Faux Marble Countertop Using Epoxy Resin

Valerie Burge
by Valerie Burge
12 Materials
$50
4 Hours
Easy

I received epoxy resin as a gift about a year ago and finally got around to using it on my bathroom countertop. I was planning to replace my sink and faucet anyway, so thought this would be a good time to tackle the countertop too.

Supplies

After removing the sink and faucet I gave the countertop a good cleaning with TSP degreaser and taped off the edges with painter’s tape. 


I taped plastic to the underside of the sink opening with duct tape. This fell off 3 times before I even started working on it! So I used push pins to keep it in place. Those held up nicely!

I then painted the countertop (and vanity) with white primer – 2 coats. 


Once it was dry I taped plastic to the cabinet and floors. I used masking tape and it held up fine.

Primed and ready

Prior to starting, I made sure the house temperature was up to 80 degrees and I sat both containers of epoxy in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes, as per the ProMarine instructions.  

 

Then I mixed ¾ of the epoxy resin (half and half mixture). Once mixed I separated a small amount into a plastic cup to add black for the marble veins.


I mixed a small amount of white unicorn spit into the remaining resin and poured it onto the countertop and smoothed it out with a small foam roller. I used a brush to apply it to the backsplash.


Once it looked fully covered, I used the edge of a stir stick to create black veins in the white, trying to make it look like marble.

I then feathered out the black lines using a sea sponge and a heat gun. I also went over it quickly with a torch to pop bubbles occasionally.


I happened to glance down and saw that the black tinted epoxy had erupted over the cup and was smoking!!! Fortunately I had an empty container nearby, so I placed the smoking cup in the container and brought it outside. It cooled off quickly and quit smoking!


The next time I use epoxy, I won’t mix my accent colour with it. I’ll just use the paint as it is. It would have settled into the epoxy anyway.

Accent colour eruption

The countertop now had a beautiful glossy finish!  

So glossy!

But I wasn’t loving how the veins looked on the backsplash. And close up the backsplash had little run lines that wouldn’t smooth out. And I felt like maybe I used too much black over all. So I had the idea that I would mix the remaining epoxy with white and pour it on, to hopefully fill in the runs and tone down the veins. 


So after waiting 4 hours (as per the directions) I added white dollar store paint (I didn’t have any more unicorn spit) to the epoxy and poured it directly onto the backsplash and let it run down. Then used a sponge roller to smooth it out over the surface. 


Unfortunately, I used too much white paint and it made everything look a little milky. I scraped as much off as possible with a plastic trowel, but it still took away a LOT of the glossy finish that had been there. 


The next time I use epoxy on a countertop (I plan to do my daughters as well) I will not use epoxy on the backsplash. I’ll just paint it the same base colour and seal it with a glossy polyurethane.


I also won’t stop working on it until I’m happy with the outcome. No second pour! You really have a lot of time to work with it. Even though I still really like the way it turned out in the end, I am a little disappointed I ruined the high gloss.

Toned down

The next day I removed the painter’s tape. I should not have waited that long! Some of it was dried on under the epoxy. I used an exacto knife to get off as much as I could.

After it was fully cured (3 days) I just added a bead of caulking to hide the remnants of green tape.


I gave the epoxy a light sanding and installed my new sink and faucet.

Before
After

Even though I will do a few things differently next time, I really do like the outcome. The countertop actually feels like real marble! I’m glad I finally got around to doing it. It really brightened up my ensuite! And I’m looking forward to trying this again.

Update: After about a year, the white turned a little yellow. I think it's because I used a kit for table tops, so it has a bit of an amber effect over time. If anyone tries this project I strongly encourage you to use an epoxy resin kit specifically for countertops. :)

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  • Katie Katie on Nov 30, 2019

    I love it. Nice job

  • Jane Fisher McRoberts Jane Fisher McRoberts on Nov 30, 2019

    I’ve wanted to put epoxy on my kitchen countertops to bring the shine back. They’re Corian countertops.

    I was discouraged due to it not being good for food preparation. Has anyone ever done this to kitchen counters?

  • Mary Jane Mary Jane on Jan 18, 2020

    Why can't I see the whole video

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  • Jaswan Jaswan on Nov 24, 2020

    What I liked best about this project post is that it is so "real world" in problems and pitfalls. Most project demos show everything goes well and outcome perfection.... reality for me is exactly like the authors.... learning process and a whole lot of figuring out how to correct and redirect and finishing to a great outcome albeit not exactly like the inspiration piece!!! I like the outcome although the turning yellow ---- yuck---- but figures..!! Now be creative and work that into your design🤔

    • Valerie Burge Valerie Burge on Nov 24, 2020

      Thanks Jaswan! I try a lot of different projects in our home, and some of them have a lot more trial and error as I work through them. LOL I'm glad you found the "reality" helpful. :) And I agree - the yellow that came through over time is so disappointing! I'm convinced it's because I used table top epoxy resin and should have used one specifically for countertops! I won't make that mistake again.

  • Helen Helen on Nov 24, 2020

    It looks beautiful! I would love to try this in my kitchen! Any suggestions? I don’t even care about marbling. Just the fresh update look and the extended life of the counters! I love how you let us know it wasn’t all roses and how you talked about the problems you had. Helps lower my disappointment if my project isn’t perfect!

    • Valerie Burge Valerie Burge on Nov 24, 2020

      Thank you, Helen!! Epoxy resin on kitchen countertops looks awesome. Just make sure you use the kit designed for countertops to avoid yellowing over time. And I've heard you can't place a hot pot directly on them, but that's an easy thing to avoid. I think when I do my daughter's bathroom countertop I'll keep it simple and maybe just use white with a a little sparkle pigment added. Good luck with your kitchen, if you give this a try! :)

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