I have started to paint my laminated countertops. I read somewhere to use oil-based paint because it was more durable and smoother, so I used an oil-based primer, then I put oil-based gray enamel on it because it said to use a littler color for base. I want it to look like black marble, but now I don't know if I can put the black enamel over the oil-based grey enamel and then streak white enamel through it to create the marble look. Does anyone have any ideas? Help.
Debbye from Kimberling City
I have been remodeling my bathroom and just finished laying my ceramic tile and have been thinking about giving this countertop facelift a try. I have the ugly old laminate countertops. If anyone could please post close-up pictures of how their's turned out I would be grateful! I love the idea of a faux granite or marble finish, but I've never done any faux painting before so that is my biggest fear on giving this a try. Any step by step tips on how to do the faux work would also be appreciated. (08/05/2006)
By Mary
I tried this. THIS WORKED GREAT. I did a section at a time so I could still use the kitchen. I painted my cabinets white, then used black and white acrylic paint and polyurethane and it looks like granite. Even hubby was impressed. Every1 thinks I got new countertops, I was quoted over $800 for FORMICA replacements... this cost less than $20. THANK YOU! (08/05/2006)
By Linda
I painted my countertop with Rustoleum EpoxyShield (water based for basements). It looks great! The paint is really strong, but when I added the paint chips, it gave the countertop a rough finish. I used Minwax Water Based Polyacrylic as a clear coat and sealer. It's smoother now, but I noticed that if there is any standing water on the countertop, it will turn into a milky white haze. It will evaporate and turn clear again. I believe that the Polyacrylic is absorbing the water. I'm going to try the Minwax Water Based Polyurethene. Hopefully that will prevent the hazing. Has anyone else had this problem with water based polyacrylic?
http://www.rustoleum.com/brand.asp?frm_brand_id=19&SBL=1
http://www.minwax.com/products/protective/polycrylic.cfm
http://www.minwax.com/products/protective/floor-poly.cfm (08/14/2006)
By Brian
My husband and I found a neat product. We were watching TV and saw a commercial for a product called RollerRock by Daich Coatings. It makes plain cement look like stone. We thought that would be fun to do on our patio.....so I went to the website to check it out. Was I surprised. We've been thinking of painting our countertops in the kitchen and bath for a while now. This company makes a product called SpreadRock. It comes in 5 colors and states that it can be used on countertops. It has a granite look without all the extra work. Just prime, coat, and seal. We are excited to try it. It's more expensive than just paint, but hopefully it will last much longer. (08/15/2006)
I'm considering doing this to a condo in Molokai because it's so remote & hard to get materials and/or professionals there.
Before finding this discussion here, when I finally found a technique, I was going to buy a short piece of laminate countertop to practice with. Online you can find a 4 foot section at Lowe's for $34, possibly cheaper at a local store. Home Depot used to carry them in their stores too.
Also I wanted to contribute a couple of links. The previous one for Christoper Lowell no longer works, but you can find his instructions here:
http://www.christopherlowell.com/demo.php?id=45
Also, here's the direct link for the Daich products:
Just from the few things I've read already, I think the most important step for durability is to make sure the countertop is sanded so there is something for the paint or coating to adhere to. This holds true when people tile over their laminate countertops.
Debbie Travis mentions that Melamine paint doesn't need a top coat. I'm not sure what a Melamine paint is though. Certainly an epoxy paint would be good, although probably one dimensional by itself without a fauxing technique. Another technique that is being used on these countertops is using them as a base for a concrete countertop, so people might want to research that a bit too.
Well, good luck everyone & don't forget to post pictures (good or bad). Also close up shots would be appreciated! (09/02/2006)
By Mynde
I found another thread on this site with a few more pictures of people's redone countertops. What a bunch of talented people:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf370385.tip.html
Also, I found the site for Cabinet Rescue, mentioned previously:
Guess what? It's Melamine paint like Debbie Travis used. Only problem is that in the FAQ, the Cabinet Rescue people do not recommend it for countertops, floors, or any other place with high usage. But then all the experts say Formica can't be painted over either, hehe. I guess it's a "your mileage may vary" situation. However, it can be tinted and looks like it would be a good application to use for redoing what it's name implies, cabinets.
(09/02/2006)
By Mynde
I am in the middle of painting my countertops right now. All I've done so far is clean them, give them a quick sanding so that the primer really adheres to the surface and have now finished the first coat of primer specifically made for Melamine paints. So far so good. Not a strong smell in the house either. I had a couple of chips out of my old counter top so i just filled them with regular polyfil and sanded them down. Looks good as new. A project that would have cost me a couple hundred $$ to buy new counter tops has now only cost me $40! (09/09/2006)
By Dawn
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