How to make laminate furniture with your own hands? Chipboard countertops: material features and DIY manufacturing steps

Select the plastic laminate you will use for your project. There are different grades and brands available at home improvement stores, so you may want to spend some time researching the store's inventory to find what you need. Plastic laminate is usually sold in sheets 1.25-1.4 m wide and 3.6 m long, but can be purchased in cut sizes. required sizes to minimize waste.

Select an adhesive for your chosen laminate. In many cases, laminate is sold with hot-melt adhesive already applied to the back, but if you purchase laminate without adhesive already applied, you will need to purchase it separately. The process of applying glue will be described in this article. You will have two options when choosing an adhesive: either solvent-based (highly flammable and fast-drying) or water-soluble (non-flammable, slow-drying). Typically, 1 liter of adhesive is required per sheet of laminate measuring 1.2 x 2.4 m.

Buy disposable paint brushes or a short-hair roller to apply the adhesive.

Gather materials in a workshop or other area with good ventilation and light, little dust and plenty of work space. You need to check that you have everything necessary tools

to carry out the work. Cut the plywood to the size you need.

If you need to make a work surface that fits tightly into a certain place, you can cut the plywood a little larger in size, and then grind or trim off the excess. This is especially important when fitting into a specific wall or between two walls that may not be as level (at an exact 90 degree angle). Saw along the grain a 5cm wide strip of plywood for the edge.

Screw (and glue, if desired) this strip along the edge of the tabletop. Make sure the edge is square and perfectly straight. Sand if necessary to ensure a perfect edge fit. Cut the laminate to the size of the countertop.

It is usually necessary to make a margin of 5-10 mm for the overlap so that the material can be cut to size after gluing, since the glue used does not allow errors to be corrected during gluing.

Using a roller or brush, apply a thin layer of adhesive to the plywood and the back of the laminate, making sure there are no drips or thick areas of adhesive.

Excess glue will cause bumps to form on the finished surface. Let the glue dry until it loses its shine or wet appearance.

Carefully lift the laminate and lay it over the plywood, lining up the front edge and sides. Once contact has occurred between two surfaces, it is almost impossible to move them relative to each other. The countertop is by far the most visible component of a kitchen environment, fortunately or not. Some people are lucky enough to be able to chop garlic on a custom island with a marble slab as a countertop that fits perfectly into their vision. ideal interior . Others have to settle for the unsightly kitchen set

originally from the distant 80s (or even earlier years).

Due to their cheapness and durability, laminated paper-laminated plastic or chipboard countertops are very popular among homeowners, but, unfortunately, after a while they still lose their attractiveness and, in our opinion, require replacement. Of course, purchasing and installing another countertop will cost a considerable amount. But you can try to update the old one yourself, giving it the desired look. Thin layer concreting Using special materials, you can make your old laminated countertop look new and concrete. This is a real trend last years

, which goes well with both classic and modern interiors.

The resulting surface will be glossy and even more durable. In addition, the presence of countertops of different types and textures in one space makes the kitchen design voluminous and interesting. Imitating painting to look like granite An amazingly high-quality imitation of a granite surface can be made using quite affordable methods. Using acrylic paints , sponge paint technique, and special polymer composition like Envirotex Lite, you'll transform a boring, colorless countertop into an incredibly luxurious and realistic one (application blowtorch

helps to increase the elasticity of the finish).

Imitating painting like natural stone To give the surface the appearance of a stone slab (which looks harder than granite), you will need the same paint, transparent glitter (that is, sparkles) and a transparent coating.

The “before” and “after” options presented here are almost the same in color, but general impression varies enormously. The glossy finish itself looks more professional and sophisticated. It's hard to believe that this is just a laminated countertop.

Coating with tiles If the surface is damaged quite badly or the painting option simply does not suit you, you can resort to another simple, but effective way design updates.

Compared to completely replacing the countertop, tiling does not seem like such an expensive undertaking. In addition, the variety of shapes and colors of this material on the market allows you to create almost any image.

The installation process, as with other surfaces, is quite simple. Just remember that to cover the side edges of the countertop you need to choose tiles with rounded chamfers.

Don't rush to judge your old table top, because there are many ways to bring it into perfect shape. We were pleased to tell you about the simplest and most interesting ones today.

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Watch a video about the site Welcome to our kitchen design resource! We have created a collection of unusual and attractive interiors

kitchen and decor ideas for decorating your home.

During the holidays, mothers and grandmothers have to spend all day in the kitchen. Things go faster if everything is at hand. And everything is at hand when the cutting table, stove and sink are conveniently located and united by a wide, solid tabletop.

Today we have heard a lot about " kitchen islands", covered with marble or granite slabs. At furniture exhibitions and at friends’ houses, we touched countertops made of artificial cast stone and saw mosaic cladding. Everyone knows laminated chipboard countertops with their undeniable advantages. But there is a more interesting idea. A solid tabletop can be constructed from non-laminated chipboard or MDF and covered with sheet decorative plastic. It's not as difficult as it seems. It's worth trying to get the perfect exclusive.

