How to Make Countertop Edging

Locate a piece of laminate that is the same color as that already installed on the counter. Lay the pieces of laminate face down on a work table.

Measure over 1 1/2 inches from the edge and draw a line all the way down the length of the laminate using a straightedge and a pencil.

Measure the length of the counter’s edge using a tape measure and then measure the same distance on the laminate sheet. Draw a vertical pencil line at the location where the edging will end.

Don safety glasses and cut along the pencil lines on the laminate using a 1/2-inch, carbide-tipped straight cutter.

Open a container of contact cement and apply a 1/8-inch layer to the entire edge of the countertop with a paint brush. Apply another 1/8-inch layer on the back of the laminate strip. Wait until the cement is dry to the touch.

Turn the laminate strip so the back faces the counter and press it onto the edge of the counter. The strip will hang over the edges of the counter a little.

Roll the entire edge of the counter with a laminate seam roller to ensure the strip is firmly attached.

Plug in a trim router, also called a laminate trimmer, and position the roller ball on the top-front edge of the counter. Move it along the top, bottom and side edges of the counter to trim the excess strip material off.

Repeat the process to install additional laminate edging on all remaining edges of the countertop.