Replace kitchen counter tops or refinish with epoxy coating

[Greg Zydonis]

I will be turning over my rental property next summer. I plan on replacing the carpet, doing some painting , adding A/C and also considered upgrading the kitchen. The counter tops are Formica and the color is out dated. I was looking into re-coating with epoxy. Has anybody tried this ? Or should I just replace ?

[S Harper]

I had this same question in December - nicked, old, dingy ivory laminate countertops. The guy who was going to replace the counters with Lowes pre cut laminate and remove/replace the sink backed out at the last minute, and I had new tenants moving in within a week. So I had to find a method of refinishing countertops without removing the sink. 

The countertop kits from HD & Lowes have great reviews, but repeated complaints about chipping and bubbling after 18 months.

Envirotex epoxy has some good DIY blogger experiences, and I met someone who has had her Envirotex finish for 5 years and is still happy. This is the same stuff people use to do table tops with memorabilia - eg pennies, bar tops - so it is a very thick layer. I am not crafty, but read the blogs and the instructions several times. 

Cost - under $100 for 3 boxes of envirotex, paints, supplies. 

It took me a couple of hours in total - base coat, paint coat, sponge paint were all very fast. Envirotex needs to be mixed very specifically and used immediately, then you need to keep checking for drips for another hour or so. I checked in on the edges while taking care of other things. A couple of drips formed overnight, and were shaved off with a razor blade. Tenant loves them so far, but it has only been a 3 months. 

If you decide to give it a try, don't do a light colored counter. Lots of comments that the epoxy yellows. I did a black base and tried to make it look like granite. 

The pre-cut laminate slabs are great, but if this treatment holds up with tenants I will absolutely use the epoxy again. It looks fantastic in person. The bottom picture is after 24 hours of dry time. 

LMK if anyone has interest in the info and I can post some links to the webpages that were most helpful.