7 Tips to Properly Applying Contact Paper on Your Countertops

Whether you're renovating a rental or your own kitchen, the ease of using contact paper on countertops is taking center stage in the home DIY world. Homeowners can imitate the look of wood, stone, or marble on countertops and remove the paper when it's time to move or switch it up. Let's walk through five tips for applying contact paper to counters.

1. Consider Your Countertop Use

If you're on the hunt for a budget-friendly countertop material, it's important to consider the pros and cons of contact paper on countertops. In particular, you should know how each material stands up under pressure. For example, if you want a countertop for food prep, it should be easy to clean, resilient against scratches, and heat-resistant.

Peel-and-stick for countertops—another common name for contact paper or vinyl sheets—comes in various quality levels. For example, some varieties can withstand specific temperatures, while others are waterproof.

Now, if you're simply covering countertops with contact paper for kitchen areas with little use—like that spot where you keep your keys and incoming mail—then you may not need the same perks as you would next to the sink and stove.

2. Measure Exactly, Order Extra

Contact paper is a great option for those seeking kitchen countertop ideas on a budget. To avoid unnecessary costs during your DIY installation, take proper measurements before buying the materials. 

Begin by measuring the countertop area you need to cover and writing down the dimensions. Take extra care around the sink and stove. Contact paper comes in rolls or sheets of specific widths, and you can easily cut it to size.

Order rolls that provide more than enough contact paper for your measurements. The last thing you want is to create more seams by cutting up small pieces.

Unless you're covering a very small area, you'll need to unroll the contact paper and use more than one strip on your space. Purchase a busier pattern to hide the seams between sheets if you're concerned about the final look.

3. Use the Correct Adhesive Liner 

When buying your contact paper, look for products that are for countertops. There are many similar products like contact paper for walls, shelf liners, and drawer liners. Although their names are similar, they won’t hold up properly. Instead, look specifically for contact paper for countertops or peel-and-stick countertop paper.

4. Prep Properly for Application

An important part of knowing how to install contact paper on countertops is doing the proper prep work. You don't need to do much to prep your countertops for contact paper, but it's important to get them as clean as possible. Use a countertop degreasing cleaner, and let it dry. You can also clean the counter with rubbing alcohol—test this first in a small area before proceeding—to ensure no residue is left behind before application.

Since the roll of contact paper is like a massive sticker, you’ll be able to measure the sheet before you begin applying it. However, it's best to wait until you've adhered the piece to the counter before making your final cut. As you unroll the sheet, use a credit card, spatula, or dull putty knife to slowly push out bubbles as you go.

5. Caulk the Edges Like You Would With a Stone Slab

Even though you’re installing contact paper and not a stone slab, you should still caulk the edges. Caulk around the sink and by the wall. This will make your counters look finished and add extra protection for high-moisture areas. Plus, the caulk will help the edges of your contact paper stay flat instead of potentially curling up over time.

6. Keep Up With Maintenance for Contact Paper

After you cover your counters with contact paper, it’s time to learn how to maintain it. Your unique brand of contact paper should indicate how it holds up against heat and cleaning solutions. Stick with the suggested cleaning materials and care instructions to keep it from peeling or bubbling. In most cases, you can use a standard all-purpose cleaner on counter-safe contact paper.

However, the material doesn’t have an excellent reputation for withstanding heat from hot pans or particularly long heat waves. Over time, too much heat can cause the contact paper to separate at the seams and edges. In these instances, you can either replace that strip of paper or use a blow-dryer to loosen it and reshape the area.

7. Use a Blow-Dryer When Ready to Remove or Replace

Unlike calling in a local countertop installer for a major makeover, contact paper provides a very temporary solution in place of repairing countertop issues or replacing them entirely. 

The lifespan of your countertop cover will range from several months to several years, depending on how often you use the area. However, this is ideal if you want to switch up your kitchen's look or if you're renting—but always get your landlord's stamp of approval first.

Contact paper loosens when you heat up the adhesive. When you’re ready to remove it, break out the hair dryer and focus on the end of a strip to pull it up. Move slowly with the dryer as you pull to avoid ripping the strip. You may also need an adhesive remover or rubbing alcohol to remove the glue residue on your exposed countertops.

Ginny Bartolone contributed to this piece.