Has Anyone *Successfully* Painted Formica Countertops?

we once did a kitchen linoleum top with primer and paint. it immediately looked cheap when new. it wore thru and looked worse within the year. consider the durability and look you seek. remember the worse you make that room look the sooner you will get the urge to remodel the whole room.

i wouldn't do it

Spraying will eliminate the brush/roller marks that may be hard otherwise to really completely eliminate. I wouldn't suggest the poly for a counter, though -- it's awfully soft and tends to get sticky easy. _IF_ you were insistent, I'd use one of the clear epoxies over the paint for durability, but by the time you're done the cost would likely be near that of new laminate.

If you're serious about refinishing a countertop rather than replacing it, I'd suggest calling one of the repair/refinishing services-- they're not perfect certainly but they do have the epoxies that are the most likely to be of some success for a while. Also, if you get one who's at least reasonably competent he/she might just point you to whether the idea is a good/bad one or not.

All in all, it can be done but rarely is truly cost-effective adequate solution...

wrote

Have you considered having your countertop covered with a new layer of Formica? They glue it right over the old.

Just a thought.

nancy

I wouldn't do it, it's not worth it. Check out the price of countertops from the local big box, my guess is that it wouldn't cost that much more to purchase and install new...plus it'll look a lot better. If you put new on, paint the front edge of the counter top to keep water from trashing the particle board substrate...nearly every counter top that I've had eventually has a flaky crumbly front edge.

Use a catalyzed (two component) epoxy paint such as the "tub & tile" finishes available at your local hardware store.

With this type of paint, if you do a good job of cleaning and sanding the Formica, you will get excellent adhesion. It will also wear very well. I have personally done this.

Of course, you end up with what looks like a painted surface, not new Formica.

dpb wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@q69g2000hsb.googlegroups.com:

A countertop is going to routinely take "abuse" that even an epoxy paint will not take. Scratches,stains,......

IMO,a big waste of time and money.

Having done a lot of work in apartment complexes, I got to see alot of the countertop painting. It looks real good until the paint dries, then it looks real cheap. But it seems to last at least a month before it starts wearing through and scratching and coming off.

I agree- they did that to several of the counters in the cans at work, good careful expoxy job, and it lasted less than 2 years before it got scrubbed through. Might last longer at home, where it doesn't get scrubbed as often. But laminate vanity counters are so cheap, why bother? Just rip the old one out, take to counter place, and say 'make me one just like this.'

aem sends....

aem sends...

I agree. Don't remove the old top, just put the new right over the old.

"aemeijers" wrote in news:8v65i.20509$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

Not just from scrubbing,but from scrapes from pots or other things dragged across it,things dropped on the surface,chipping it,hot pans or plates.

Or take the opportuninty to get a better countertop surface. Solid surface,concrete,stone....

Laminates,he could MAKE a new CT himself.

IMO,it would be worth it in the long run,make your house a bit more salable if you decide to sell.

innews:8v65i.20509$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

After reading all of the posts (past and present) I'm just gonna leave it for now.

The person that I bought the house from, installed a new *maroon* colored jacuzzi tub, in a bathroom with a *blue* countertop! Now how dumb is that?????

I had to do several repairs on the house, including a new heat pump, and a new set of exterior french doors, so I'm out of money for now.

I agree.. and if you have a fine tooth skill saw or table saw.. and a router.. maybe even a dremel with router type bit.. it's not a hard job. Follow instructions on using contact cement. You simply install new formica.. then remove the parts you don't want with rotozip, dremel or router.. Chuck (in SC)

use_a snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@u30g2000hsc.googlegroups.com:

Maybe they were colorblind. (Or high...)

BLUE would have been hard to cover with an epoxy paint,anyways.

A bathroom!;that would be much easier to DIY than a kitchen CT. (and a bathroom will take less abuse than a kitchen CT)

I'd just laminate a new Formica layer over the old.It's not THAT hard.(famous last words...)

Having a trim router will help a lot.

"Chuck (in SC)" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

you really need a flush-trim bit for the router or Rotozip(1/4" shank),I do not believe such a bit exists for a Dremel(1/8" shank).

Of course,you can get a 1/4" trim router from Harbor Freight for $20,on sale.

(snip)

If it was a premade top, I'd bet it has the kitchen-style rolled backsplash and front lip. (I haven't seen any old-style exposed-joint counters in the supply houses in years.) No way I know of to field-apply laminate over that and make it look right.

aem sends....

"aemeijers" wrote in news:r676i.55744$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

agreed.

Considering the COLOR combo the previous owners used,I doubt the CT was a modern one,or had rolled edges.

either way,I'd want to get rid of that CT,too. ;-)