Tips on how to perform do-it-yourself work at your community.
Q. My kitchen counter has a plastic laminate top that is in good condition except for the banding around the edges, which is loose at the ends. I have it held on with tape, but I am afraid it will break off if not repaired properly. How do I do that?
A.Take the tape off, of course, and make sure the edge banding is correctly positioned. Also make sure there is no dirt between the banding and the counter edge.
Cover the loose banding with a piece of clean, white cloth and hold a moderately warm laundry iron against it. The heat will often re-activate the adhesive and make the banding stick to the counter edge. If this doesn’t work, you will need to use glue to hold the loose banding.
Plastic laminate is normally glued to its backing with contact cement, a special kind of glue that is applied to the back of the laminate and the counter surface (usually particleboard).
Buy a small can of water-based contact cement at a home center. Follow instructions on the container for using the glue.
Questions and comments should be e-mailed to Gene Austin at
gaus17@aol.com. Send mail for Gene Austin to 1730 Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, Pa. 19422.