How to paint laminate countertops easy with interior paint

How to paint laminate countertops easy with interior paint

Our bathroom needed an update badly, but how can you do this if you don’t want to renovate the whole bathroom?

And I wasn’t ready to put a lot of money into this bathroom either.

The worst thing what stuck into my eyes every time I entered this bathroom was the ugly yellowish countertop. It just looked awful, so dated and it definitely needed some attention from me.

But I wasn’t sure if I could renovate it by myself. …..  And how do you actually paint a countertop?

It was pretty scary for me to start this project but now I am so glad I did.

 

If you are also considering painting your countertops, read on and find out what I did to update this vanity.

How to paint laminate countertops easy with interior paint 

I always start with research

Easy I thought and went to my local Lowes and bought a quart of countertop paint. The instruction on the paint says it easy to use and works well….

But I shouldn’t have done this, because I didn’t like the outcome at all.

You can also buy special and very expensive paint for countertops but you will have to wear a mask while applying that paint. It is so toxic. Also I watched some videos on Pinterest and it really scared me. I am definitely not going to use anything in my house which will kill me. So I found out a much better way of updating my sinks and countertops.

 

I have a much better way of doing this.  Read on and find out how to paint laminate countertops easy with interior paint >

 

If you are interested in my bathroom remodel on a budget of $ 150, here is how:

 

 

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How to paint laminate countertops easy with interior paint – the right way 

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You can see in this picture, that the countertop is old, has spots of yellowish colorings and just doesn’t look pretty anymore.

So I bought this countertop paint, a small roller and a tray, a small brush and started with the following steps:

 

 

 

 

• First I removed the faucets
• Second I used sandpaper to roughen up the countertop a little
• Third I got my paint ready and started rolling on the paint with a small foam roller
• let the first coat dry then painted again

I painted the countertop twice.

 

 

 

And then I had to wait 3 days!!!!! to use this sink again. Too crazy long if you need that bathroom.

And this is how it looked after I was done:

 

I DID NOT LIKE IT AT ALL!!!! The color was off and about a week later I already had some scratches and the paint started chipping.  

So I had to search for a better solution and I actually found it.

 

 

This is how you do it the better way:

Have you read my kitchen tutorial Paint your kitchen cabinets without sanding and priming DIY

And because I love the results of my kitchen cabinets so much,  I thought I should try the same procedure in my bathroom.

Nothing to lose I thought, the countertop didn’t look good at all. Therefore I just tried it out and hoped for the best.

And it absolutely worked so well, that I recommend the same procedure to you.

 

This is how I painted my countertops the right way:

• First I removed the faucets
• Second I used a light sandpaper and roughened the countertops a little
• Third I got my Sherwin Williams paint ready (I used Sherwin Williams Infinity paint in a concrete gray color) and started rolling on the paint with a small foam roller.
• The finish is not important, either get a flat or satin finish.

 

•  I painted the countertop twice and let it dry, painted again then let dry over night.
• The next day I checked if the paint was completely dry and if everything looked good.
• You can add another coat of paint if necessary.

This is the most important step and do not think of skipping this:

• Now comes the important step: apply at least 5 top coats of General Finishes Top Coat in satin.
• I used a brush and thoroughly applied 3 coats during one day. It takes about 3 hours in between coats to dry.

The top coat dries pretty fast, so you can apply at least 3 – 5 top coats in one day.  The next day I applied another 2 top coats.

Of course you can also apply them all in one day and let it dry over night.

 

 

What to do next

I let it dry over night to be sure that the top coat is completely dry and hardened.

Check the countertops really well and make sure that you have absolutely no spots without the Top Coat.

If you are completely satisfied with the look then you can install the new or old faucets.

 

 

Summary of ‘How to paint laminate countertops easy with interior paint’:

I used Infinity paint by Sherwin Williams. The paint color I selected looks like concrete, and this is exactly what I always wanted to have.

Now it looks like a concrete surface, I love the look. After applying 2 coats of Sherwin Williams paint and letting it dry over night, I then applied at least 5 Top Coats by General Finishes for scratch protection.

 

How does the countertop hold up?

It has been over a month now that I painted the countertop.  My son uses the bathroom daily and he doesn’t really pay too much attention.

It still looks great, no scratches, no paint chips, nothing.

Try it out, if your vanity is old and ugly and you don’t have the budget to replacing it.

(Update December 2019 – countertops still look great without any scratches or paint chips).

How much does it cost to paint your countertop?

Use a good paint (Sherwin William) and apply at least 2 coats and  a minimum of 5 top coats from General Finishes and you are good to go.

I had the paint and the Top Coat left over from previous projects (kitchen and camper remodel),  therefore it was a pretty cheap project for me.

If you have to buy the paint and the Top Coat you are looking at approximately 50 $ altogether.

I recommend to buy a good paint which is around $ 20 and the Top Coat is around $ 25.

 

Where to buy the Material

For your convenience here is the link for the Top Coat.

I would recommend that you buy Sherwin Williams paint at your local store. Decide on the color before you get it mixed.

I love the concrete grey look of a countertop, very clean and minimalistic.

But the color should fit to your cabinet and the wall color to make it look cohesive.

Therefore get your paint chips first, see how it is going to look in your bathroom and get the color mixed.

 

 

 

 

Checklist ‘How to paint your countertops with interior paint’

And here is the checklist and shopping list for you to download and print out.checklist how to paint countertops with regular paint

What to do from step 1 to step 12:

1. Remove the faucet.
2. Clean the countertop thoroughly with an abrasive cleaning pad.
3. Use light sandpaper to roughen the surface. Clean well and let dry.
4. Use Frog Tape to protect wall and mirror.
5. Use a 1.5″ angled brush to paint all of the edges and corners.
6. Pour some paint into the tray and apply the paint with a foam roller at least twice.
7. Let dry as recommended in between coats. Wait at least 2 hours.
8. When satisfied with the look, apply the top coat.
9. Use a medium size brush and apply the Top Coat thoroughly.
10. Let dry for at least 2 hours in between coats.
11. Apply at least 5 coats to protect the paint from scratches and chips. Let dry overnight.
12. Install the faucet after the top coat is completely dry and done.

 

This is how my countertop and sinks look now:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t forget to check out my free Resource Library, where you can find a ton of awesome DIY tutorials, checklists and also printables.

 

 

This is how my countertop looked before I painted it, can you see the yellow? Especially after we added a new white toilet it really looked bad:

 

And here are the after pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 year after I painted the countertop:

1 year after I painted the countertop and sinks and it still looks great: no issues with scratches or paint chips.

I am so happy I did this project and it worked out great.

What are the next steps of this bathroom remodel?

The next step of this bathroom remodel will be to update the mirror with a frame. But this is a project for next year.

Here is the updated mirror post How to add a white DIY Wood Frame to a Mirror easy

 

Right now I am satisfied that the countertop looks so much better than before.

Now I am going to move on to the one room challenge into my basement. I will keep you updated.

And here you can see my basement bathroom update. I love the way it looks now. Awesome Bathroom Remodel under 150 Dollars

See you Conny xoxo 

 

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