Countertop Revamp

8 Materials
$425
3 Days
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I was lucky enough to design and build my own house about 11 years ago. I decided to go with concrete countertops in the kitchen because I loved the modern industrial look and it was also fairly cost efficient. Well, the people that did my counters didn't do the best job and we started having issues with them about 5 years in. The finish started peeling off, especially around the kitchen sink. I got a couple of bids for new countertops but they were VERY expensive and they also said that a new counter couldn't be put in without removing and replacing the backslash. So... we decided to do them ourselves with epoxy!

Here's a picture of what the counters used to look like. They looked decent from far away but up close they were pretty bad.

We started by taking the sealer off and there was a lot ot trial and error with this step. In some areas it came off with extremely little effort but other areas proved to be a lot trickier.

One of the best tools we found were these little hand held scrapers with razor blades. It really helped to replace the blades every so often when they started getting dull. We also experimented with sand paper, acetone, lemon essential oil, and even a torch to help remove the sealer from the areas we had a hard time with. The oil seemed to work the best for helping to remove the stubborn spots.

The absolute best advice I have for anyone doing a similar project is to take the extra time to be completely prepared with ALL of the materials and tools you may need. Watch a lot of tutorials and plan out exactly how you will go about the process and write your steps down to refer back to. I've used epoxy before on a small countertop that I covered in fabric and then coated with epoxy but this project was much larger and a lot more intimidating lol!

We started by taping off all of the cabinets and the floor and cleaning the raw concrete with acetone. The first step in the process was to cover the counter in a skim coat of clear epoxy since concrete is pourus. The skim coat is just meant to seal the concrete and is a lot thinner than the main coat will be. We allowed it to cure overnight.

We decided to start with the small section of counter between the fridge and the range so we could get a feel for the products. It's extremely important to calculate the amount of material you will need for each space and follow the directions exactly as they are laid out for you. This small area was a success! Also, be prepared for a lot of product to drip over the edge. This is a necessary step to get proper coverage on your vertical surfaces.

The rest of the counter space was all connected so we needed a lot more material for that second and final pour. It was also a lot more difficult to get it exactly how we wanted since you only have a certain amount of time to work with it once you mix it. It was definitely a stressful experience!

Here are some after pictures!! Even though it's not perfect, we are super happy with the results and will be using this method again in other areas of the house. We went with the brand Countertop Epoxy and are very happy with it but there are many different products out there to chose from.

I hope you enjoyed following along with this little makeover! It does take some planning and a little skill but I highly suggest you consider it as an option if you are in need of new counters. It was a tiny fraction of the price compared to all new counters and so far they have proven to be very durable. Also, the color options and details are pretty much endless so you can get as custom and crazy as you'd like! For more fun projects, check out my Instagram!


Instagram.com/beautymark_furniture

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  • Jo Ann Stidman Jo Ann Stidman on Feb 04, 2023

    Love your new countertop and backsplash too.

    my question where did u find those long kitchen cabinet hardware handles…..?

  • Sandy Sandy on Feb 04, 2023

    My goodness that’s beautiful! I am not that brave and my hubby would never help or let me do this. I’ve tried showing him but nope. But anyway will this yellow over time? Is there anything you could do to prevent that?

  • Jill Cmc Jill Cmc on Feb 04, 2023

    When you did the veins, was the white background wet... or was the black paint thinned with water so it went on so well? You did a great job on that. I'm an artist but I am not good at all with painting marble. Did it 3 times in the main bathroom counter and sanded it back down and painted it white. lol! Finally i just made stripes with masking tape and painted the stripe black between the tape. It's not horrible, but it's not my first or third choice. I think I tried to hard with the marble instead to just let it go. I see that you were able to do that and it really turned out nice.



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  • Mary Jo Murphy Mary Jo Murphy on Feb 04, 2023

    Looks amazing !

  • Theresa Theresa on Feb 05, 2023

    😀😀😀I used resin epoxy in much the same way for a very similar reason as you all did. Great minds think alike. My base counter is original 80s laminate with the attached back splash and yep to replace the counter the backsplash had to go. So much $$$. As you can see I used pennies and just glued them in place and poured the resin epoxy like you did. The counter has held up very well. The edge by the sink not so much but Flex Seal fixes the places where the pour didn’t come out perfectly. 😀from the picture I can it’s time for another application 🙃. I have found that for the inevitable scratches, clear fingernail polish fills them in. Wishing you and you countertops the best of times.

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