Dear James: Our kitchen laminate countertop is fairly new. Our kids put a hot pot on it and burned a big spot. Is there any attractive, inexpensive method to repair it ourselves? —Emily T. Dear Emily: For the most part, laminate countertops are virtually indestructible. It is basically a very durable sheet of plastic with a printed image under it. Its only Achilles’ heel is high heat, which melts and may darken the plastic sheet. You can attempt to sand and polish the damaged surface, but the repair will likely be easily noticed. If it was not too badly discolored, try putting several coats of clear urethane over the repaired spot to build up the height after sanding it down. This will help to hide the repair. Although a laminate countertop can be repaired if the discolored burned area is just on the surface, it may be difficult to recreate …