The Counters Blog

How To Make Kitchen Countertops Shine Premium Copper Patina FX Poxy Countertop Kit

The Girl Who Painted Her Tile… What?

Thanks this inspired me to finally do something about the horrible 1950’s tile in our bathrooms! If the answers are “no”, could you maybe use some kind of industrial-like pourable more rugged glassy kind of poly? I had one little chip and i just patched it up with paint and sealed it. The tile is ugly and i don’t have the money to do a total redo so this looks like a great option. How many cans go chalk paint did you use and how large is the area you did? I just wonder if it would be more likely to chip or something. Also, would a bathroom rug ruin the finish over time? Ive been thinking of doing this on my bathroom floor as well. I chose chalk paint because it adheres well to all surfaces even ones that have been sealed. I had a girl use my tutorial and same stencil but painted white first and did the pattern in black and it turned out beautifully! So, do you think putting down a bathroom rug will ruin it? I would be using the stencil for so that the graphic would match the size of my tile. Might need to try your technique with the chalk paint! How has your painted tile held up after all this time? That being said, you could use an epoxy paint for a project like this too. If you don’t like chalk paint, you could try an epoxy paint such as you would use for garage floors. I am a huge fan chalk paint but have only used it on furniture. I want to do this on my laundry room, but afraid of yellowing. You can read the rest here, including how to seal the floor! This was meant as a temporary fix (hopefully it will last us at least 2 years) until we have finished the things that have to be done in our house and can move on to optional cosmetic things.

How To Paint Countertops Look Like Granite No Sanding $25 Step By Step | Duration 14 Minutes 22 Seconds Take 3 1×4’s, cut 2 to height for the sides, then use the 3rd to cut to length for the cross pieces. It won’t last forever but you should get a few good years out of it. The water-borne variety has a very short open time compared to the solvent-based type. Just curious how you finished it and if you could upload a picture? I know there is actual floor paint so maybe using that would help? We have large ceramic tiles on our bathroom which was renovated about 2 years ago. I used three coats of chalk paint as the background color then applied the stencil (one coat) then finished off with three coats of waterbased, satin finish polyurethane. Can’t be any less strong than when you coat wood floors! It is a 3 tiered serving piece intended for food that has cleverly been put to an alternate purpose in this bathroom. It keeps the grout from getting stained and gives the floor a beautiful semi shine appearance. You want to make sure there is nothing that is going to get in the way of your paint adhering properly and you certainly do not want dirt or anything else getting in your paint either. If you are using white, you want to be sure to buy a water based sealer – an oil base will yellow and tint your finish. I removed the sink, sanded the formica and painted a couple of coats then sealed. Finish the pieces however you want, then screw them together from the back. A painted surface won’t take much abuse but it’s a good idea until you can do something more permanent, such as tile. You can often walk on it in as little as an hour after applying it, although it takes 24 to 48 hours to fully cure. And if you used the marine kind of sealent that might be even better. I will be posting an update on how it holds up in the coming months! I have used it on trim but the can directions clearly state that it is not recommended for floors because it will not stand up to foot traffic. It only takes 3-5 minutes to do (if even!) so it is worth having to do that for me! The previous owner told her to keep it pretty she should use a capful of turtlewax (for cars) in her mop water.

Kitchen Reveal With Giani Countertop Kit Giveaway!! by thethomehome.com

This is a painting process to resemble to look of granite – layers upon layers of a painting application, finishing with a sealer that provides your countertops with a gorgeous gloss. Simply leave a comment below, telling me what countertop kit you would choose and where you would use it! I would love to do the white diamond look in our kitchen, just as you did.

