How to Make a Countertop Look Like Slate

Put on rubber gloves and clean the old countertop with oxygen bleach and a scouring pad. Rinse with plain water and towel dry.

Put on safety glasses. Attach medium-grit sandpaper to an orbital sander and rough up the countertop for better adhesion of the contact cement. Wipe away any dust with damp towels and allow to air-dry.

Measure the width and depth of the countertop using a tape measure. Draw lines on the underside of the slate sheet laminate with a pencil and yardstick, allowing for a few inches of overlap.

Cut the laminate with a circular saw. The cut should be made on the underside for best results.

Apply a coat of contact cement to the countertop as well as the underside of the slate laminate sheeting with a paintbrush. Let dry until tacky to the touch.

Space dowels about 1 foot apart on top of the countertop. Lay the cut laminate over the dowels.

Remove the first dowel and press the laminate slate onto the countertop with a J-roller. Remove the remaining dowels one by one, rolling the sheeting into place. Let the contact cement dry for 30 minutes.

Spread petroleum jelly over the edges, then cut the overlapping edges to fit flush with a router and a trim bit. Wipe down the slate laminate sheeting with a damp towel and let air-dry to finish the installation. You now have countertops that look like slate.