How to cover kitchen benchtops?

[radburnshane107]

Hi, I'm wanting to cover som really horrible yellow laminated kitchen benchtops,  I was thinking of using the contact stuff I've seen around but everything I can find is just too thin and flimsy, does anyone know of something more durable that I can use to cover them on a tiny budget I definitely don't want to install new ones or use paint.. what are my other options??? 

Thankyou all 😊

[EricL]

Hello @radburnshane107 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about your benchtop.

Since you're not keen on painting, I propose having a look at Gerflor Self Adhesive Vinyl Tile. You can place them right on top of the melamine surface and can be trimmed to fit. On the condition that you have a square edge at the end of your benchtop you can simply cut a strip to cover that area. 

However, if you have a bullnose or rounded edge, it will be necessary to use a contact adhesive to keep the vinyl down. Please note that the vinyl surface is not as strong as the laminated surface and will not be able to handle very hot temperatures. This would be an affordable option to revamp your benchtop temporarily until you are ready to replace it.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Jason]

Hi @radburnshane107,

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community.

I trust you found Eric's reply helpful, but can I please ask why you wouldn't consider paint? 

This collection might help provide some ideas and inspiration: 10 kitchens transformed with paint.

Looking forward to seeing how you can improve your kitchen.

Jason

[gemmad]

Hi Eric, could you please advise which contact adhesive you recommend for curved edges please?

[JacobZ]

Hi @gemmad,

Any contact adhesive, such as Selleys Kwik Grip Horizontal Contact Adhesive or Sika 105 ContactFix will work fine as long as they are applied liberally and you ensure you smooth the contact over the adhesive, leaving no bubbles.

I'd suggest using a Pro Renovator 150mm Plastic Scraper to smooth the contact over as it is applied. This will ensure there are no bubbles beneath.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob