Warning: That big hardware store countertop laminate is NOT the same

I needed to re-laminate a kitchen island I built for a customer in Portland last month. Grabbed a sheet from the big orange store because it was convenient and half the price of my usual supplier. Cut it, glued it, pressed it, and three days later the edges started lifting along the backsplash. Called my supplier and he told me their stuff has way less adhesive backing than the pro grade sheets. So now I drive the extra 20 minutes to the proper place every time. Anybody else get burned by that cheap laminate?

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jennifer_murphy534mo ago

Three days and already lifting? That's wild.

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king.jordan4mo ago

@jennifer_murphy53 nailed it, that three day timeline is wild. But honestly I'm more curious what your prep work looked like. Did you scuff up the old surface enough before gluing? Because I've seen guys skip that step and then wonder why their pro grade stuff fails too. Not saying you messed up, just trying to figure out if that cheap laminate is actually the problem or if it's something else.

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