Tag Archives: countertop surfaces

Does Painting Kitchen Countertops Work?

If your countertops are old or washed out and you don’t have the money to replace them, one way to improve their look is by painting them.

Most homeowners don’t paint their countertops so you will hear them asking, does painting kitchen countertops work?

The good news is that it works but you have to consider several tips to get ideal results. These tips include:

Prepare the surfaces properly

The paint won’t adhere properly to the surface so you need to ensure that you properly prepare it. How do you go about it?

After removing all the items from your countertop, get out the sanding block and sand your countertop surfaces. Avoid using the electric sander as it creates so much dust that you have a problem clearing it and getting the smooth finish you are looking for.

Although the hand sander takes a longer time to give you the results you are looking for, you are able to get the smooth finish you are looking for.

Remember that if you don’t properly sand your countertops, it’s a matter of time before the paint begins to peel.

Use the right painting tools

There is no way you are going to achieve ideal results if you use the wrong tools. As a rule of thumb, ensure that you use paint designed for countertops. This calls for you to avoid wall paints, as they aren’t made to withstand a lot of abuse, heat and spills.

When you are in the stores making the purchase, let the sellers know that you want countertop paint.

When it comes to painting, use a paint roller instead of a brush. The reason for this is because the brush will leave brush strokes on your counters regardless of how good of a painter you are. And you don’t want brush strokes on your surfaces, do you?

To avoid a bumpy counter., use smooth-textured rollers. You should only use a brush when you are applying paint on the edges or other delicate areas. When applying the paint, use the same brush to ensure that the brush strokes don’t show.

If your kitchen is large, you have a large countertop space and you will be too tired painting it with a roller. To save time, hire or buy a paint sprayer.

The cool thing is that besides the sprayer making it possible to complete your work fast, it also gives you a seamless finish and you can paint even the corners and edges even better than with a brush.

Take your time

Like any other project, there is no way you will achieve ideal results if you are in a hurry to get things done. When you are in a hurry painting the countertops, you won’t sand the surfaces properly so the paint will start peeling after a few weeks.

When you are in a hurry, you won’t give the paint enough time to dry which increases its chances of peeling off later on.

To avoid this, have enough time to dedicate as much time to the painting project as much as possible.

As mentioned above, you need to thoroughly sand the surfaces for the paint to properly adhere to the surfaces so you need to have enough time to do it in no hurry.

Each coat of paint requires at least 24-48 hours to dry before you apply another and for the best outcome, apply at least three coats. You need to have this time to see your project to fruition.

To ensure that you aren’t in a hurry, ensure that you have at least a week for painting and a week or two for the sealant to cure. This calls for you to do the project during your holidays or on your job leave.

To ensure that the paint doesn’t take too long to dry and the sealant to cure, do the project in the summer.

Seal the countertops

Once you are done with the painting, apply a sealant to prevent the paint from chipping. Granite countertop installers NC advise that the sealer can make or damage your countertops so splurge on the best sealer in the market.

As a rule of thumb, avoid a cheap sealer, as it will ruin your project.

Guide To Painting Countertops To Look Like Granite Countertops

granite countertops

Granite is a beautiful addition to your kitchen as it gives the house a premium, modernized feel. Unfortunately, not everyone has the budget to install granite countertops in their home. While this is the case, you can still get the granite look by painting your current countertops.

Benefits of painting the countertops

In addition to giving your countertops a high-end look, painting the countertops also hides imperfections they might be having.

The variegated pattern of the painted granite also hides small imperfections that might come about as you are painting. This takes your stress away as you don’t have to be perfect in your work. In fact, if you don’t have the budget to hire a professional to handle the painting, you can do it by yourself.

The granite look works with almost any décor style, so if you don’t like the current look of the countertops, when you paint them, you make them blend in with the rest of the house.

Painting the countertops also allows you to highlight certain areas of the house that you would like people to pay attention to. You can highlight the bathroom cabinets and at the same time, add texture, depth, and warmth to the living space.

For you to properly paint the countertops, you have to follow a series of steps. To help you out, here are the steps you should follow:

Clean the countertops

You can’t apply paint on dirty counters, so you need to clean them. Use a degrease or a mix of 1 tablespoon of mild dish soap to 4 cups of warm water. You can also use a mix of one part vinegar and two parts of warm water to remove any layers of dust and grease.

Thoroughly wipe down the entire countertop surface and allow it to completely dry. When cleaning, pay attention to the corners and edges of the countertops. Use a narrow scrub or toothbrush to get into the recesses and curves of the countertops that are prone to holding pockets of detritus.

You can also use a small, handheld vacuum with a brush to clean the edges.

