How to Wallpaper Kitchen Countertops
If wallpaper were only for walls, then nobody would have ever thought of using it to cover closets, line shelves and turn old dressers into conversation pieces. Wallpaper gives you a quick way to turn an old laminate countertop into the centerpiece of a newly renovated and painted kitchen. To avoid messing with contact cement or wallpaper adhesive, consider utilizing preglued vinyl wallpaper, which is thick and resilient enough to survive the curves of kitchen knives. Should you prefer the pattern on a nonglued paper product, be prepared to safeguard it with a few coats of polyurethane.
Make any needed repairs to your countertop, including gluing down lifting laminate with contact cement and filling holes with wood filler. It is not vital to be perfect repairs, but you need to be sure that the surface is level — you will observe any bulging or depressions under the wallpaper.
Clean out the countertop with a strong detergent to remove grease and grime that could stop the wallpaper in the sticking. Mix 1/2 cup of trisodium phosphate with a gallon of warm water. Put on goggles and gloves, and wipe down all the surfaces you plan to cover, with a sponge. Rinse with clear water, then let everything dry.
Use a roll of wallpaper that is wide enough to cover the countertop in the back into the exterior edge of the current covering — you don’t want to create a seam everywhere on the surface. Unroll it lengthwise and cut what you want in the roll. Allow a few added inches on each end.
Fit the wallpaper on the countertop and make any cuts you want to match it around obstacles, such as the sink and faucet, with a utility knife. These cuts don’t need to be accurate — it’s better to trim around the obstacles once you put down the wallpaper — but you need to remove any surplus that stops you from putting the wallpaper level.
Spread adhesive on the countertop in case you are not utilizing a preglued item. The best adhesive is contact cement, but wallpaper adhesive also works. Spread a thin layer, using a paintbrush. Be sure to open the windows for ventilation and to put on a respirator when using contact cement.
Start putting the wallpaper at one end of the countertop, allowing an inch or two to extend up along the wall; you can trim this later. Put the paper gradually, working any air bubbles toward the leading edge with a plastic paint scraper. If you are using pre-glued paper, remove the backing as you lay the newspaper.
Trim around the sink, faucet and any other obstacles, with a sharp utility knife. Make the cuts as precise as possible, but don’t be worried if the knife slips — it is possible to conceal mistakes with caulk.
Apply a couple of coats of clear polyurethane finish to the countertop in the event that you used a newspaper item. You don’t always need to coat vinyl paper, but you might want to for additional protection. Sand every coat with 320-grit sandpaper before applying the next to get a smooth, glossy surface.
Seal the edges of the paper that are against the wall and around the sink and sink with clear silicone caulk. The caulk prevents water from getting under the newspaper, and in addition, it prevents the edges from lifting.