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Monday, October 5, 2009

Countertop Fix, Part:2

 My kitchen counter tops are in a transitional stage. I plan to replace them one day soon with some tile or maybe even granite. I would like to tile the kitchen floor before we get to that project though. So to hold me over, I've taken on a little "ghetto fabulous" kitchen counter re-do. I shared with you how I did a test run with my little section of counter, in this post. I decided it was high time to get the rest of it finished. When I went back to the store where I originally bought the gray colored "stone" spray paint, I sadly found out the color had been discountinued. Whoops, what am I going to do now? One side of my kitchen is already done and "enviro teched" (clear shiney hard coat) over.  I hunted around and around town for the same paint color, but I didn't have any luck finding it. I picked out the closest thing to it.  Once I got them next to reach other I realized it was definitely not close enough, I will have to re-do the first section I did. Oh Well.

Here is my step by step on how I painted my "stone" counter-tops.

    BEFORE                                                                AFTER





















*Note: If you saw my first post on painting my counter tops you may be have noticed they are not as shiney as my first run at it. I have not completed the "glass shine" step yet. I will get to that explaination soon...

I taped off my sink and protected it with some plastic bags, as well as covering the cabinets in plastic. You will want to protect anything close because you are using spray paint inside....eeek. The cabinets above were not close enough to the spray so they were not covered, and they still stayed paint-less during the process.


I used Glidden's Gripper primer in gray to coat the entire laminate counter top.





I popped the cap off the "stone" flecked spray paint, and gave it about three to four even coats. Since its spray paint I had to be very careful to keep the can at an equal distance from the counter the entire time. It is easy to get uneven circles that will make it obvious that you used a spray paint. Doing at least three coats will help to ensure that the application is even. I stayed about 8 inches away from the surface of the counter top.







 

 I let it sit overnight to thoroughly dry. Then I got out a fine paint brush and some clear gloss polyurethane that I had left over from when I refinished our hardwood floors. This is the step where I COULD have used Envirotex to get a glassy look like I did on the other side of my kitchen. It would have been about $100 to do this step so I held off for another day. I will do that step very soon in the near future.
 
 

Envirotex was used on this section (above) to get a high gloss look. It is also much more protected and durable after using Envirotex.

This is how it looks with ONLY high gloss polyurethane, not Envirotex:




 

I did about 3 coats of the polyurethane, and let each coat dry for at least 4 hours before starting the next. I left the back-splash alone, just primed it. I plan to do a bead board back-splash soon.
 



So there you have it, my cheap little counter top re-do. Although its still not finished. 

34 comments:

  1. wow!! looks awesome! it's obvious a lot work went it this project..having patience for each drying step was probably one of the hardest parts! :) love it!

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  2. What a great quick-fix! From the photos, they really look like new countertops.

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  3. Ooo I love your "new" countertops! What an awesome way to update them!

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  4. Wow...I really want to paint my counter tops. I paint everything and am generally pretty bold, but I havn't worked up the nerve. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  5. Holy cow, that looks great! I LOVE it! Looks like a completely different countertop. Very cool. :)

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  6. Wow, you are brave! It looks really beautiful. The first squeeze of the trigger would have scared me a little!

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  7. Wow..that looks so great! I have awesome white counters and really want to change them...badly. I think this just might be the ticket till I can decide (or save up for) some real new cabinets...thanks for all the step by step instructions and tips!

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  8. Why you'd even want to change them up again after that job is beyond me! It looks fabulous!

    I've painted my countertops too using melamine paint. In fact, I did it every so often, to change with the seasons you know. :) It was fun to paint them and get a different look now and then! I've since renovated but your post brought back those memories.

    Donna

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  9. I feel like I've been here before. LOL LOVE the painted countertops!


    I have a linky party going you may want to link up: http://theshadesofpink.blogspot.com/2009/10/room-month-great-pumpkin.html

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  10. Very pretty! You did a great job :)

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  11. ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! This is on my list of MUST DO projects!!! Great job!

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  12. I am doing this same thing, except I used a product from Giani, here are my posts:
    http://embellishedbayou.blogspot.com/2009/09/kitchen-countertop-dilemma.html

    http://embellishedbayou.blogspot.com/2009/09/kitchen-countertop-update.html

    I'll be posting another update in the next day or two. My main problem was keeping the dog hair & other little floaties out of the paint so they didn't stick in there and dry. Ultimately, I think I'll be going a different route since I'm not entirely satisfied with the finish.

    Yours look great, though. The high-gloss envirotex finish was really what I was after.

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  13. Thanks for joining my linky party, I hope to see you there again!

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  14. That looks GREAT!!! I've been tempted to try this, but finally decided to do IKEA butcherblock countertops. Although, right now I'm living with NO countertops in half of my tiny kitchen. I'm trying to be patient.

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  15. I really enjoyed looking around your blog! What great ideas!!
    *Eliza’s blog*

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  16. Unbelievable!! Great job!!

    Tiffany @ Mine Are Spectacular!

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  17. You had done this with a great finish !

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  18. Now that it has been on for a while, how is it holding up?

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  19. Amazing transformation. love it!
    Looks like it cost a lot more than what you spent. Great job!

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  20. Other natural stone materials, like marble, limestone and soapstone, are softer than granite and require delicate use and greater care.
    http://www.countertops.com/

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  21. After the coats of polyurethane, are the countertops rough like the texture spray paint or does the polyurethane make it feel smooth?

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  22. Awesome information and thanks for sharing this information.
    All wood Cabinets

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  23. Pretty remarkable post. I simply came across your blog and desired to say that I have really enjoyed searching your blog posts.Granite fabrication Shop

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  24. Are your counters still holding up ok?

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  25. I'm curious years later how have your counter tops been? I want to do mine but am concerned with daily cleaning and food.

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  26. Hi! Nice blog .You have done a great job. Keep on working. . Granite fabrication Shop

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  27. Is there a way to paint a kitchen sink? I just bought a home, and the sink is like a warped black. Mine does not look good!

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  28. Excellent & remarkable post! I have been visiting various blogs for my Thesis writing help. I have found your blog to be quite useful. Keep updating your blog with valuable information.Natural Stone Countertops

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  29. I think I'll be going a different route since I'm not entirely satisfied with the finish.

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  30. thanks for sharing information

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