Has anyone painted laminate countertops with success?

Question

Hey everyone,

On our latest flip, I brought my stager in at the pre-rehab stage for suggestions (which I will do from now on). This is a cute little entry-level ranch with a low ARV for our area and is in decent shape to begin with.

My stager suggested some great ideas to spruce up the kitchen, which didn't need an overhaul but instead needed some finishing touches. One idea she gave me is to paint the countertops and we picked out a great color for them that, combined with our other accents, will really change the look of the entire room.

However, I'm nervous about giving the painted countertop thing a try. My painters haven't done it before and I want to know how easy or difficult it is. I went to Home Depot, where the paint guy suggested I get the Rust-Oleum countertop paint (which my HD doesn't carry).

What are your thoughts? I'm not going for anything special - not a granite look or texture, etc. Just giving the smooth countertops a new color. Do I give it a go, and do I need to give the painters some special instructions? Or do I risk it looking like garbage and having to buy all new countertops?

Bryce Y. · Answer

I'm not sure.  I will ask next time I see him.  One thing he did say was that he could paint over anything:  granite, cultured marble, tile, even bathtubs.  Also I'm pretty sure he used some kind of sealant.  Can't see it too well in the pics, but it is very shiny.  Here's a close up shot.

Rob Clark · Answer

Wow, those pics of the repainted countertops actually look pretty good. I wouldn't have suggested painting over laminate, myself, but I'd like to hear more about the long-term results.

Steve Babiak · Answer

@Bryce Y. It would be great if you could share what they used because that counter does look good especially for rentals.

Ann B. · Answer

My husband and I did it in our very first house (we lived in it) and we had no budget to update an awful kitchen.  We painted ours and they looked good, and lasted the 4 years we were there.  However, my husband was a professional commercial painter (his family owns a commercial contracting business) and he was very skilled in unique types of painting.  There's a special technique he had to use.  He also painted our fridge b/c it didn't match the other appliances and nobody ever knew we painted it.  We were too young and broke to buy a new one. (this was almost 20 years ago haha)

One other option that may be cheap, and possibly more durable is replacing the laminate that is on the counter.

Steve Babiak · Answer

@Bryce Y. Could it be this product that was used in your job?

http://www.daichcoatings.com/spreadstone_countertop_kit.html

Richelle T. · Answer

You could also skim coat the counter tops with concrete. You would have to sand the top surface to rough it up then skim coat with this product they sell at Lowes for like $10. It takes 3 layers and each layer needs to be dried in between. I saw it on Pintrist and at a RE seminar at my local REIA. You could add a pigment to change up the color a bit.

here's a link I found: http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2014/01/concrete-countertop-diy.html

Mike Fiorese · Answer

I've seen the finished product of the rustoleum counter tops, it does not look as good as the commercial pictures above.  My fear is the home depot version would start chipping after 6 months of use. On the other side of the coin, its cheap and can be done in a day.

Bryce Y. · Answer

I've done it before.  It looks great but time will be the real test.  I had my handyman subcontract it out.  I wasn't there when they did it but he said there were two people and they came dressed in hazmat type suits.  He said the stuff they used was some kind of commercial product and didn't recommend the rustoleum stuff from HD.  Here are some pics.

Wayne Brooks · Answer

I can't see it lasting under use, but if you do it obviously you'd need to sand the counter tops first.  Never seen it done.

Karin Crompton · Answer

Thanks, @Ronnie  Boyd - yes, send photos! I always love checking out what other people did.

I'm doing some reading and it looks fairly easy to do, though reviewers mention a 3-day cure time and to also make sure you coat with like 3 coats of poly to seal the paint and keep it from chipping. So the lag time could be a little bit of a bummer. It also looks like you need to prep very, very carefully as well b/c it'll stick to anything it touches. Another issue seems to be the smell - very strong and toxic smelling, and I worry about the odor lingering. Still, before-and-after photos I've found look good so far. Looking forward to hearing other people chime in.