Refinish Your Countertops And Tile To Look Like Granite | Duration 4 Minutes 27 Seconds Giani is not only a revolutionary product, it is an money and time saver too! I have a feeling we will be using this in our bathrooms as well! Finally we get to share with you all what we have been up to the past few weeks and we could not be more excited to show you our new kitchen! Everyone who comes over cannot believe these were resurfaced, everyone assumes we bought brand new countertops. The cabinets were painted, hardware spray painted a glossy black and the walls even received a new coat of paint. Much like you, we are trying to transform our dark kitchen into something beautiful and bright (inspirations: young house love and now….yours! I am enjoying seeing the transformation of each room of your home! I would really like to know how they have held up a few years after being done. I would love to update on a small budget, really love the look of the brown granite! Now it does not make the surface smooth but it does seal it nice and makes the counters clean up nicely. I sealed the cabinets with water based varathane, 2 coats and distressed my cabinets. It acts in three ways to improve your paint’s stick-to-itiveness: degreaser, cleaner and deglosser. If it is attached to the mirror, does it fit flush to the wall? Spar varnish might be better to seal since it’s made for boats. Will the paint hold up in the sink area with all the water? Wondering about painting the sinks and the metal bands as well. If you use it in the kitchen seal with something that is food safe and use a cutting board. Was the metal strip at the bottom of the mirror a problem when you added the wood? You did a beautiful job and you would never know you painted that counter top. You would only use it in preparation to paint, not to just clean the wood. Painted the cabinets with white chalk paint, less prep involved. They have a nice surface when new but scratch relatively easily.

Refinish Countertops To Look Like Granite | Duration 11 Minutes 18 Seconds Really good place to shop and help others while you’re doing it! It makes it very easy, and one doesn’t have to ask a question. I always read abt people finding throw away things on the curb. We sold the house in 1999 and they were still good then. The counter has not chipped in almost four years of everyday use. It is not rough but it is not smooth like the counter before. I am sure you need a glue that can hold up in a room with a lot of moisture.

How To Make Your Porcelain Wood Look Tile Look Like Natural Wood by msisurfaces.com

Nature abhors perfection, which is why no two snowflakes or flower blossoms are the same. So, the trick to installing wood-look tile is to lay it to so that the ink-grains mimic the randomness of nature. When installing, rotate the orientation of the tiles to disguise repeating patterns. If you want a seamless-looking tile floor with very thin grout lines, rectified tile is for you. But when it comes to selecting wood-like tile, rectified edges will make your tile floor look like long planks of real hardwood. That’s why it’s doubly important for you or your installer to clean up extra grout quickly, or to apply a sealer or a coat of grout release before installation. When choosing a grout color, select one that matches the darkest color in your tile. That’s certainly true for wood, whose grains are unique like thumbprints. On the other hand, non-rectified edges have slight variations, making grout lines a little wider and producing a more primitive look, which is great if you’re going for more of a classical style. But if your subflooring is not level, any bowing will be accentuated, making your tile floor look wavy. Grout can cling to the grainy texture, making clean up tricky. This fools the eye into seeing grout lines as shadows around wood planks. If you’ve chosen shorter wood-look tiles, consider laying them in a herringbone pattern, which will give the room an old-world feel.

DIY Feather Finish Concrete Countertops by blesserhouse.com

I was barely making a dent at all in these things, but it gave them just a little “tooth”. Have you ever put concrete countertops in your house before? They turned out amazing, as your projects always do! Thanks for taking one for the team but so sorry you had to endure the glitches! As for the concrete, if you wanted to get it as smooth as possible, the poured kind might be best. I think if you stuck with very thin coats (unlike what we did at first) you could still get it very smooth. Do you think that your method would work over a plywood built island top? Ours is brick paneling and it’s really convincing as the real thing. I only had one popup on each of the first 9 photos this evening, but had multiple ones on nearly every image earlier today! If he’s not excited about it now, he definitely would not be happy in the middle of the whole process. And he used this trowel at first thinking it was the best tool for the job, but we later figured out that was a little part of the problem. Day 1, but the charm of the brick with the concrete countertops seems to be a great match without being too sterile. Great job though doing this without a form and for taking on what is a grand project! I am so excited to try this and can’t wait to see how you did the backsplash. It was then one project that husband dearest sternly warned me never to even think of doing again.

