The spot right next to my kitchen sink looked fine for years. Then one day I brushed my hand along the counter edge and the laminate had lifted, creating a little curl that snagged every towel that came near it. Water had gotten under the edge and slowly killed the glue.

Peeling laminate edges are one of the most common kitchen problems in older homes and rentals. The fix is cheap and takes about half an hour, and no, you do not need to replace the whole countertop.

What you need

Just three things: contact cement, a small paintbrush or cotton swab, and a heavy book or a block of wood. Contact cement is the key. Regular glue will not hold laminate that is under constant bending stress.

The fix, step by step

1. Clean under the lifted edge with a dry cloth and let it dry completely. Any moisture traps under there will just loosen the new glue too.
2. Apply contact cement to both the underside of the laminate and the exposed core of the countertop. A thin, even coat on each side.
3. Wait about ten minutes until the cement is tacky but not wet. Contact cement bonds to itself, so both sides need to be dry to the touch.
4. Press the laminate down firmly and hold it for a couple of minutes.
5. Set a heavy book or a block of wood on the edge and leave it overnight for a full cure.

Wipe away any cement that squeezes out at the seam while it is still wet. Once it dries, it is a pain to remove.

Stop it from coming back

Peeling edges are almost always caused by standing water. Dry the counter edge after washing dishes, fix any leaky faucet drip, and keep a small bead of silicone sealant along the seam near the sink if that is where yours peeled.

If the edge is peeling because the counter is very old and the core underneath is swollen, the swollen part may need sanding flat before you glue. Rough up the core with sandpaper, clean off the dust, then apply the cement.

When to call it

If the laminate is cracked or the particle board underneath is crumbling and water stained, glue will not save it. That is when you replace the countertop or cover the edge with a new strip. But for the common case, the simple curl near the sink, contact cement fixes it for good.

My counter edge has stayed flat for over a year now, and the towels finally stop snagging.