I painted my counters! REALLY!

In the beginning, there were very ugly yellowish/greenish counters. Not the worst color I've ever seen, but close. However, said counters are in very good shape. No cracks and only a few very small dings. Could I have replaced them with inexpensive stock counters? Yes. But then I would have had to had help removing the sink, etc. and I didn't want to wait for that to happen. I can't do sink removal but I sure can paint! I did lots and lots of research. I found this very helpful website: THRIFTY FUN and read for hours. I took all the helpful hints and ideas into consideration and after months of debate, I decided to go for it.
The first step is cleaning your counters very well. I even used a degreaser just in case. However, a good cleaning with soap and water would be plenty. Then start taping everything off to protect your walls and cabinets. I was going for a granite look which requires lots and lots of paint spattering which is very messy. Then I put down a base coat using some leftover tan paint from our bathroom. It doesn't have to be perfectly perfect because you are going to add lots of paint on top of it. I didn't even use a primer, but you would need to if your counters had any sheen/shine left to them. After 30 years, mine had no shine left at all.
My weapons in the war against ugly: a kitchen scrub brush, some sea sponges, a sample of faux granite, and lots of pretty paint. I also used a cotton ball.
The very beginning of the spattering. I really studied that little granite sample and it appears to me that it was made up mostly of millions of little dots in varying colors and dimension plus some random shading, etc. I did a 12x12 inch sample board just to make sure I knew what I was doing when I liked what I saw, I made a mental note of what I did to make it look that way. In retrospect, I wish I would have actually made notes. Then, you have to just jump in and start spattering. It takes quite a bit of spattering to have any effect. Every once in a while, I would pat my finger here and there to make some of the spatters a little bigger. I think the trick is to be random. Don't pat every 3 inches! Think natural and free-form. I also used the sponges and cotton ball to add some texture/ soften it up a bit. There is no science to this--it is very hit and miss. I just kind of wing it until I like what I see. Yes, it made me nervous when it wasn't looking quite right. I kept the faith though...
Whew! Done. Well, maybe. I like to look at it for a while and see if there are spots I don't like, or that need a little more shading or some other fix. Wait, it still looks ugly next to that awful green paper I used to protect my wall. Let's get rid of that.
Definitely better without the green. I didn't want to paint that little 6 inch backsplash thing for 2 reasons: 1) I think it would have been hard to make it look right and 2) Even though I won't be fooling anyone into thinking this is real granite, real granite does not usually come with a little 6 inch backsplash. They look a little sponge-painty to me in this picture which is NOT what I want. However, it doesn't look that way up close--I swear!
Next up is the sealer. To me, this was the scary part. I had to keep thinking, "What is the worse that could happen!?" Hmmm......yes, I could think of plenty of bad stuff but onward I marched! I used Envirotex Lite which I bought at Hobby Lobby. It took 4 quart size boxes and I bought them one at a time with 40% off coupons which made them about $17.00 each. It's not cheap, but it's still less than replacing those counters. (It is a product that is used on bartops/tables, etc. and it is sold at craft stores and hardware stores.)
The butane lighters are to get the bubbles out. The directions recommend a propane torch but that sounded a little dangerous to me. However, now I'm thinking it would have been better to use it so I could cover more area.


Please read these tips so you can benefit from the wisdom of my experience. (That's a fancy way of saying "Don't make the same mistakes I did!")
- Paint your entire counter at the same time. My counter is in 3 separate parts. I painted the smallest part 2 weeks before the 2nd 2 parts assuming I would remember how I got it to look the way it did. Oops. It was impossible to get the exact same "granite" effect 2 weeks later. Luckily, they are far enough apart that most folks wouldn't notice. Except now, everyone will because I just broadcasted my mistake.
- Plan way ahead. You will not be able to put anything on your counters for at least 3 days which may affect your meal planning.
- Mix the Envirotex in a BIG bucket and then pour the mixture into a container with a spout. I poured from my bucket and it was way too hard to control where it went. I would also use a turkey baster to get into the little spots--like behind the sink--and to keep putting it back onto the sides of the counter as it slides off.
- Wear gloves--and have spare gloves around when the first ones get sticky. Don't let it get on your skin!!!!! My hands got all red, dry and sticky and they hurt a bit. (The direction clearly tell you to wear gloves, but I always feel like they are huge and I don't have much precision. I wish I had just taken the time to find some gloves that fit.)
-Wear an apron--not a cute one. One you don't mind getting mucked up. And if you have long hair, put it in a pony. Seriously.
- TAKE YOUR TIME!!!! The edges are hard to do. I wish I would have just sat in front of them for a half hour and just kept using a sponge brush to put the Enviro back on when it dripped off. I kind of just let it go and it shows.
-Don't start pouring the Enviro at 5:00 p.m. when your family is going to start begging for dinner at 5:05. Making that silly mistake made me rush the job.
- My final result is far from perfect but I HATED my counters to begin with and now I LOVE them. That is close enough to perfect for me.

