How to Apply Contact Paper
Applying contact paper is a more common task than you would think! I am going to share my best tips and tricks for how to apply contact paper!
Table of Contents
Creating a Surface to Work With
I will be applying my contact paper on top of the drawers I am making inside my new closet. The goal is to make the plywood look like stone! I am starting by placing 3/4 inch thick plywood on the top of the drawers where I want my counter to be. In addition, I am adding a lip along the front. I am using a brad nailer to attach a 1/4 inch thick strip of wood onto the front of the counter to bulk up the thickness of the counter. This step is done to make it look more convincing because a real stone counter is usually about 1 inch thick.
Preparing the Surface for the Contact Paper
Peel-and-stick contact paper sticks best to non-porous surfaces. If you are trying to put it on raw material like raw drywall or raw plywood, you need to seal it first. To do this, I am priming the top and the front of my plywood. Once the primer is dry, you are ready to apply the contact paper!
How to Apply Contact Paper: Tips and Tricks
- Avoid seams by using contact paper that is wider than the surface you are putting it on. This is the contact paper I used! Most rolls come in the depth of a standard counter, but that is not the greatest because you want a little bit of wiggle room on both sides. I like to work with a roll that is 2-4 inches wider than what I am covering.
- Make sure you have enough space to start applying your contact paper for a smooth finish. Because my ceiling is slanted, it was hard for me to get started and get the roll of contact paper back into the corner. I am pulling my plywood out a little bit to help me get started.
- Pull off the backing slowly to avoid wrinkles or creases.
- Work in sections. This allows you to ensure that there are no imperfections before rolling out the rest of the paper
- When pushing down the contact paper, start in the center. This allows you to push out in both directions towards the edges, where the bubbles can escape, rather than allowing the bubbles to congregate in the middle.
- Use a blow dryer to help with tricky edges. This will help to mold the paper to any corners or edges you might be applying contact paper to.
Applying the Contact Paper
I am starting the application by lining up the contact paper roll, with most of the excess across the front and a little bit of excess across the back that I can just fold down. As you apply this you are going to pull your roll out and then slowly pull the backing off. I am pulling this backing off very slowly to avoid wrinkling and creasing. As I move down my counter, I am working in small square sections, so I can make sure that there are no bubbles. To press my contact paper down, I use a credit card. I move all of the air bubbles out and press the paper down to the plywood towards me and then away from me until everything is super smooth. Not only is the contact paper I am using wide enough, it is also super long. This means there are no seams, which is exactly what I want! Whenever you need to cut contact paper you can just use a utility knife, so at the end I cut it to be flush with my wall.
Finishing Up
At first, I thought I would be able to cover the front of the counter by just pulling the contact paper super tight, but that did not work well. It created so many wrinkles, and it just did not look good. I am switching gears and pushing the slab back into place, tight against the slanted ceiling. From here, I am moving forward with caulking. Running a bead of caulk along all of the seams and edges helps to create a convincing look because that is what you would do if you had installed a real stone slab.
Once the caulking is done, I am revisiting the edge of the counter. I am going to use my blow dryer on a low heat setting to help mold the paper to the edge. This works so well, it is giving me the edge finish that I am looking for! Once my edge is fully wrapped, I am going in with my utility knife and cutting off any excess.
This countertop turned out so well! It was affordable and looks so smooth. I hope these tips and tricks for how to apply contact paper help you with your next project!