Counter Top Makeover For A Inexpensive Price How To Make Your Counter Tops Look Like Granite | Duration 6 Minutes 39 Seconds We were planning on replacing a island countertop with the poured version this summer, as the butcher block has warped (sigh). You could probably do plywood with tile backerboard on top though to act as a barrier. Of course, yours are even better and they make a nice contrast to the countertops. Sorry about the initial problem, but looks great now! I really, really, really like the new backsplash, which surprises me.

How To Give A Laminate Countertop A Faux Marble Finish by hgtv.com

Make a laminate countertop look like marble using oil-based paint and some faux finish techniques. Sand the countertop thoroughly and remove the dust with a clear water rinse. Working from the center out, use a pouncing technique and a small brush to apply the lighter color, filling in a small area. The paint will build a fairly heavy film, but as the colors start to level, it will give you the desired marble look. Using a small artist’s brush and white paint, push the brush forward with a very gentle touch — let the brush work for you. Get the look of marble for a small fraction of the price with this project. For the top coat, cut in — paint around edges — with a natural bristle brush and then apply the paint with a 7-inch roller cover. Blend the medium color, and then the dark paint, overlapping the colors while also loading the brush as you go. Oil provides a little more working time, since it dries more slowly than latex paint. While the paint is still wet, add the veins that give marble its distinguishing feature. Sometimes the vein will be thick and sometimes it will break off and start again. Let the paint dry completely (at least overnight) and then apply several coats of polyurethane for protection.

Can You Paint Over Granite Counters? by apinterestaddict.com

When we bought our last house, it had a ton of granite countertops, but all of them had lots of brown and cream. This is the bar/wine/coffee area the day we settled on the house, before we did anything to it. It was pretty streaky and splotchy, with the dark gray still showing through, but that’s okay. Then, go back with a big round brush or sponge, and give it another coat by blotting the white on top of the first coat. It doesn’t have to be perfect, because you will go over it a few times with more gray, white and other shades of white. So, yes, you can paint over ugly granite counter tops and make them a thing of beauty. Also one of the pictures show a countertop that is chiseled at the edge. I also did the same thing to a small piece of melamine counter in the same area. You may not use these images without prior written consent. They didn’t “go” with all the new colors we put in the house – grays and crisp whites and bright colors. I took some of the silver and gray paint, dipped a feather in it, and ran it over the top randomly, creating veins. When people came over, they were always surprised to find out they were painted! The photo of the kitchen was to show that the painted counters ended up about the same color as the kitchen quartzite, instead of the brown/black/beige colors they were.

Can You Paint Cultured Marble Or Tile Countertops? by homemakeoverdiva.com

Mary, unfortunately neither one of those surfaces handle paint well in wet areas. The first option is pretty self-explanatory, do nothing and live with the countertop you’ve already got. If you go this route and decided to do it yourself, be aware that you are also going to have to deal with the plumbing attached to the sink and faucet as well. The last option is to hire a company to professionally refinish it for you. These finishes can last for awhile, but eventually may chip and crack. However, this poses a unique problem when it comes to the sink. In the case of an under moun t sink, how will you treat the overlap of the tile onto the sink? If the sink is a drop in, you’ll want to make sure that the additional tile with thinset isn’t too tall. And then if the sink is round, you are going to have a lot of angled circular cuts to make. In fact, when it comes to making over cultured marble you really have only three options: live with it, replace it or hire a company to come in and professionally refinish it. Not the most glamours option, but it’s certainly the cheapest. Depending on the size of your countertop, you might be able to find a pretty cheap replacement at a home improvement store. After all, it’s not just the countertop that has to be removed and replaced. This is done very similarly to how you would have a bathtub or shower refinished, which is why it’s best to have someone else do the work for you. It’s also important to mention that if you are going to have this done, it may be more cost-effective in the long run to just replace the countertop. As for a tile countertop, if the tiles are well secured, just about the only thing you can do that will last is to put a new tile right over the existing ones. Whether the sink is an under mount or a drop in sink, you’ll have to get creative with the new edge. So, you’ll have to find away to cover up the existing tile and make a finished looking edge at the same time. Which can be frustrating if you are not familiar with how to make those types of tile cuts. My advice is to wait until you can replace them completely, as this is the only option that will be cost effective and long lasting.

