The kitchen cabinets have been painted and you're facing stained or just plain ugly countertops. We have a quick and easy solution for you. A stone-like benchtop is surprisingly easy with Rust-Oleum's Benchtop Transformation Kit. Just about everything you need is in the kit, including a detailed instructional DVD. For this kitchen, we are using the Charcoal Granite Finish.
Part Two: Revitalising the Bench Tops
See Part One
Time Frame
Weekend Project (2 days) plus 7 days to cure completely
Build Your Basket
Rust-Oleum's Benchtop Transformation Kit
Painters Tape
Drop Sheets
Roller Tray
Silicone
Step One
First, clean the benchtops thoroughly. Then, use the included diamond-embedded sanding block to rough up the laminate finish. Really get into the laminate – the rougher you get the surface, the better the finish you will end up with. Clean off any dust and grit thoroughly.
Step Two
Now, use painters tape and drop sheets to protect any surfaces you are not painting.
Paint Tip: Spend time making sure you've taped properly – this project is a lot of fun and can get very messy!
Step Three
Next, cut in your edges with a thick coat the adhesive base coat before rolling on the paint across the benchtop. You want to get a nice thick and even finish, making sure you can't see any of the old bench colour through any patches.
Paint Tip: Watch your edges and corners to ensure you get a consistent finish.
Step Four
As soon as you've finished, spray wetting agent all over the paint. This will keep the adhesive coat tacky in order to grab and hold the granite chips.
Step Five
This is the fun bit – get your chip dispenser and cover the wet paint immediately with a very thick coat of chips. The kit includes a lot of them, so cover the benchtop thoroughly and then go back over again if you have any left over. It is important that you coat every single inch of the benchtop and not leave any paint showing. For the edges, grab handfuls of chips and throw them liberally at the paint.
Paint Tip: This is where your diligence on the edges and corners will pay off – make sure there are no bare or thin patches.
Step Six
Let the benchtops dry overnight.
Paint Guy Tip: At this point, the chips will make the benches look much lighter than the final colour and very rough. Don't be put off!
Step Seven
Once the benchtops have dried, get the diamond-embedded block and sand back the chips to match the included swatch. You want to achieve a smooth finish right across the surface.
If there are any thin patches or missed edges, put a little paint on the area and reapply some chips, allowing to dry for a few hours before sanding. Vacuum off the dust and grit that remains.
Step Eight
Finally, you are ready to apply the protective base coat. Do your edges then the large surfaces with a roller.
Paint Tip: Make sure the coat is even right across the benchtop. Any thin patches will show later on.
Step Nine
You can resume light usage of the counters after 48 hours, which generally means putting crockery or glassware on top, however you need to leave a good 7 days before you put anything heavy, such as the microwave, back. By this time, the counter will have cured, giving you a beautiful and durable surface for many years to come. Finish edges with silicone to tidy and waterproof, especially around the sink.
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