You can paint the laminate as long as you use a really good primer. Ask at a paint store. Or maybe you could put the new wood top on top of the old one and use trim on the side so it looks like all one piece. I would probably paint it.
Joyce

Didn't I read/hear somewhere that you can put KILZ overtop of ANYTHING and then paint it? Don't take my word for it.....let's wait and see if anyone else knows????

probably the easiest way to remove laminate is to carefully slide a wood chisel between the laminate and the base and pru gently all along the edges, going dddper as you loosen it.

Easiest way to redo a laminate top table is to screw real wood right over the laminate (from beneath!) and cover the edges with molding.

Thank you guys for your responses. I will soon be working on this project and wasn't sure where to start. I may try kiltzing first, if that dosen't work I will then move on to adding a wood top with moulding!

I refinished the laminate top of an old dresser about 10 years ago and it still looks good.I sanded it lightly to rough up the finish a little bit then painted it first with 2 coats of Kilz,rolled on with a roller.I let this dry overnight.I then applied 2 coats of acrylic,also with a roller and let that dry a couple of hours between coats.I then sponged it with 2 contrasting colors.It resembled granite.I let that dry thoroughly then applied 2 coats of acrylic sealer,also with a roller.As I said it still looks good and has been well used.I have even had people ask if it was granite.I also did the top of a maple dresser the same way and it still looks great.The roller technique eliminates brush marks and the paint dries smoothly.
God bless.................Lillie

hi, I think lillie just told you how to do it ,if parts are coming up though wood glue them and let cure and fill in gaps with wood putty . Love that granit /marble look . we have a friend that is a pro painter and he recently put on the base coats for an entire basement including stair way and fire place area that were fauxed in pink granite and tan marble ,something like 1500 sq. ft of wall board it was clear coated to look polished , although he has not showed us the pic,s he says you can,t tell it is not real .
a lady spent 2 wks with rags sponges and feathers to finish it .would have made a good t.v episode . happy painting rick

Someone told me that BIN works even better than Kilz on priming laminate. It is a shellac primer (so use a throw-away brush or roller). I am going to try it in a few weeks.

check with the hardware/home building store to see which primer will work best for your purpose.

If the laminate if partially off, you can do as above suggested to remove the laminate, which is just a fancy term for a thin slice of a better lookin wood than the under wood which is often pine. And some people just use a thin piece of laminate to replace it or a nice plywood with a good grain on it.

I think you just need to decide what you want the end results to be and proceed in a way to achieve it. good luck, post a picture.

I had an old oak desk with laminate on the top. I pryed off the laminate and the top was in awful shape and really rough from the glue. Needed a ton of sanding and refinishing. Not worth it, in my opinion.

Lowes has a great product called Cabinet Rescue that is great for painting laminate.

IMHO Kilz primer is okay but Zinser is much better. Ever since the formula of Kilz was changed a while back it just doesn't work as well. The trick to painting laminates is, sand that laminate real good with a fine grit paper and make sure to get every bit of the dust off before priming and painting.

How about RE laminating the top? Lowes sells rolls of real wood laminate, and edging tape. You iron it on, and trim the edge with an exacto..

I would think whether you re-laminate, or prime and paint, you should rough up the surface with some fine sandpaper to give it a better surface to adhere to...

I got a cherry cedar cabinet. It has alot of laminate broke off and chipping on the bottom. Any ideals on how to get it off.
Thanks

I have a cute laminate? kitchen cupboard/cart that rolls around and has drawers, cutting board with storage inside for spices, etc. Someone was going to throw it out, but I became enamored with it.

The top is not really laminate and I don't seem to be able to find out what it is. Seems like a thick hard plastic (1/4" thick" that was sprayed on as the curved/detailed edges of the top are covered too. Most of this was breaking off, every time I'm in the garage I attempt a bit more to remove it using a chisel and hammer...carefully.

In a farmhouse we had I engaged a professional painter to recoat the laminate kitchen counter. Although it made a huge difference, it always seemed painted to me and definitely didn't take to rough use. The best diy was tiling one which turned out wonderful and no one ever knew what was underneath.

Jimmy, how much of the laminate is chipping? If they are small, you could fill with plastic wood and paint the entire piece. If many cracks, perhaps you'll end up doing what I am.

Here is a link for different laminates and substrates. Perhaps of some help. Articles are on the lower right hand side.

Here is a link that might be useful: Remove laminate