I have a bathroom counter top on the sink cabinet. One corner has loose
formica. The cabinet top is plywood, which is in good condition. The
fomica is also in good shape, but it's loose from the plywood on that
corner. Aside from replacing the counter top, I'd like to fix this.

I know formica is normally glued with contact cement. I'm assuming I
need to use the same stuff to reglue it. I had a thought to buy some
large syringes made for animals, fill the syringe with contact cement
and squirt it under the loose formica. Then stack some bricks or other
weights on top of the counter and let it dry for at least 24 hours.

Is that how the pros do it?
Are there other methods?

Thanks

wrote:
I have a bathroom counter top on the sink cabinet. One corner has
loose formica. The cabinet top is plywood, which is in good
condition. The fomica is also in good shape, but it's loose from the
plywood on that corner. Aside from replacing the counter top, I'd
like to fix this.

I know formica is normally glued with contact cement. I'm assuming I
need to use the same stuff to reglue it. I had a thought to buy some
large syringes made for animals, fill the syringe with contact cement
and squirt it under the loose formica. Then stack some bricks or other
weights on top of the counter and let it dry for at least 24 hours.

Is that how the pros do it?
Are there other methods?

Thanks

The best way to repair that is to get the glue under the loose plastic and
press the laminate down firmly to spread the glue evenly on both surfaces .
Then lift the loose corner and let it dry until the glue doesn't transfer
to your fingertip when you touch it . THEN you press the laminate into the
now-mostly-dry glue to adhere it . IF you have a line where the newly glued
meets the area that was still adhered , use your wife's iron set on nylon or
other low temp to press it out . Heat it then lay a block of wood on it and
tap firmly . Actually , I use a heat gun and a steel roller , but you may
not have those tools . 15+ years in the cabinet shop taught me a couple of
tricks ...
--
Snag

On Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 8:54:29 AM UTC-7, wrote:


I know formica is normally glued with contact cement. I'm assuming I
need to use the same stuff to reglue it. I had a thought to buy some
large syringes made for animals, fill the syringe with contact cement
and squirt it under the loose formica. Then stack some bricks or other
weights on top of the counter and let it dry for at least 24 hours.

It won't hold if you do that. You need to keep the surfaces
physically separated for at least 15 minutes (probably more like
30-60 minutes) and then press them together. The pros use a
roller to apply pressure.

Hi Jerry,

I have a bathroom counter top on the sink cabinet. One corner has loose
formica. The cabinet top is plywood, which is in good condition. The
fomica is also in good shape, but it's loose from the plywood on that
corner. Aside from replacing the counter top, I'd like to fix this.

I have had to reglue a few laminate counters that have lifted in the
corners like that.

I used a few wood blocks to hold the laminate up so I could get access, but
not so high that I break it. Then I used wood shims (the kind you buy for
installing doors/windows) to push contact cement into the opening. The thin
wood shim allowed me to spread the cement evenly on both surfaces, even way
back where there was very little clearance. Let both surfaces dry till
tacky, then carefully pull the blocks and press down. I use a J-roller to
force out all the air bubbles, then weight down the laminate for an hour or
two. So far I have had zero repeat failures using this method.

I have wood trim along the front of the counter, so I used blue masking
tape to cover it so I didn't get any contact cement on it.

I'm guessing I did not apply enough contact cement when I originally built
the counters. Hindsight now, but the repairs have held up fine and look
good as new. Just fix it before someone catches it and breaks a piece off.
I wrapped the edge with blue masking tape until I could pick up more
cement.

Take care,

Anthony Watson
www.mountainsoftware.com
www.watsondiy.com