After removing formica top , can I just sand and stain plywood ?
Question:The plywood under is about 1 inch thick and has a nice grain Can i just sand it and seal it ?
Answers:
From my experience, plywood does not stain and seal well. You can probably get away with putting a piece of MDF over it, then apply a marine paint on the MDF. They sometimes use MDF to make traffic signs and such, so it really holds up to abuse.
You could try, but it may be very difficult to remove the residual adhesive (especially if the Formica was attached properly in the first place). I suspect that you will need to start with some coarse sanding (carefully with a belt sander) and then go back over the entire surface more gently (by hand or with a rotary or vibrating sander) to prep the surface for staining. I'm not sure what kind of wood you have under that counter top, but if it does have a nice grain it is unlike any plywood that I have seen...
There is no guarantee that the wood will absorb stain well, but you should be able to tell right away. If it does, this will be your cheapest option by far. Be sure to use a good protective varnish. I'm sure you are aware that a wood counter will not be as resilient as Formica, so keep that in mind as you plan and during use.
If your results are less than stellar, it will still be possible to attach a veneer over the counter or to glue on a new Formica. Tile or slate can also look very nice (but $$$) and stripping and prepping your surface will prepare you for these options anyway. While you are at all this, you have a good opportunity to make sure that the counter is level, etc.
Good luck with all this!
Absolutely! I've even done this with floors. Just make certain that you seal it properly so that it doesn't soak up water. And hey, if you don't like it, it'll still be time to cover it up!
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