Repairing Formica Countertops

• 1). Pull off the old Formica by forcing the tip of a putty knife under the edge. When a crack develops, squirt some acetone into it and continue working the putty knife deeper while prying up on the Formica. As the acetone penetrates the crack, the contact cement will dissolve and the laminate will loosen.
  
  
• 2). Pull up on the Formica as you continue to apply acetone to the intersection of the laminate and the wood countertop. If the laminate breaks, discard it, and continue applying acetone and prying and pulling up on the laminate until it comes completely free of the countertop. Discard the old Formica.
  
  
• 3). Douse the countertop with acetone. Starting in one corner, use the glue scraper to remove the old glue as it softens. If the countertop has a backsplash, pull it loose the same way. Formica can bend up to approximately a 10-inch radius. If your countertop fascia has a round corner, pry it loose.
  
  
• 4). Brush the countertop and the back of the new Formica with a coat of contact cement. Do the same to the backsplash (if your countertop has one) and the wall behind it. Apply the metal trim top and corner piece. If your countertop has a round corner, glue the fascia and edge as well. Let dry for 30 minutes. Position, align, and press the new backsplash in place, and bend the fascia around the corner. Smooth and flush the top of the fascia edge with a file. Lay the six dowel rods across the dry countertop. Very carefully lay the Formica on top of the countertop, glue-side down on top of the dowel rods, aligning it so that you have overhang all the way around (the dry cement won't stick to the dowels). When you have correct alignment, and the edge of the Formica is under the backsplash metal corner, pull the dowels out one at a time letting the Formica settle onto the countertop.
  
  
• 5). Pound down on the Formica with the rubber mallet. Hit the entire countertop surface, including the backsplash and fascia, being careful not to break the edge. This sets the bond between the Formica and countertop.
  
  
• 6). Set the router depth to 1/2 inch and run it around the overhang of Formica, cutting it clean and flush to the edge of the countertop. Sand and round the edge lightly with 100-grit sandpaper.
  
  

Repairing Tile Countertops

• 1). Fixing tile countertops is easy. Just pry out the broken piece and replace it with new tiles from a home-improvement store. When prying, make sure you use a pad on the existing countertop; never pry against bare tile.
  
  
• 2). Clean out the hole where the old tile was, apply grout (glue), and seat the new tile. Clean off the wet glue and let dry.
  
  
• 3). Fix gouges chips, cracks, and other cosmetic problems with plastic or specialty seam fillers purchased for the particular kind of surface you are dealing with: stone, marble, or granite, for example.