Premium White Marble FX Poxy Countertop Kit by countertopepoxy.com

We have the most experienced staff in the industry, and for no additional cost, we will be happy to walk you through the entire process. We are very happy with how the countertops turned out for the most part. The online video tutorials were also incredibly helpful overall. I was worried since all of the videos show the product being used on surfaces with 90 degree edges and my table top has a decorative edge. I poured the epoxy over concrete countertops, so the concrete took some love to get it ready, but now it feels and looks like a rock. I am thrilled with the improvement and psyched to do another project soon. We were gently using them within 48 hours with no problems! There’s a bit of a learning curve for using epoxy but this product is still easy to use and creates a hard, glossy finish. This is a good product and was an inexpensive but great looking solution for resurfacing my kitchen countertop. Called multiple times and everyone was knowledgeable and nice! It was a big project with some hard to access areas (like in an appliance “garage”).

Painted Countertops. – by chrislovesjulia.com

I do a lot of painting and like to try new products….this was definitely new for me. It says you can tint up to 16 colors on the base can, but it didn’t say how to do it. I am wondering how they have been holding up after a few years. We also have pink counter tops and are planning a kitchen reno but not for a year or two at least. The epoxy self-leveled and ran over the edges to coat them too. The epoxy drips a bit after going over the edge but you just use a sponge brush to catch the drips for a few minutes while it’s hardening. Can you use the counter paint on old butcher block counters? Won’t be a large area with high usage (it’s a guest bathroom that doesn’t get used much), so it just needs to look good enoug h. Today, it’s a roasted (vegan!) potato salad that will warm you up! Slowly but surely, we’re making this slice of mountain paradise our own. I used–a high-density foam roller for “ultra smooth” application. I was rolling it on, and the paint is the consistency of nail polish. I was just wondering how you tint the color you want? Thanks so much, it really turned out great and is a great price! I just had to tape things off and cover the cupboard fronts to prevent drips on them. For our kitchen it was actually the black cabinets with those brass bin pulls. For the lake room at #cljcabin, it was this piece from @artfullywalls and the rest of the plans fell into place pretty easily.

Using Epoxy Coating On Limestone Countertops by countertopspecialty.com

Impregnating stone sealers are used to help prevent staining. Impregnating sealers still allow the stone to breath as it should and do not impede repairs or maintenance in any way. Topical “sealers” or coatings form a permanent barrier over the surface of the stone. The topicals will prevent stains and acid etching though, which is the big selling point. But if you talk to stone restoration pros (who do nothing but repair and restore vs. Can you tell me what epoxy coating you used and what the process was like? They have their own issues (look plastic, scuff easy, need to be maintained) as well. It took power equipment to be able to rub the marks out using etch remover and then the sealer stinks and is a pain to apply, and it only last a month before everything except water would etch it again. I recently de-etched again but this time used an epoxy coating afterward. It is a pain that etching occurs, but typically not a big deal to restore etch marks. Limestone is often harder to polish out etch marks than marble. Impregnating stone sealers don’t protect against this, so it wasn’t a matter of the sealer wearing out or anything. Agreed, that in some cases where the wrong stone was installed in the wrong place and is just a nightmare to maintain, then a permanent topical coating can be a solution. Impregnating sealers are perfectly fine to use when needed (which is not on every stone). These do not allow the stone to breath, which is not entirely detrimental on a countertop since the underside is exposed, but it can create problems. Topical coatings are getting better, but often they can look plastic and they can be a real nuisance if maintenance to the stone is ever required. Stains and etching seem bad at first, however, they really aren’t that big a deal and can be quickly and cheaply repaired by the homeowner in almost all cases. Even though we don’t recommend using a topical coating, this company appears to be making the biggest strides improving such products. I did go through the etch removing and resealing process and it is a nightmare. Etching is a chemical reaction that physically damages the stone surface. In most cases, it is not the best solution as it creates it’s own set of issues that can be as problematic or more so than without the coating.

