enough. You could chop off the round edge, face the rest with Formica, then put back a shaped timber front edge using biscuits. If its all straight runs I suppose you might be able to get a stainless steel supplier to form a suitable edge on thin sheet, which you could glue on?

[Jerry Built]

Hi Sid, you might think about using sheets of Formica - you'd need to attach a strip of timber to the front of your existing worktop, though.

===============# = is Formica @@@@@@@@@@@@@@## # is new timber moulding @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@# @ is existing "worktop". @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#

You use impact adhesive with this stuff, so you must be very careful to set up the Formica dead right before you glue it on, you don't get two chances!

You'd need to make up a moulding (router?) or even machine off the "nose" of the counter if possible, then attach the moulding to the existing top, leaving a rebate suitable to take the Formica. The Formica could then be loose-fitted, trimmed, and then the top and Formica glued before sticking the Formica on.

This would give you a hygenic and very hard-wearing surface. I'd be chary of painting your units - this looks OK on the TV, in all those "house" programmes, but IRL it can look *awful*. Most of the TV "just cut up a bit of MDF to make ???? Oh! Doesn't it look lovely!" things look like crap on set, too!

J.B.

[TheScullster]

Do you like tiles? Fit a wood trim to the front of the work tops, proud of the top surface, then tile the top surface.

Phil

[Cicero]

================== You might consider a wood veneer. It would solve the problem of the bull-nosed front edge. Whether it would be durable enough for your purpose is up to you to decide. Use contact adhesive (Evostik) to fix.

Cic.

[N. Thornton]

Dont even think about it. The surest way to totally trash your worktop.

Try light coloured objects and mats instead. You can always make a big mat out of vinyl lino if its that awful.

Regards, NT

[Grunff]

Don't do it. Nothing you can do will look good /and/ last more than a couple of weeks. Nothing. Honest.

Three choices: live with it, replace the worktops or tile the worktops in situ.

[Mary Fisher]

I agree that it's not ideal but it wouldn't trash the worktop any more - in fact not as much - as formica or tiles.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

But remember that tiles are unforgiving, drop ceramic or glass on it and it doesn't have much chance.

Mary

[Grunff]

Oh I fully agree - I don't like them as kitchen worktops at all - I like my kitchen worktop like my TV room floor - laminate :-) (I wonder if AH is reading?)

But I think it's probably the only way to end up with a good looking hard wearing worktop while still using the one already there.

[Mary Fisher]

LOL!

You must remember that tiling would raise the eight and for some stumpy people like me it can make a big difference.

Mary

[Andy Hall]

' course I am. All I can say is that in the almost three years since the worktops have been granite and the floor slate, the rate of breakages has not increased and is very small.

Careful is not an adjective that I'd apply to either of the kids either. I can think of a few others, but they are not repeatable in polite company like Mary's.

I've dropped glasses and cups on the previous laminate worktop and the granite ones. Sometimes they break, sometimes not. The granite, and I don't see tiles differently, are not an automatic death sentence to glassware or crockery any more from what I've seen than laminate.

The slate is no worse than anything else that you might use in a kitchen - except perhaps carpet, but I don't know of anybody with carpet in a kitchen - that strikes me as being as revolting as carpet in a bathroom.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[S Viemeister]

The house we bought in 1997 had dark brown carpet tiles in the kitchen, and pinkish carpet in the bathroom. The laundry room was covered with offcuts from the livingroom carpet

Those were the first things we changed.

Sheila

[dmc]

Hmmm.

Laminate flooring stuck to the top of the existing worktop with some sort of edging...Might work I guess (use waterproof laminate) and there is quite a choice now it seems.

Darren

[Grunff]

I gotta say, the slate floor is something we're probably going to do towards the end of this year. Nice thick chuncky slates just look sooo nice as a kitchen floor.

[Mary Fisher]

He has a special room for TV!

Not increased:-)

I doubt that you know any words I don't - but thanks. I'm not keen on seeing weak language on my screen and usually dump people who can't be more articulate.

Tut. You should be more careful!

Or carpet anywhere.

It's certainly a problem. I think I'd sulk until Spouse took it off and replaced it with what I wanted - but what that would be I don't know because I'm not in that situation.

Mary

[N. Thornton]

On the contrary, it would wreck it good and proper. Sticky coverings have 2 major failings: firstly they are not in any sense durable, and will soon become a real eyesore. Secondly they leave adhesive all over the remaining surface thats near impossible to remove, captures lots of dirt, and oozes out all the places where the covering has been damaged. Stick on coverings were popular once, but time has proven them to be the worst option available.

Formica does work, had it once, its acceptable if not great. Tiles are I would think the better option here, and replacing the worktop probably the best. And if the OP has neither time nor money I would even consider a vinyl mat.

Regards, NT

[Grunff]

Well, it's a library/music/TV room - but not the same as the living room.

[S. Endon-Lee]

Wow!

thanks to everybody for their replies.

I'm really surprised there isn't a product matching what I'm after. My father's kitchen worktop seems to be covered in a 2-3 mm thick layer which curves over the front edge, and is extremely hardwearing - he demonstrates using it as a cutting board with no apparent effect on the surface, so I assumed you could just buy rolls of the stuff, if you knew what to ask for.

I've experienced Formica before - unless the product has changed in substance and only retained the name, I wouldn't be keen on it. In my limited experience it 'lifted' easily, cracked, scratched, and if broken left sharp jagged bits. Possibly it was installed improperly, but this was in three different kitchens. Your experiences may vary.

Thanks for the suggestions - I didn't think of tiling or a wood veneer. Of all of them, I like the wood veneer idea the best.

Best Regards,

Sid