Protect the appliances

It’s wise to give the countertops a seamless finish. For you to do this, you have to remove the appliances from their place. You can easily move the stove or any other small appliance but if the appliance is large, leave it where it is. To protect it, cover it with your preferred cover material.

Also, use painter’s tape to block off the sink or any other stationary items that you don’t want to get stained or nicked during the sanding.

Sand the countertops

Once everything is in place, the next action should be to sand the countertops. Use 320-grit sandpaper to go over the countertops. You should note that sanding is a big job and requires you to use a lot of pressure.

If you have a large kitchen, use a handheld sander. The sander is inexpensive and significantly makes the sanding work easier and faster.

When sanding, pay attention to the corners and edges. Ensure every inch of the countertops is sanded to make it easy for the paint to adhere.

You can get away with a single sanding on some countertops, but you are better off sanding at least twice so that you get a rough surface that doesn’t cause the paint to bubble or crack in the future.

Fix the gouges and dings

Once you are done with sanding, carefully go through the surface and be on the lookout for dings and gouges. If present, fill them with epoxy putty. Smooth the epoxy putty over the flawed areas then scrape the excess and allow it dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Once dry, sand to match the level of the rest of the counter.

Paint the countertops

Painting the countertops to resemble granite is easy. In fact, you don’t need to hire granite contractors Durham to help you out. After sanding the surface, apply a primer to cover all the parts of the original countertop surface.

Let the primer dry for at least eight hours then sponge three colors onto the dry primed countertop surfaces. Move evenly across the countertop surface in dabbing motions. Take care not to push the sponge too much onto the primed surface as you will make the surfaces look smeared and foggy.

7 Tips To Consider When Installing Kitchen Countertops

best quartz countertop

Thinking about installing new kitchen countertops? Good for you as you are on your way to creating countertop surfaces that you will be proud of. Countertop installation is an intricate process, and you need to have plenty of things in place for the project to be a success. To give your kitchen a great look, pay attention to these tips:

Don’t be in a hurry

When they get money, many homeowners rush to get new countertop surfaces. Don’t do this as you end up buying the wrong stones. You also often end up working with the wrong contractor.

Regardless of how unsatisfied you are with the current surfaces, don’t be in a hurry to replace them. Take time to research and find out your options. Visit several stores and see what they have to offer. Also, take the time to interview several countertop contractors to find the right one for your project.

Color shouldn’t be, end-all, be-all

Color is crucial as it defines the look of your kitchen and choosing the wrong one can break the design of your surface. While this is the case, it shouldn’t be the end-all, be-all.

Pay close attention to the quality of the stone you are buying as quality is everything. You can have a stone with the most beautiful color, but if it cracks or stains easily, you are as good as not having installed the stone in the first place.

Always get samples

An average homeowner will visit countertop stores, and when they like the look and design of the stones on sale, they will go ahead and make huge orders. This is wrong as most of them end up hating the look of the countertops after installation.

Instead of doing this, take samples with you and see how they look in your kitchen. While you might like the color, design, or countertop material, you might not like how the countertop looks in your kitchen as it might not go well with your floor tiles or cabinets. It also might not go well with the design of the house.

The right thing to do is to order the countertops only after you have tried out the samples in your kitchen.

Have the right budget

Many people underestimate the amount of money they need to complete the countertop project. As a homeowner, the last thing you want is running out of money in the middle of the project and being forced to put the project on hold or borrow more money.

For you to avoid the inconveniences, take the time to undertake thorough research and come up with a budget before you begin the project. The key is being pessimistic with the amount of money you will need. When doing your budget, factor in hidden expenses such as clean up costs after installation, transport costs, and others.

Think about the everyday use of the countertops

It’s common to visit stores selling countertop surfaces and be wowed by the various stones on display. Don’t rush to buy them as they might not be ideal for your kitchen. What do you use your kitchen most for? This is the first question you should ask yourself.

If you are baker, you want countertop surfaces that can withstand high heat. If you are a culinary master, you want a stone that can tolerate acidic spills without staining.

Thicker isn’t always better

Just like color, a thick countertop doesn’t mean that the stone is excellent. Sometimes the thick surface is simply two stones that have been bonded together, which often leads to plenty of problems.

If this is the first time buying the stones, go to the stores with an experienced professional who has been in the industry for a long time to guide you.

Don’t outclass the other parts of the room

There is nothing wrong with installing the best and highest quality countertops, but when you install extremely high-quality countertops, then don’t touch the other parts of the kitchen, you give your kitchen a cheap look.

To give your kitchen a high end look, don’t just install high-quality countertops, work with granite contractors Durham and other professionals and revamp the entire kitchen.