What if the transformation of your kitchen counter becomes reality? Even better, if you could renovate it without replacing it. It is possible; there are simple and inexpensive solutions for laminate countertops. Here are 3 ideas to transform your kitchen counter right now from countertops-more.com.
Here are the options available to you:
Paint (2 different finishes, level of difficulty: easy to medium).
Cover (1 idea, a large number of designs, and level of difficulty: difficult).
Whatever the project, it is essential to carry out 4 preparatory steps before painting a laminate kitchen counter:
Clean: with a powerful cleaner to degrease the counter.
Restore: using strips designed for repairing laminate, you must repair cracks in your counter. Ask at a hardware store or a cabinet manufacturer for details.
Sand: with a fine sand paper (grain 100), gently sand the entire surface. Don’t forget the sides of the counter.
Clean: remove sanding dust before painting.
Painting your kitchen counter
To transform your kitchen counter, nothing better than paint to change the look. There are 2 ways to proceed with 2 very different finishes.
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Painting with latex paint (difficulty level: easy)
- Necessary tools
- Roller
- Primer designed for laminate
- Laminate paint
After completing the preparation steps, apply a first coat of primer on your counter. Be sure to use paint designed specifically for laminate countertops. It is essential to be careful at this stage and apply thin layers. Then complete with your layers of paint. In fact, almost all types of paint can be recycled , ask your hardware store to find out if it can take back your old leftovers. If not, use our online locator to easily find the paint collection bin closest to you.
Tip: to go even further, you could paint your kitchen cabinets in melamine !
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Painting with a stone effect or smooth effect (level of difficulty: medium)
- Necessary tools
- Trowel
- Brush
- Paint for the chosen finish
By applying a thin layer of cement just thicker than the paint, you can get a stone effect or make your countertop smoother. Be careful though, this product is for experienced DIY enthusiasts. Test on a counter sample before you begin. You must handle the trowel well for an optimal effect. Each product has different installation steps, ask your hardware store or a paint specialist.
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Cover the counter (difficulty level: difficult, for renovation pros)
To transform your counter without replacing it, you can use ceramic. It completely transforms your counter and the look of your kitchen. Remember to choose your ceramic according to your kitchen backsplash. You can also change the backsplash to arrange it at your new counter. There are several inexpensive backsplash options.
- Necessary tools
- Ceramic (10% more than your counter measure for your losses)
- grout
- Water saw (available to rent)
- Small ceramic cross
- square
Place your ceramic pieces to create your design. Then put them on your counter ensuring that the project is straight. Glue your tiles and you can then apply the grout. Placing ceramic tiles on a counter takes time and, above all, practices. We strongly suggest that you validate your steps with a professional before you start.
Warning
Once your project is completed, keep in mind that this is a temporary solution to transform your kitchen counter. Pay attention to a few aspects:
If your counter is painted, you should not cut food on the counter. In addition to the risk of breaking it, the risk of contamination is greater.
Watch out for water. Your countertop is no longer made of melamine and could be damaged more easily.
