I really hate our countertops but can't afford to replace them. I was wondering if anyone on this site had tried painting their countertop (I saw that it was possible mentioned in a recent feedback). If so, how much does it cost and how does the finished product look? We have a couple spots where there are small holes or dents in the counter, can those be filled before paint is applied?
If anyone has any ideas, let me know.
Thanks,
Jim
I've never seen the final results but Christopher Lowell who has a show on the Discovery Channel has instructions for painting countertops:
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/...
There are pictures on the site of what it looks like after painting.
There are some more instructions from the Do It Yourself Network:
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/...
Susan from ThriftyFun (03/22/2005)
By ThriftyFun
I will have to warn you not to believe everything you see on TV. I seen them paint a concrete livingroom floor and decided I was tired of carpet and stains, and did the same to my floor. No one has a perfect concrete slab unless it was just poured. Mine had cracks and so forth. We filled the cracks, we put kilz on the floor, and we followed all of the painting instructions. We put 4 coats of polyurethane on the floor.
By suzi homemaker
Jim, these are instructions I took from another list or a web site, haven't tried them myself but I am going to. You could do any color or a faux finish such as granite or marble.
PAINTING A VINYL FLOOR or FORMICA COUNTERTOP:
*** Important to note: Any embossed patterns and lines on your existing flooring or counter will still show. Try to work these patterns or lines into your design.
1. Clean existing vinyl floor or counter well with detergent and water.
2. Sand lightly to remove any glossy spots. In the case of the counter, sand the whole counter.
3. Prepare it for painting by cleaning with TSP to remove the gloss from the vinyl or formica, following the manufacturer's instructions. Carefully follow any recommended safety measures including wearing rubber gloves, safety glasses and a dust mask.
4. Apply Zinsser BIN Primer Sealer to the floor according to directions.
This is a primer that prepares the vinyl to accept paint. Let it dry thoroughly.
The smell can be strong so open the windows and close the room off from the rest of the house while using this product . Let it dry thoroughly.
5. Your floor or counter is now ready to paint You can paint any type of faux finish, tape off areas and design a pattern, or stencil a random or regular pattern or border.
The final step is sealing the paint. Apply three coats of satin or high-gloss non-yellowing polyurethane for the best results and durability. I recommend water-based because it will not change the colors that you use. If you are going to use oil-base, practice the color/poly combination to see if you like the finished color - it really is quite yellow and will turn more yellow as it ages.
If you use waterbased, don't sand between the layers with steel wool. The tiny fibers of the steel wool will break off and rust in the poly, causing little tiny brown spots. I don't ususally sand between layers anyway, but some recommend it. (03/24/2005)
By Pat
I painted my ugly white and scratched formica countertops over 9 months ago and am thrilled with the results. I used Zins bonding primer tinted dark gray and followed with a mix of acrylic black and white paint (craft paint) that I dabbed on a sea sponge and created a granite look on my countertops. Followed with 4 coats of oil based polyurethane (I don't do food prep directly on the countertop anyway without using a plate or cutting board). The finish is amazingly tough and I even dropped a heavy glass bowl from the upper cabinet and it didn't chip! I will attach a picture of the after....I am SO GLAD I tried this... what a transformation in my kitchen! (04/18/2005)
By Marianne
I painted laminated cabinets using a product called Cabinet Rescue. My cabinets were walnut in color and dark. I painted them white as I have a small kitchen. I just followed the directions on the can. It didn't require primer; but it did take three coats of paint. I put no protective cover on the cabinets after painting. After years of use the cabinets are now showing a few bare spots which I know I can paint over. The product comes in quart size and it took three quarts to do 17 doors and 6 drawers. Don't know if this will work on laminate countertops; but worth the check. I would just put a protective coat on top. (10/05/2005)
By Jean
I painted my bathroom countertops with stratified paint - 2 coats - Did not need to sand or prime -- looked great and just a few little chips a year later that need to be touched up - I even clean it with comet - The only thing is if you have something stored on the countertop -- ex. Vase -- discolorization occurs underneath. (10/14/2005)
By Taste and no money
You can find the directions from Debbie Travis's Painted House by typing this URL.
http://www.painted-house.com/episodes/9/111/?view=04-7k-
or by typing faux grainte countertop into the google search engine.
Let me know how it turns out. I've never done it, but am extremely anxious to see how it turns out when an amateur does it. I'm thinking of purchasing a home, but it doesn't have very good countertops in it. Faux grainte may be the solution if it works for you. (11/27/2005)
By Heather (guest post)
I painted my kitchen counter tops about a year ago with melamine paint and I didn't even bother priming first, and the counters look great! I have only 2 minor knife scratches, which I could easily paint over. I used a small paint roller to apply the paint and you couldn't even tell that my counters are painted because they look so good. It was an easy job and cost me under $20 (02/24/2006)
By Lisa
There are Epoxy paints that they use to resurface tubs and tile. These paints are expensive (around $65/gal), but they are tough as nails, require no primer (usually) and most even come with a 10 year guarantee. Don't be confused if you wind up looking at 'boat paints' - they use the same stuff to paint bass boat hulls. (02/28/2006)
By Spec
I just completed refinishing my 1960's laminate countertops. It cost me about 25 bucks. What I used was Tough as Tile Tub & Tile brush-on epoxy finisher. It only comes in bright white ut I had tint added. It was very easy and turned out perfect. I am attaching a couple of pictures to show the results. (04/23/2006)
By JoAnn
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