Painting Laminate Countertops Unfortunately, there appears to be a problem playing this video. Please reload the page or try again shortly. If you continue to experience problems, please contact us. Consider priming and painting your laminate countertops if you want to make a significant difference in your kitchen without spending much money.
Your local paint store can provide you with the ideal paint for your endeavor. Many suggest using an acrylic primer, paint, and topcoat. Acrylic paint dries to give the firm surface required for high-traffic areas such as counters, while water-based acrylic paint is easy to clean and odorless. In any case, you’ll need to ensure enough ventilation in your kitchen prior to painting.
Turn on a fan or open a window with screens. If your countertop’s final color is dark, you may want to request that your paint provider shade your primer. The personnel at the paint store will know if this is essential. Simply describe your idea and desired hue and allow them to decide.
- Ensure that your primer and paint are well combined.
- You may have the store do this or do it yourself with a stirring stick.
- It is prudent to have more roller coverings than you anticipate needing.
- Purchase in excess and return what you do not need to the retailer at a later date.
- For surfaces with a smooth finish, such as counters, a foam roller cover is advised.
Prior to painting, it is recommended to sand all surfaces. Use sandpaper with a fine grit (200 to 220) to smooth your countertop and backsplash. An electric sander will make this task much more efficient (Image 1). Use a sanding block to smooth the counter’s edges (Image 2).
- After sanding the whole surface, pour mineral spirits onto a lint-free cotton cloth and wipe away the dust (Image 3).
- Allow the mineral spirits to dry, then rub your fingertips over the surface to ensure that it is clean and smooth.
- Any dust left on the counter after painting will be harsh to the touch.
After cleaning and sanding the countertop, it is time to preserve anything that will not be primed and painted. Use painter’s tape to shield the sink and walls from paint (Images 1 and 2). Ensure that the tape has properly adhered to the surface so that paint cannot seep below.
- You may choose to cover your walls, floors, and cabinets with plastic or newspaper to protect them from damage (Image 3).
- When priming and painting countertops, it is essential to maintain a “wet edge” of paint.
- Do not stop in the middle of this project to let the freshly painted or primed area dry.
- Overlap your most recent roller strokes by about an inch with the prior ones.
Apply an even coat of primer, covering the whole surface with complete front-to-back roller strokes (Image 1). Be prepared to use a trim brush to cover the surface when your wet paint edge approaches the region around the sink or the little backsplash surface (Image 2).
- Move from one counter edge to the next while applying primer to the whole surface.
- Allow your primer at least six hours to dry.
- Apply the paint by repeating the steps outlined above (Images 1 and 2).
- As you walk from one side of the counter to the other, maintain a moist edge.
- Do not let the painted edge dry before rolling on the next amount of paint, and overlap your paint rolls by approximately an inch.
Allow the paint to dry for a minimum of four hours before applying a second coat using the same method. After the last layer of paint has dried, you will need to apply a final high-gloss topcoat to preserve and add shine to the surface. Utilize a countertop-specific acrylic topcoat with a water-based binder.
- Apply the top coat using the same procedure as the undercoat, keeping the edge damp (Image 1).
- Once the first application has cured for four hours and the whole surface has been covered, add a second coat.
- Two coats of topcoat should be adequate to provide an attractive and durable countertop surface.
Wait 24 hours after applying the final topcoat before utilizing the countertops. The whole curing period of a water-based acrylic topcoat is around fourteen days. Use your counters with caution during this time. Congratulations! You have fully altered your countertops without exerting any effort or spending any money: Painting Laminate Countertops