Choosing plastic for making countertops

There are also plexiglass on sale with its tempting transparency (we do not recommend it, it will quickly get scratched) and PVC sheets (harder than PVC linoleum). There is also decorative paper-laminated material HPL (high pressure laminates - laminate high pressure very popular among furniture makers), and decorative cladding made of impact-resistant polystyrene, and polycarbonate-based plastic... The choice, as always, is based on a study of the properties, and is determined by availability and circumstances of use. Theoretically, you can even use a homogeneous PVC floor covering, but in our case the cladding is made of HPL.

The advantages of such a homemade countertop

The proposed technology has two advantages. Firstly, you can create a completely seamless front surface even with an angular arrangement working area- with laminated chipboard it will not be possible to achieve such an effect. Secondly, the decorative range of sheet plastics is generally disproportionately wider than that of ready-made laminated countertops. In addition to monochromatic articles and traditional decor, imitating wood or natural stone of various species, unexpected geometric patterns, animal prints and textile motifs are offered. Install the countertop yourself and feel a pleasant sense of pride in your work!

On a note:

When processing the countertop and the upper edge of the apron, the router guide will move along the laminate, and it is very important that the tool does not stop. When it stops, the cutter will go deeper into the laminate. To avoid damage, you can lubricate the edge of the surface with petroleum jelly.

Tabletop - drawing

1. Sheet plastic. 2. Chipboard base. 3. Apron. 4. Side pad
5. Groove. 6. Support slats. 7. End finishing.

Do-it-yourself tabletop - work progress in the photo

1. Cut to size necessary details from chipboard (apron, tabletop, lining), fasten them. The master did this using a construction stapler, with 0.6 cm staples 3 cm long at a distance of 12.5 cm from each other - no glue is required in this case.

2. The standard hole for the sink is 54 x 82 cm. But perhaps you have a different one? Before grabbing the tool, measure its dimensions and draw an outline with a pencil.

3. The surfaces of the chipboard base parts may be at slightly different heights, but the joint must be perfect. Apply a few pencil strokes to the joint and sand it until the pencil marks disappear.

4. Prepare the end facing. The strips should be made a little longer so that after installation they can be carefully trimmed to the desired size. Cut them so that there is enough laminate left to make a solid L-shaped main part.

5.The main part of the cladding can be cut with a grinder or circular saw. Since the front edge of a laminate countertop will still need to be sanded, the cut lines do not have to be perfect.

6.The bottom edge and the very top of the side trim must be smooth so that they can only be processed by sanding. Glue the trim and secure it with a few light blows of a smooth hammer - ready for trimming.

7.This part will have to be marked in place and probably cut. To prevent the laminate from cracking, make short cuts - no more than 0.7 cm at a time. Sand the edge.

8. Place the end cap flush with the bottom edge of the tabletop base and hammer down the plastic. Then remove the excess with a router.

9. It will be difficult to carefully apply glue to the backsplash after laying the laminate on the countertop, so coat the backsplash with glue at the same time as the base.

10. Use spacers when installing laminate flooring. Having placed the sheet in the desired position, begin to remove the dividers from under it. Please note: the linings must be clean so that no specks remain under the cladding.

11. To smooth the surface, use a block wrapped in a towel instead of a roller. Start at the back and work your way to the front edge.

12. Facing internal corner Before installation, treat the apron with metal scissors (small cuts). Tap with a hammer and smooth with a block. The countertop lining should also be touched with a hammer.

13. Use a router to cut a hole for the sink. Simply pierce the material with the rotating drill bit and work your way to the edge. Towards the end of the work, place something under the cut piece of laminate so that it does not fall down.

14. After assembly, sand all edges (movements should be from top to bottom, not back and forth). Remove excess glue with solvent.

It is possible to cut the end cladding with metal scissors, but it is difficult. It will be perfectly smooth only with a certain amount of skill. You can use ready-made end tape, or get a special tool. The laminate cutting machine comes with a guide for making strips with a width of 1.25 to 11 cm. A milling cutter will also help.

It is convenient to cut out the cladding of the table top from HPL sheets with a circular saw. Place a board under the sheet to prevent the saw from touching the floor. Place masking tape on the bottom surface of the saw base to prevent scratching the laminate.

HPL adhesive is very toxic, be sure to use a respirator, keep the window open and turn on a fan. The glue is applied to both surfaces to be joined (clean them thoroughly first). Apply glue along the perimeter with a brush, and then spread it over the rest of the area using a piece of laminate.

Laminate adhesive sets instantly; Once two coated surfaces touch, they cannot be separated. But it is difficult to lay a large flexible sheet accurately and accurately. Cut the remaining laminate into strips and use them as dividers so you can slide the laminate sheet along them.

If you are replacing the tabletop on factory-assembled tables (stands), the chipboard base will need to be raised. Use slats as linings or cut 1.9 cm thick chipboard blocks. Then the top drawers will not touch the countertop. At the junction of two tables, install a board instead of pads.