In article , mrsgator88
wrote:

There are ways to get out or reduce many stains in laminate. A lot of elbow
grease (and I think baking soda) is involved.

Not worth it in ths case.

Also, what do you mean by
"last 5 years" - does this mean in 5 years they're ready to be thrown out,
or in 5 years they're just starting to show wear?

In 5 years we'll likely be selling or ready to rip the whole place
apart and do a total remodel. If we sell, the new owners will either
want to rip it all out or will be willing to live with whatever's
there.

We sell a lot of Formica
furniture where I work, and putting new laminate over old is a definite
no-no.

Why? What are the issues? Furniture is different than countertop, no?

I was told at a local home reno store (Rona, here in Canada) that it
was sand and go. I'm (obviously) asking for a second opinion.

It used to be you could go to a home store and buy pre-made laminate
countertops pretty cheap and cut and joing them yourself. Thats probably
the best way, because you'll be paying full retail for raw sheets of
laminate anyways. And also, if you have bullnose edges, you'll need a
special machine to heat and bend the laminate, but this heat would also
cause the original layer of laminate to come off. Have I talked you out of
it yet?

Not yet. g

No bullnose edges, everything is square.

I can replace the counters myself for the cost of 3 sheets of 3/4 inch
MDF, 2 sheets of formica, and a couple of weekends. Maybe $300 Canadian
for materials.

Should I plan to apply heat and lift the old laminate, then sand and
apply the new stuff? That's feasible... It's a small kitchen and I
could probably lift the old stuff in a long day.

Thanks for your feedback and advice, Steve.

djb