Tiling Kitchen Countertops Over Laminate

Ceramic tile is durable easy to clean and relatively inexpensive making it a great way to update outdated plastic laminates.

Tiling kitchen countertops over laminate. A laminate countertop is an acceptable base for ceramic tile but think carefully before you attempt it. If the old countertops are smooth and even simply tile over them. If the laminate and substrate are in good condition you can tile directly on top of the laminate.

Step 1 treating the laminate. To achieve maximum adherence use coarse sandpaper and roughen up the entire surface of the counter. Even better it installs as easily as any other tile though cutting it.

If your countertops have a raised and rounded edge often called a waterfall edge you cant cover them with new laminate because its impossible to get the new material to conform to the edge contours. To achieve maximum adherence use. You dont need to remove the laminate before creating your new tile countertops.

The first step in any remodeling project of this scale is to plan your layout carefully. Some tile stores carry special tiles that will wrap around the front edge but the. Step 1 treating the laminate.

Sketching the dimensions and the existing layout of the countertop will help you determine what tile patterns will. While not a perfect solution to all of your countertop woes tiling over laminate just might be the fast inexpensive solution you need to carry your kitchen through for a few more years or to aid in a house sale. If your counter has curved edges as most do youll have to grind off the raised bead at the lip with a belt sander and you wont be able to tile the backsplash without cutting off the curved top edge.

One alternative to full countertop replacement is to tile over the laminate. Installing granite tile countertops over laminate. This project involves laying ceramic tile over a laminate countertop around a top mounted kitchen sink and on both sides of a cooking range.