Painting Kitchen Counters

 

BEGIN SOMEWHERE.

 

 

It was very stressful to finally do the painting. I had talked about it and wanted to try it and read all about it for at least a year. That just isn’t like me. But, I knew that it was important to be sure about the process so that things didn’t look worse instead of better.

I am in HEAVEN.

Our counter tops are fifteen years old. They were a very light gray speckled Formica. Some time ago we added the gray bead board as a backsplash but didn’t go any further. Yesterday Grandpa did the deed. We bought Rustoleum Hammered Gray paint which is sold in quarts at Home Depot and one quart of Polyurethane in a satin finish. He sanded lightly with his electric sander, followed by a light touching with steel wool. After cleaning up with soap and water, he rolled on the first coat and we held our breath. Immediately the thick paint showed the textured/hammered look we had been hoping for. He painted the counter top, the kitchen desk, which is built in and the small counter in the next room where the washer and dryer are kept.

This is how the first coat looked:

 

 

It was the strangest paint we had ever seen. I had used “hammered” paint before, but from a spray can. I actually used it to re-finish an old Royal typewriter. The typewriter was more porous than the counter so I expected it to get this look without any problems. We were worried that the counter might be too smooth. Whoaaaa. Not to worry ! What you see above is the natural gloss in the paint after just one coat.

 

 

Grandpa applied a second coat which sat for four hours. Then he applied the Polyurethane with a brush as recommended. We had Wendy’s for lunch and KFC for dinner. Every window in our house had to be open from the time Grandpa started until we went to bed. We slept with the windows open. It is winter.  Very, very strong odors. We also used a fan in the kitchen.

A week ago, we bought another Rustoleum product for painting vinyl and fabric. Each can was $7 at Home Depot We were both skeptical but took the chance. It was a good chance in retrospect. We painted our red vinyl bar stools with a dark gray satin paint. It took one can and two coats for each chair. Time will tell how the paint holds up.

Here are the bar stools before they were spray-painted with fabric/vinyl paint.

 

 

It is nice that the back splash and the counter

look like they were painted with the same paint.

It is a nice blending.

Now everything is put away and the odor of the paint is fading.

I do have to say that it was very strong.

Very.

” He is the happiest,

be he king or peasant,

who finds peace in his home.

-Goethe-