Using Contact Paper On Countertops by thriftyfun.com

Then again from side to side along the back, using half the width of the paper and allowing the clean edge to over lap. This is very important, so will see even the tiniest crumb under the paper. Try to get ones with cutting grids on the peel-off paper side of it, it will make things much easier! If you get a pattern, you’ll have to be careful to line up the patterns with separate pieces. Either in the rounded part of the back splash or the edge of the counter before it turns down for the lip. Have the other person hold the other end while you both line the paper up to the back splash or wall. This is where it gets tricky, especially is your sink is round like mine was! Cut along the crevice as you press the paper down, working your way around the sink. I find this an easier way than trying to exactly trace the sink and then cut it out. If the paper hanging over the lip isn’t enough to cover it completely, stick a separate line of paper on the front of the lip first, then fold the hanging over part down onto it. This is wear the push pins come in hand to keep it tucked under. Don’t drag heavy sharp objects across it, such as cheese graters, tenderizing hammers or small children with buttons on the back of their pants. Use a normal counter cleaner and clean it very well and let dry. Take note of how deep your counter is and try to get paper that is at least that wide, if not a few inches wider. Unroll the paper down the counter, butting it up to the back splash if it is at a right angle to your counter top. Fold the paper to cover the counter over hang and add an inch. If the paper isn’t wide enough, you’ll have to decide where you want a seam. Lay your sticky end down, starting at the edge and back splash corner, or wall-back splash corner. Smooth out air bubbles, pushing them towards an edge using your hand, rolling pin or other smooth flat edge. You can always cut a little shred hanging over, but it’s hard to fill a little shred in smoothly! When you’re done with this part, you will have a cut out of the shape of your sink, or two halves if ends met there. Usually you can tuck a millimeter’s worth of contact paper into the sink-counter crevice and it looks as if the sink was actually placed on top of the contact paper. If there is enough hang over, you can wrap it underneath the counter lip, but it probably won’t stick to the bottom of the counter. If not, either make a pattern and cut out the appropriate piece of paper, or roughly cut the right shape, stick it on the end and then trim hang over. Don’t put raw meat on your counter, on any counter, eww! Be sensible and this will last as long as you want it to, but if it does get damaged, it’s cheap to replace it, and free to demolish it!

Working With: Ugly Kitchen Countertops and Tile by emilyaclark.com

Use frog tape to tape off your sink, backsplash, appliances, etc. The only negative for this stuff is that it’s pretty stinky until it dries. I painted the entire counter, then waited about an hour and painted a second coat. The two coats without poly will look good for six months but will start to chip and need to be repainted in about a year. I am looking for an inexpensive and temporary fix for our kitchen counter top. I love seeing how others fix a decor problem inexpensively! These girls did a fantastic job of working with what they had! I cut out little squares precisely the same size of the red tiles and just covered them up. A painted concrete floor will start to look banged up in a year. It’s safe to change your grout color with a grout renew product, and that makes a huge difference.< /p> I did that looked the best and lasted the longest-it’s similar to a wood tone. It’s nice to see her featured here on your amazing blog! The cuts weren’t perfect, but with trim they were perfectly hidden. Good tips on how to do proper maintenance are hard to come by. The walls are covered with kitchen cabinets so lots of storage and one wall is all windows. It’s quite labor-intensive and involves sanding with diamonds and sprinkling little chips, and more sanding with diamonds and clear coats over that. You should open the windows, make sure there is good ventilation, and send the toddlers away for the day. You want to have a small brush to do the edges and a foam roller to roll the paint on smoothly. I suspect with a couple of coats of poly, it would last much longer. If you insist on doing it, pick a dark color to cover dark-colored tile, and a pale color to cover pale-colored tile, so that the inevitable chips aren’t as noticeable. Wood floors are the best for paint, but even they will have to be repainted eventually. If you have a floor you absolutely cannot bear, then try the “paper bag floor”. I helped my sister use it on a house she was getting ready to rent to someone. It’s amazing how the solution is sometimes just making things more minimalist and simplistic. I have recommended my relatives and freinds to for this product. I love the look that granite can leave when you treat it properly. These homes are indeed very wonderful with such additions of marbles.

