State of the Painted Countertops

I’ve had a lot of inquiries into the state of the laminate countertops that we painted in our master bath.  Their report card so far, after being the landing place for many a bathroom thing is:  Good.  Not excellent, not bad, just good.

There hasn’t been any peeling or bubbling or fading but I think they’re a little less glossy today than they were the day they were painted three years ago.  They’re not matte by any means though.IMG_5129
Not a huge deal because they still look good, but just sayin’.

The one downfall about them is that they’ve acquired a few stains here and there, like this mysterious ring that’s in two spots on the countertop.  The only bottle whose bottom matches the size of the ring is my mousse bottle but it’s metal and clean so I’m not sure if that’s the culprit or not but either way, I can’t get the ring out.
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And then there’s this little nail polish splatter stain:
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But logic tells me nail polish isn’t nice to any countertop it’s spilled on so, whoops.

Also, there are several teeny tiny divots in the paint/polycrylic where my hot curling iron sits.  The divots were created by the curling iron stand.  They’re barely noticeable because they’re so small and because they’re at the far edge but they’re there.  To keep this from happening, I should just set my iron on a piece of heat resistant something – a tray or piece of fabric – while it’s in use.

On top of all that though, I still love the countertops and I’d definitely paint them again and even have plans to paint the guestroom tops in the future.  So, painting countertops = two thumbs up.  :)

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I’m hoping to get the tutorial and state of Jesse’s painted countertops up soon too!  She used a clear resin top coat vs. the polycrylic I used so the results are a little different.  Have you ever painted countertops?  How are they holding up?

15 comments

  1. I haven't painted counter tops but what I've used to put underneath my curling/flat iron in the past was a coaster. Those stone ones that suck up the moisture naturally. I already had it so it was kind of free, ha, and it worked.

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    1. Oh awesome idea! We have some of those stone coasters and I'm going right now to move one to its new home under the iron! Thanks Lisa!

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  2. What do you use to clean them? Thanks!

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    1. Hey Mandy!
      Honestly, just dish soap and water. Sometimes, if I'm feeling extra clean, I'll spray some 409 bathroom cleaner on them and scrub them lightly with a sponge. But, if I do use chemicals, I make sure that I go over them with water after I'm done.

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  3. How does the poly hold up if there is any standing water on the counter top? I thinking about using this in my kitchen but worry about areas of water that might get missed during clean up.

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  4. Also, I'm considering using Envirotex Lite for a resin topcoat- but have never used anything like that so I'm a bit intimidated to try it. If the luster wears off from the polycrylic after awhile couldn't you just reapply a few more coats to give it that new look again? And if I ever get daring enough to use Envirotex could I pour it over the polycrylic topcoat? Sorry for so many questions! I'm very excited to start this project but want to make sure I go about it using the most durable and effective materials.

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    1. Hey Brenda! The poly holds up great with standing water. I've never had a problem. When I wash the countertops, I use clorox wipes or something along those lines and then I usually go over them with a sponge and water to get all the chemicals off and, because I there's never enough time in the day, I usually let them air dry. All that is to say that standing water poses no problem. But, I will say that if I had to do these over, I'd go with the Envirotex Lite instead of the poly. It gives a much smoother finish. My good friend used it in her kitchen here - http://www.beaninloveblog.com/2014/10/faux-marble-countertops.html Back to the poly though, I'm sure I could always sand it down a little and reapply for them to look as good as new but I'm thinking I'll change them up before that ever happens or I'll just cover them with the Envirotex. Does that help?

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    2. Thank you Sheena! Your advice is a huge help! Especially the link to your friend's countertops because of her detailed directions for the Envirotex. The only thing that is making me a little cautious is how she describes them as being easily scratchable and remains slightly moveable. I guess as long as it is durable and can withstand daily use it is worth it vs the Polyacrylic. Thank you so much for answering this so quickly!! Your counters look gorgeous as does your friend's!!

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    3. You are so welcome! As far as my friend's countertops, they really were durable. I did see the scratches she was talking about and she did say (I don't know if I wrote this in the post) that, if you set something with pointy legs on them, those pointy legs would make tiny indentations but they'd even out over time. So, with that, they really are durable. Envirotex is what's used on bar countertops and I'm pretty sure those get beat up pretty bad so that says a lot for the product. :) I'm excited for you! If you think of it, I'd love to see pictures of your finished tops!

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    4. Ok- I think you've sold me on Envirotex 😊 I will definitely post pictures once they are finished. Am working on the cabinets right now and then the counter tops. Thank you so much for your advice!!

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  5. Hello, I just bought everything to paint my laminate kitchen countertops a light marble but after seeing some things about the minwax polycrylic online, I almost cancelled the whole project (I'm way too intimidated by the epoxy). I am after a super glossy finish like yours. I read that this product can also go on yellowish buf yours doesnt look that way! My other concern is that some people said the polycrylic top coat always felt tacky and never dried smooth. What's your experience with that? Thank you so much, your posts have been such a help!

    Brittany

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    1. Hey Brittany! I felt like the polycrylic did yellow a smidge after a year or so but I don't know that it was noticeable to anyone but me. I also put on seven coats (if I remember correctly) so the more you put on, the more it might have a chance to yellow? However, my polycrylic dried hard and never felt tacky. I definitely paid attention to the directions and let each coat dry fully before I put on the next. Good luck! Let me know if you have any other questions!

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    2. Oh yeah, a couple more things. The less "textured" your marble paint job is, the smoother your polycrylic will be. Also, I recently put some semi-gloss polycrylic on a table top and felt like it went on really streaky. So I tried adding Floetrol (spelling?...the stuff in the orange bottle) and it helped erase streakiness and brush marks a lot! You might want to try that if your first coats aren't going so well. :)

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  6. I did a kitchen island over two years ago using paint with polycrylic on top. It has held up great, looks wonderful. I painted them dark purple and drew images on them with metallic silver sharpie. I haven't noticed any yellowing of the finish over the dark paint. I am in the process of doing the rest of the kitchen counters using the same colors and method right now, since the other looks and wears so well. If water stands on it, it does look milky until it dries again, but it dries perfectly clear and has left no stains or marks. They don't seem to scratch easily either. I use the kitchen island all the time, and while it doesn't get wet as often as the counter around the sink does, it does get hard and constant use. I wash it just as I would the regular counter, with soapy water, no problems.

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