27 Paint your Countertops!

Hey ladies, I am away on a shopping trip with 5 of my besties and did not get a chance to write up a HOW TO tutorial for today.  I did however have this post written up and ready to go for a later date, but hey, we're living on the wild side today, so we're breaking from our regular schedule!  However, I would love to hear from you on what other fun things you would learn how to do with your blog, so hit me up with your best questions!  Maybe I'll answer it next week...

In my master bathroom I had this hideous green countertop.  I'm not joking, look at it:

I had changed out the drawer/cabinet pulls when we first moved into the house almost 4 years ago and I switched out the light above the mirror as well.

I finally decided that I needed to CHANGE THIS COUNTER TOP!

So I started researching paints to see if any would do the job.

I found that Krylon Fusion for Plastic primer would do the trick of sticking to the laminate. 

I also found Krylon Hammered Finish was a good counter top color.

I looked at the textured spray paints, but I didn't think I would be happy with the bumpy surface they would leave.

These are both spray paints which make the job quicker, but also SMELL and leave a dusting over everything, so if you go this route, make sure to COVER EVERYTHING and that your bathroom is well ventilated.  WEAR A MASK and GLOVES as well to help protect yourself from the fumes.

Prep your area.  Clean your counter tops with a cleaner (I used SoftScrub with bleach).  Allow your counter top to dry.

Next tape off the counter tops (seen above) and then cover any walls, cabinets and sink with sheets, thick cloth or newspaper.  I also layed a sheet on the floor.

Although the Fusion for Plastic Primer is a no-sand primer, I decided I didn't want to chance it so I lightly sanded down my counter top.

Don't sand too deep.  It will require more coats of paint than usual to hide the small scratches.  Just break the surface to help allow the paint to stick.

Wipe your counter top down and allow to dry.

Now it is time to spray on your primer.  You want to do thin coats, spraying from 8-12 inches away.  Spray in long sweeps side to side.

(Above: first coat of primer)

(Above: third and last coat of primer)

I let each coat dry for 15 - 30 mins before moving on to the next coat.

After fully covering my counter I let the primer dry for two hours and then moved onto coating with my counter color.

It is the same process as above.

 

(Above: first coat of hammered metal paint) 

 (Above: 4 coats of paint - LOVING IT!)

The next step that I did involved a Krylon clear coat.  However I do not recommend doing it this way. The clear coat kept spitting out globs, so now I have spots instead of a smooth finish.

It is still better than the green, but VERY frustrating.

(click image to enlarge and you'll see the spots).

This is what you should do instead:

I have plans of recoating with the hammered finish and then letting it set for the 7 day time period. 

Make sure not to put anything on your counter during the 7 days.  We aren't even showering in this bathroom during this time period.

After it is set you will want to use polyurethane to cover the paint. Follow the directions on the package.  The more coats the better... 3-4 should be good.

A new counter for under $35!!! Now that is a bargain! 

Next up in my bathroom redo will be new towel racks.  

Update: I have remodeled our Master Bath - come see the new counter in all its glory!