Quick and Easy Resurface for Folding Tables (and Other Tables Too!)

My wife did this project from start to finish.
I took the pictures, picked out the tiles, and put together this instructable.

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I wouldn't do this to any valuable table, or to a quality wood table. Once these tiles are stuck down, they could damage the table if you try to remove them.

This table is made of particle board, so it's a good candidate for this type of resurfacing.
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It seems everyone has at least one of these folding tables with the fake woodgrain surface, and on most of them, the surface is failing in some way.

I'm going to show you a fast, easy, and inexpensive way to resurface your table!

Tools and materials needed:

Sharp utility knife
Tape measure
Plastic scraper (for old surface removal)
Stick on tiles (your choice of pattern!)

Step 1: Remove the Old Surface Cover.

The first thing to do is peel all of that old stuff off of your table.
My table's surface appeared to be some sort of waxed paper. No wonder it was coming off!

This step took about 20 minutes to complete.

Step 2: Start Resurfacing!

Make sure you measure your table so you can buy the correct number of tiles. I always get one extra in case I cut something wrong.

I found some stick-on type tiles at Home Depot that I liked, and they were only .69 each!
Just pick out something that you like, and go for it.

Lay the tiles on the table and see what pattern you like, or what will result in the least amount of cutting (which is how I did it).

Laying out the tiles as pictured requires only 2 sides to be trimmed, plus all 4 corners.

Step 3: Make Sure the Tiles Are Going to Remain Stuck.

Just to be safe, once the tiles were all installed, I covered most of the surface with fairly heavy objects for a day to make sure they were stuck on really good.

Another good option would be to place the table in the sun for a while to heat up the sticky side of the tiles and help them adhere better.

Step 4: Finished!

Once the tiles were fully stuck on, I trimmed the corners so they were rounded like the table, and that's it!

You now have a finished table with a much-improved surface!

9 Comments

nycchicsl

2 years ago

Those tiles are so pretty, do you know the brand?

mir12

2 years ago

Thank you very much for this beautiful idea.

oragamiunicorn

3 years ago

if you needed a harder wearing surface i'd suggest some tongue and groove flooring slats, you'd need to cut to size in advance rather than trimming up afterwards and from experience the surface is very hard and unreceptive to glue so I'd use something like polyurathane gorilla glue or similar. on the plus side that hardness means they are easy to clean and will take a fair bit of punishment

TheRealAnubis

6 years ago

Welcome to 2017!

Unlike some things on the internet, old instructables are still just as useful now as they were when they were written!

I check in now and then to update things that may not be clear, and to reply to comments.

I've also seen some folks using these types of stick on tiles for backsplashes around kitchen sinks! Enjoy!

dontno

15 years ago on Introduction

Should have centered your tiles on the table top. That way all the edges would have come out even. I know it's a few more tiles and more cutting, but the appearance is much more pleasing to the eye. Nice Ible though.