You can see the whole kitchen makeover HERE.

****EDITED ON JUNE 6, 2009****
DURABILITY:
I've had my counters done for about 2 months now. They are still holding up great. I've noticed that directly on one of the edges--where the horizontal meets the vertical--it's gettting a little banged up. There are some tiny, tiny little spots that seem to have worn down to where I had to put some paint on a toothpick and re-touch. Then I cover it with clear fingernail polish. These are teeny, tiny spots and I think I just didn't get it covered very well with the Enviro in the first place.

You cannot place a hot pan/dish directly onto these counters. I would never do that with laminate either, though. And did you know that granite is porous and can explode if you place a hot pan/dish directly on it? I do, however, leave my crock pot, rice cooker, toaster and coffee maker directly on it and they get pretty hot and I've never noticed any damage or even softening of the counters. If you cut directly on it, it will leave marks--which will come out, but still, don't do it. That's what cutting boards are for.

CLEANLINESS:
I have been using the Clorox Anywhere spray on them for daily cleaning and Windex when I need to shine them up. I'm assuming the Enviro is food-safe because it is a product that is used for bar tops. I'm not at all worried about my kids eating a cookie that has been sitting on the counter for a few hours. They don't lick the counters--as far as I know--so I'm confident that we are safe. If you are concerned, I would recommend finding a customer service # and asking the manufacturer.

FAQ about the counters

I wanted to answer some questions that I've had about the counters. First of all, I still LOVE them. In fact, I think I love them even more now that I've gotten used to them! My friend, Michelle, came over yesterday to see the counters because she is considering doing hers and I think her first reaction was that they do look even better in person. They aren't as splotchy as they appear in the pictures and the yellow that always looks so bright (or like baby poop) in the photos, doesn't really show up at all in person. Strange. Maybe she can leave a testimonial comment today! ;-)
1. The Enviro sealer stuff did not have much of an odor at all. In fact, I was expecting it to smell and it really didn't.
2. After I was finished spreading it, I brought in a space heater and left it on for several hours because the higher the temperature of the room, the faster it cures.
3. It is holding up very, very well. It doesn't scratch easily and I haven't seen any chips or anything. I think if you were constantly banging something hard against the edges, it might do some damage, but even with 2 little boys banging around my kitchen, it doesn't see that kind of action!
4. I have been cleaning it with Windex and that Clorox all-purpose cleaner. I don't know that I would use bleach and I definitely wouldn't use any gritty cleaner like Comet. I never used that stuff on my old counters either.
5. You cannot put anything super hot--like something straight out of the oven--on the counters. Does anyone really do that? I try not to leave anything really hot on them for any length of time because I've been told that they will melt a little bit.
6. I am NOT a high-maintenance home-owner type. I refuse to be a slave to my floors or my walls or my counters. These counters seem to be holding up to our abuse pretty darn well so far--and trust, me, with two boys in the house, they have already seen some abuse!
7. I know I am not the first person to paint their laminate and there are other ways to go about doing it. The biggest thing is in how you seal it. You can also use several coats of a polyacrylic sealer. NOT a polyurethane because it will yellow over time. However, polyacrylic leaves a white milky looking mark when water sits on it too long. The mark will disappear, but for a while, it looks like spilled milk. If you were painting your laminate a light color, you would never notice the milky spot but I wanted something darker so I knew it wouldn't work for me. I used polyacrylic on my newly painted black kitchen table and as soon as I can get it outside, I will be sanding it off and starting over. I HATE the white, milky thing showing up on the black.
NEW QUESTION8. Regarding cleaning: I've been using a rag to clean my counters--or whatever cloth-like thing happens to be available at the moment. I like to use those little washclothes that little old ladies crochet for cleaning. They are soft, but they are nubby enough that they get the job done. The Enviro sealer is actually for bar tops, so I figure if it can stand up to what a bunch of drunk idiots can do, it can probably stand up in my kitchen. Something sticky got onto mine and I got out the "Goo-B-Gone" and rubbed and rubbed and no damage was done to the counter. I'm thinking the only thing I wouldn't use would be something gritty.

