How to Fix a Peeling Laminate Cabinet Door

Laminate is a lovely and long-lasting cabinet facing material. But like any cabinet material, it has its shortcomings. Laminate can peel and leave unsightly flaps and curls on cabinet door facings. But don’t let that alter your affections to laminate cabinets. Peeling happens. If you catch the peel early on, it will be easier to fix. Even if you wait, and the peel turns to a crack or a warp, you can still fix the peel and avoid having to go to the extent of refacing or replacing all of your cabinets.

Sandpaper
Straight-edge rule
Pencil
Heat gun
Tape measure
Contact cement
Paper
4-inch rubber roller
Router saw

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the appearance of the surface of the cabinet door. If the surface does not have cracks, you will be able to fix the peel without having to replace or reface the door. If the peel has grown to the point where it has cracked, you will need to reface the entire door for a seamless look.
- 2
  Lift the peeled area to repair it without replacing or refacing it. Lightly sand the particleboard substrate surface. This will help the laminate to adhere when you apply a new coat of adhesive.
- 3
  Use a straight edge ruler and a pencil, and draw a horizontal line right above the peeling area, if it is cracked and will require refacing instead of re-gluing. Draw the line so that it spans from the far left to the far right edge of the cabinet door.
- 4
  Loosen old adhesive with a heat gun. Plug in and turn on the gun to a medium setting. Apply it to the nearest corner to the damaged area first, and then work outwards, so that you can lift the entire laminate piece from the cabinet door.
- 5
  Sand the exposed cabinet door particleboard substrate material after the old laminate piece has been removed. Sand until the particleboard is as flat and level as possible.
- 6
  Measure the width and length of the facing surface you need to replace with a tape measure. Add 1 inch to each measurement. For example, if a door panel were to measure 20 inches wide by 32 inches long, you would write down 21 inches by 33 inches. Use this measurement to purchase a replacement piece of laminate for the cabinet door.
- 7
  Cut the replacement laminate piece according to your measurements. Apply contact cement to the back of the replacement piece and to the particleboard surface where the piece will be applied. Press the new replacement piece firmly into place with your hands, and follow with a 4-inch hard rubber roller.
- 8
  Give the cabinet door at least 24 hours to dry and cure, or according to the instructions on the label for your contact cement product. Trim away any excess laminate material with a router saw. Sand edges smooth where needed.

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