An Affordable Solution To Ugly Countertops by frickinfab.com

Use a square notch trowel to spread the epoxy on your countertops. Use this paintbrush to “chop” the epoxy and move it around to cover the edges and corners of your countertop. Use the torch and propane to pop any bubbles and move the material and color for a more natural look. It will be smooth to the touch the next morning but not ready for use until 24 hours later. My favorite thing about the epoxy countertop is you can put hot pans on it and it is super durable. Unfortunately, we did not have the finances to splurge on natural stone countertops so here it goes! You will see this addition in some of my pictures! Work it towards the edges and then let it drip off the edges onto the plastic. I have done it in the evening and then let it set up overnight. After the epoxy has set up for 24 hours you can remove the tape and plastic and take your sander with 80 grit sanding disc and sand off all of the drips. The countertops are ready for use in 48 hours and fully set in 7 days!

How To Refinish Cultured Marble Vanities by homeguides.sfgate.com

As long as the scratch isn’t too deep, you can refinish the countertop with the aid of automotive finishing compound and a buffer. Although it seems counterintuitive, you must first roughen the surface with sandpaper before you can restore the shine. Use a basin wrench to loosen and remove the nuts holding the faucet on the sink. Use an adjustable wrench to loosen and remove the nut holding the drain’s tailpipe in place. Take care not to sand too deeply or you’ll remove all the gel-coat from the countertop. Apply another coat of automotive finishing compound with a wool pad. This time buff the finishing compound away with a buffing pad attached to a buffer. Put a bead of plumber’s putty around the drain hole in the sink. Turn the water back on to the sink and check that there are no leaks. If you use abrasive cleaners, however, you can scratch the shiny gel coat surface of the cultured marble countertop. Once the gel coat is gone, the countertop is going to be dull no matter what you do. Disconnect the water supply lines at the sink using an adjustable wrench. Cover anything in the room you don’t want covered with marble dust with plastic sheeting held in place with painter’s tape. Sand away the finishing compound with 1, 000-grit sandpaper. Keep the sanding level so the surface doesn’t develop any dips. Fasten the supply lines back onto the supply valves, making sure you connect the hot water lines to the hot water valve and the cold lines to the cold valve. If there are, turn the leaky fitting no more than one-quarter turn and recheck for leaks.

Ugly Countertops: A Few Solutions by thekitchn.com

But you’re stuck with ugly, cracked, or disfigured countertops. Some laminate countertops can be painted and sealed to completely change their look. Maybe you don’t have the resources to renovate a kitchen that you own. Sure, it doesn’t cover up all the countertop, but it’s more functional and beautiful, and takes the eye away from the ugly. This sounds tricky, but it has creative possibilities! This is especially true if you only have a few linear feet of space to cover, and also if you can do at least some of the work yourself. Do you have any other suggestions for cleaning up, restoring, renovating, or replacing kitchen countertops?

How To Make Laminate Countertops Look Like Stone by rainonatinroof.com

Dear friends, let me show you the cheapest and easiest way you can turn those ugly laminate countertops from yesteryear into beautiful “stone” counters. And what did the countertop do after it was painted? I wonder what this countertop looks like underneath the laminate. It is totally ok if you make a few nicks, scratches and such on the wood as you tear the laminate off. Luckily, its result was stellar – stellarly good looking and stellarly cheap as well. But it’s totally not – that countertop was once a regular old laminate countertop! I would paint it black, then come back with a tiny pain tbrush and maybe add some grayish-whiteish veining. We were there for about two years though with the countertop and it was holding up just fine! Luckily, its result was stellar – stellarly good looking and stellarly cheap as well. My daughter came by about that time and asked what was so funny.