Check out the crafty blogger HERE who painted her bathroom vanity. It looks amazing. I love the soft, subtle colors she used!

I'll add more answers when I get some time to look at the comments again. (So very cool to have so many comment, by the way!)

AND, I have some fireplace info to share later today too!

Ta Da......The "New" Kitchen

First I need to say that it is very, very hard to get good pictures of my home. I think I need a wide angle lense or a better camera--or some camera knowledge. That being said.....here it is....the long-awaited kitchen makeover! I swear it is much better in person. Honestly!

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

I also added moulding to the top of the cabinets to give them a little height and interest. I swear it makes my popcorn ceiling look higher.

And here's the biggie. My newly painted and sealed counters! Again, they look so much better in person. See how shiny they are!? LOVE 'em! Like Jack said, "Now they wook wike Twacy's and they feew wike Twacy's too!" (Tracy's are granite.) You, too can have fake-granite over your laminate because I am going to show you how to do it. But not until Saturday. ;-)

The grand total for this re-do: under $180.00 No joking! I will break it down for ya':
wall paint: $25.00
cabinet paint: $27.00
hinges: $16.00
moulding: $21.00
counter sealer: $68.00
valance & rings: $15.00
total: $172.00


I will be getting a new faucet, stainless over-the-range microwave and a stainless dishwasher in the near future and other stainless when and if the economy ever gets better. I also need to finish painting my table and chairs black. (They are almost done.) I also plan on adding some punches of color here and there, but haven't figured that out just yet. Overall, I LOVE what I've done and I would highly recommend going for it if you've ever thought about doing a makeover! I had been unhappy with my kitchen for a long time and then I saw what Emily from Chatting at the Sky had done and I was sold. Then she went and did it again at her new house! I don't mind saying that I completely took many of her ideas and put them in my house. I was also inspired by Emily's sister, Nester, whose motto: "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." was my mantra as I was pouring a gallon of goo on my counters and hoping not to saw a finger off when I was mitering moulding. Thanks girls for giving me just the kick in the pants that I needed!

Emily's inspiring kitchen.

Kitchen update

I am working on the final touches--well, semi-final, to my kitchen. I am hoping to post the "after" pictures on Friday. Just to remind you, here is where we started. Actually, when we started out in the house 7 years ago, the cabinets were dark brown, the faux brick backsplash was peachyish with black faux soot marks???? and the floor was cream linoleum. I don't remember the light which means it was so bad that it was the first thing to go. The first color I painted the kitchen was red. And I painted the cabinets white. I loved the red, but with the yellow counters, it just gave me a McDonald's vibe. Then I painted the walls the ugliest shade of yellow you can imagine to match the counters. So, we are actually on our third reincarnation of the kitchen!

Kitchen Makeover

These are going to my "before" pictures of my kitchen. Of course, they will probably be "current" pics for quite a while because it always takes me a long time to ACT on my projects! It doesn't look too bad in these photos, does it? Well, don't be fooled. It is. It is a big yellow box. Yellow floors, yellow walls, yellow table, yellow chairs and yellow counters. That's a lot of yellow. It used to have red walls but with the yellow counters and such, I just couldn't get past it looking like McDonalds. I hate the floors--I loved them when we put them down, but they are looking pretty beat up. A perfect example of "you get what you pay for."