How to Change a Formica Bathroom Counter
- 1). Sand the Formica surface of the countertop with your belt sander, just enough to get it dull and flat. Wipe up the dust with a tackcloth.
- 2). Measure across the countertop length, over the front edge of the surface, and mark the middle. Make a line from front to the back at the middle with a pencil and carpenter's square.
- 3). Spread mastic over the forward half of the counter with a notched trowel.
- 4). Lay a course of bullnose-edge tiles along the front edge of the counter, starting at the middle line and working out to the ends. Arrange them with the finished edges facing forward. Put tile spacers between them as you lay them.
- 5). Cut the end tiles on a tile cutter, as needed.
- 6). Lay a row of standard tiles behind the bullnose-edge tiles, starting at the center. Set spacers between all of them. Cut the end tiles as needed.
- 7). Repeat the process for each course, laying the rows one by one, beginning each at the center line and working to the sides. Spread more mastic when you get to the back half of the counter. Tile the whole counter. Let the mastic set for 12 hours and pull out the spacers.
- 8). Spread grout over the tiles with a grout float, forcing it into the spaces between the tiles while scraping it from the surface. Use a damp sponge to wipe up the excess grout.
