In my opinion, and I'm no expert, I think the safer route would be to install the new Formica countertops. My thinking is this would result in less probability of a mishap or issue with the counters.

Look forward to a photo of the finish product! :)

Refacing a counter with laminate is not easy. I have seen laminate applied to an existing counter by a non-expert and it is not pretty. The entire job had to be removed and replaced.

The full piece for each run must have adhesive applied and be set down all at once. Getting everything even without trimming is difficult and getting seams to look good is even harder. Ever tried a large run of Contact paper or wallpaper by yourself? It's apparently worse than that. Laminate should be applied in a shop where everything is set up properly.

Is $1836 the best price? What are the sizes of your counters? We just had granite installed on 22 ft. of counters for $1400, including an apron sink and cooktop cutout.

The counters are 39 sq ft I am told (though I measure it at 36). I have had two estimates for the whole counter job: one from Lowes, and one from a local counter company, and both are around $1800.

Lowes initially told me $1200, which I paid, and then they tried to up it later to the $1880 (which was higher than their granite costs), so I asked for a refund. They said the reason it ended up being more was they forgot to include a tear out and haul away, and there were a couple places that would require special cutting (one place where the wall juts in to the counter). It seems really expensive to me.

Yeah, I don't think I would attempt relaminating on my own, but I figured the pro would be able to do it? There seems to be a lot of instructions on the internet about how to do it, and what I saw looked pretty good, but I don't know. It all makes me nervous. I am trying not to give up on the whole thing, but if you saw these baby blue counters, you would see why I am trying to find some sort of option!

Just b/c someone is a "pro" in one area of construction, does not mean s/he is a "pro" in all areas. The very fact that the person you're considering generally does cabinets professionally, but doesn't do counters as often raises a red flag for this particular task.

What happens if he doesn't do a good job? Will he redo for free and replace anything he might have damaged at his cost? Will he provide you with all new counters at his cost if he really makes a mess of it?

I highly recommend you find a true "countertop pro" to do this if you're not going to do it DIY...

Yep, should have added that the laminate project that got messed up was at the office of a client and the guys who did it were the contractor and his carpenter who usually installs cabinets and countertops. They thought it would be no problem until they tried it. The client wanted to save money and ended up with a mess.

You can buy laminate tops off the shelf at HD and Lowe's and they don't seem that expensive. Maybe you could find a carpenter on Craigslist who could install those for you.

Your laminate price does seem expensive, my granite was 44 sq. ft. and less than laminate prices you are getting.

I'd replace the old countertop, not laminate over.

Can you do the tear out and disposal yourself? I don't think it would really be that hard. And you can borrow a truck from a friend and make a run to the dump.

I was just going to suggest the tear out option to drop part of the cost and then buy a coupon on ebay for 20% at HD or Lowes (Lowes will honor HD coupons) and that will knock another chunk off.
If you don't have time to order the coupon from ebay, go to your local post office and ask for a change of address package. It will contain a 10% Lowes coupon.

Usually, I am a reduce, reuse, recycle cheerleader, but there is potential for the install to go very wrong. I'd go back to the counter company and ask if they would do the reface method and see what they would charge for that. At least they have more laminate experience and a real chance at a good outcome. You can also ask them how much it would all be if you tore out the current counters yourselves.

I was going to have our countertops re-laminated in order to save a chunk of $$$, but the more DH thought about it, the more he felt leary, so needless to say, we are NOT going to have them re-laminated. And this wasn't even a job we were going to tackle ourselves. I had spoken with a handyman that we used before and he said he "had a guy" that did this and when I asked what would happen if something went wrong, well, I was basically responsible - I would be the one to buy the new laminate (if they ruined it) and pay for the extra time to "fix" whatever happened, not to mention, the handyman company was not responsible if something happened to either my cabinets or the particle board that the current laminate is on. For us there were too many chances to take, so I am working on Plan B -- whatever that is (it still maybe laminate but I am trying to hold out for quartz).

Seems to me that for $500 difference you should go with the all-new product.

See if there are any local companies that have laminate for less than Lowe's?

I think I would rather leave the tear out to the pros. There is a lot of opportunity to destroy things... and I lack the expertise (and the truck, and possibly the muscle).

... It is actually way more than $500 difference all said and done. I would have to add in plumber expenses, and the locally owned business price also didn't include tear out and haul away, so that would be another couple hundred I would imagine. Plus with the all new counters, as opposed to just new laminate, I would have to replace backsplash too, as that would be destroyed during tear out. So I am estimating that all new counters total would end up being over $2,000... close to double what relaminating would end up costing.

I am kind of surprised that no one here thinks the relaminating is a good option. Everyone seems unanimously against it, and all the people I have asked in real life are unanimously for it (not counting counter salesmen, of course). It is giving me pause, for sure, although now I am more mixed up than ever!

Just a word of caution, in our area Lowes hires local companies (subcontractors) to do work like that. So they are just probably calling the same company you got the other quote from.

Don't relaminate! Old glue residue, 18 year old particle board...you won't want to mess with that. It will be a nightmare. The new countertop people can make sure that the backsplash is high enough to meet your old backsplash if you do what they call a set on backsplash, rather than a "preformed".

My old countertops took all of 20 min to remove. then they cut it up in 3' chunks and my trashmen took it.

You will want a certified plumber to rehook your sink back up though. What if the countertop guys use a bad part or do it wrong and the next day your kitchen floods?

Just my opinion

Pence, Thanks for the information. They do subcontract, but with a different company than where I got the quote. I am working on getting quote number 4. My work hours are making this all very difficult!

Well, I think you all have changed my mind about relaminating. I was pretty well decided to do it, but now I think I am going to look at other options. It sounds like it may not be worth the hassle for the amount of money it saves. Thank you all for your expertise!

mirz2000 - sounds like you decided to go with new materials, but just fyi we've relaminated in two kitchens and two bathrooms over the years, and never had any issues. Granted, the original counters were only about 10-12 years old and not 18.

The part of your post that was concerning was that the installer is more of a cabinet guy...I'd definitely want someone who'd done new formica on old bases before. For us it was important to save all that wood from going to the landfill, and we were pleased with the results (which in one case tided us over a good 8 years before we finally did a full kitchen reno!)

I don't know about relamination but my quick reaction is that it isn't necessarily a problem for a good installer.

We had our custom countetops created and installed here at our place. The man had to be here in order to do it. This was a job from scratch. I've just calculated: roughly 97 square feet, for 3 sections of counter, not including the butcher block my DH cut at the same time. Cost was $1500 for Formica 180 FX. Regular 90 degree edges. Only a couple tricky parts--a sink section that extends out to the window and bumps into the room and a diagonal seam in the corner. Two sink cut-outs and he and DH lifted in the cast iron sinks. Can't recall who put the goo under them. We disposed of the waste, did the cleanup. It took 2 days. We've done our DIY kitchen without a dumpster--we just have to be patient and fill our trash barrel to the brim each week to dispose of things, unless we have so much that we take a trailer to the municipal disposal site.

Keep looking. Ask around--call a cupboard manufacturer and ask who they use. The guy who subcontracts regularly for the home improvement store is also very likely available without the middleman, for less money and may offer more options.

I just talked with Home Depot, who gave a better price than Lowes. I am going to cross my fingers that the price doesn't change drastically after they come measure, like it did with Lowes. Here's hoping.