How to fix an etched laminate kitchen benchtop?

Question

We are moving out of our current workplace into another facility. As part of our make good, we need to fix an etched kitchen benchtop (someone has done some serious chopping on the benchtop). The kitchen benchtop is white in colour with straight edges, L-shaped, approx 600mm wide, one arm around 1m long and the other arm roughly 0.5m.

What would be the best approach to fixing the kitchen top without breaking the bank? We asked for a quote from a kitchen cabinet guy who quotes us approx. $2000 for the job.

Would it be possible to sand down the exisiting benchtop and glue some laminate over? What would be the most effective and yet low budget solution?

EricL · Answer

Hello @Jud_Cas

Thank you for sharing those pictures of your benchtop. I propose doing a cleaning vinegar wash first in combination with a very soft scrubber. This will remove the oil and grease deposits on the surface. I suggest a mixture of one cup of cleaning vinegar and two cups of water in a spray bottle. You may add two drops of dishwashing liquid if you wish. Spray the top and let it sit for five minutes before scrubbing. Rinse the table off and dry thoroughly.

I then suggest using PC-11 56g White Epoxy Paste in combination with an old, expired credit card. Your goal is to run the epoxy paste over the surface to fill the small cracks and crevices and use the plastic cards to give a totally flat finish. Allow the epoxy to dry and buff the surface with some furniture wax to shine. Please note that the epoxy will dry to an off-white finish.

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves and goggles when working on your benchtop.

However, if you wish to have it professionally repaired. I suggest getting a quote from a benchtop repair specialist.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Jud_Cas · Answer

Hi Eric, I’ve posted some pics of the bench top. Hopefully this should give a good picture of the scratches.

Thanks for your help.

kind regards

judith

Jud_Cas · Answer

Hi Eric