My New Counters are done!

I refinished my own counters and they are done! Yep. Me. I read a ton of reviews and tips online and pored over the instructions and did them. Yay!

I used Giani Granite Paint in Chocolate Brown and it was very easy to follow the directions. The primer coat took me the longest, I think. Since I apparently left a bit of silicone caulk smeared on one part of the counter at some point long ago and the primer wouldn’t adhere. Grr!

I did a lot of research and one of the best tips I found was to use the sponge brush to apply the color paints to the sea sponges instead of dipping them into the paints. I was able to keep the application nice and uniform that way.

Get your rhythm when you’re doing the colors part. You do three-foot square sections at a time, so what I did was start in the far left corner and apply the sponging in diagonal lines from left to right. Making a larger and larger “triangle,” if you get me, until the midpoint and then smaller and smaller until I filled in the square and went on to the next section. 

I had fun and learned the best way to get the color to “run” over the edges of the counter so they look like it’s really a cross-section of granite.

If you look at the picture on the left, that’s before the poly coat, you can see how nice the colors look. They even have texture! Don’t know how. Then the poly in the picture on the right shows how nice and glossy. Love!

I think I was the most nervous about the final poly coat. I must have watched that segment of the DVD over a dozen times! But loading up the roller good and heavy and not going over and over a spot was the rule I followed. Then, using the “lean slightly to one side” on the back rolls to avoid the lap lines really worked. “Back rolls!” Sorry. #rupaulsdragrace reference.

So I have a brand new kitchen! It looks even better in person, and with the poly coat it even “feels” like granite. Again, don’t know how. Don’t the edges look great?

I found the product on Homedepot.com but several places sell it. I needed to buy two kits, since I have over 60 feet of countertop. I used some of the primer and all of the poly coat from the second kit. I’m thinking of getting another can of the poly since there is a spot where it’s not as glossy as I’d like. But hey, I’m anal! Maybe I’ll redo the area right behind the faucet, too. Add a little more of the black primer….

If you decide to give this a shot, good luck. It’s a lot of fun and I love the results!