Painting Over Laminates

When you want a new look to your laminate countertops, but can't spend much money, painting may be the way to go. It's easy enough for just about anyone to do, but does involve some inconvenience.

The first thing you will want to do is thoroughly clean your countertops. Use denatured alcohol if there are any oily patches. Next, sand with 120 grit sandpaper. Don't try to gouge the surface, but it does need to have the gloss taken off. Follow by washing with TSP (wear gloves!) and allow to dry thoroughly.

Your first coat of paint should be an oil-based primer. This will help your paint to stick, minimizing chipping. Sorry, paint is not durable in this kind of use, and WILL chip, but you can minimize it.

Next apply two or three coats of an oil based paint. If it is available in your area, there is a kind of paint called Melamine paint which is ideal for this kind of use, as it includes urethane to make the paint stronger. Otherwise, buy an oil based paint and coat it at the end with urethane to protect the paint.

You don't have to do a plain paint job. Any technique you can do on a wall can be done on your countertops. In fact, techniques such as sponging can help with the overall appearance of your countertops as it makes chips and other flaws less apparent.

You will want to keep everything off your countertops for about six days to allow the paint to properly cure. Yes, it will feel dry much sooner, but if you want to maximize the durability, you'll wait. It's a minor incovenience when compared to having to start all over.

To keep the paint looking good for as long as possible, you will need to treat your countertops with some care. Don't cut directly on them - use a cutting board. Don't put hot things directly on the paint. Treated properly, you can go a few years between paint jobs. Always keep in mind that paint is not as durable as your original countertop.