Replacing Formica on countertop

[Wild Turkey]

If I were to make her a new one what is the preferred substrate?

plywood, particle board, MDF,HDF?

Paint uncoated surfaces?

[APZ]

Glueing new over old doesn't work well over time.
Buy a new top, then cut it down to fit. Or just make a new one.

Yeah; if the ones at HD are too big; just cut one.  Seems much easier than any other option.

[Stwood_]

If I were to make her a new one what is the preferred substrate?

plywood, particle board, MDF,HDF?

Paint uncoated surfaces?

PB

[fredhargis]

PB

What he said^^^^^. Pretty much every laminate countertop made uses that stuff.

[DieselDennis]

Is it going to be around a sink? Potential moisture?

Go to a countertop house and buy some treated particle board ( I think they call it green board ). It's particle board that's sealed against moisture.

You don't want the particle board to get wet. Instant permanent bulges if you do.

[fixtureman]

Glueing new over old doesn't work well over time.
Buy a new top, then cut it down to fit. Or just make a new one.

We do this all the time at the place I used to work for.  Gluing over the old sometimes as many as 4 layers.

[Stwood_]

We do this all the time at the place I used to work for.  Gluing over the old sometimes as many as 4 layers.

And if you want to rout a profile on an edge? The front edge? Or the end of an end run?
I never left square edges after making a countertop. I always profiled at least the front edge.

[Roly]

We do this all the time at the place I used to work for.  Gluing over the old sometimes as many as 4 layers.

I have done this also by using a coarse belt in a belt sander to give the contact cement a good tooth. I also prefer the solvent type contact over the water borne cement.  Roly

[daddo]

I did ours. I sanded the old formica down well, cleaned it with soap and water, then dried it with acetone. The old formica was in good condition with no loose surface.

I did the rent house by removing the old formica and had to lay a new layer of pjy down first. The old glue stuff they used 60 years ago was way too rough and wouldn't sand.


I would try leaving the old.

[museumguy]

Few recommendations. Do not glue over laminate. Just cause. A heat gun can help remove old laminate. If that doesn't work, lacquer thinner poured from a bottle of choice (mustard bottle, solvent specific bottle) in between laminate and substrate. If this is the way you proceed, allow substrate to dry. Preferably overnight. I usually use a rag and more thinner to clean as much glue from the substrate as possible. It just makes things easier.

If you decide to make new, whichever material you can get will work. I've worked in shops that prefer only particle board. Others only use plywood, preferably birch. My former shop foreman swore by MDF, all work well, all hold up.