Faux Granite On Our Laminate Counter Tops

We are thinking about painting a Faux Granite on our laminate counter tops. Does this work and do you recommend? Thanks, Thomas

Hello Thomas,

Yes, you CAN paint laminate counter tops. Here are few step by step instructions:

1. Clean the laminate counter well with soap and water, rinse well and let dry

2. Sand the counter lightly with steel wool to remove any glossy spots

3. Then clean the counter with TSP to also help remove the gloss, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. You will need to wear safety gloves so you don’t get it on your hands.

4. Fill holes & cracks with spackle

5. Apply a good Primer Sealer (Bin, Zinsser, etc). This will prepare the surface to accept the paint. Let it dry thoroughly. The fumes can be strong so be sure to open the windows and maybe put up plastic to close the room off from the rest of the house.

6. Tape off your counter with painter’s tape

7. You are now ready to paint. Use a roller for your base coat.

8. Start your faux finish (in your case the granite)

9. Final step: Seal the paint with three coats of satin or high-gloss non-yellowing polyurethane. Water-based is my first choice because it will not change the colors that you use. Oil based poly can yellow over time and wear. Also, you don’t need to sand between the layers with steel wool. The tiny fibers of the steel wool will break off and can rust in the poly, creating little tiny brown spots.

Good luck with your faux granite on laminate counter tops project! That Painter Lady - DAWN

Beginner’s Guide to Faux Finishes: Marble, Granite, Wood graining

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 at 8:26 am and is filed under Painting Techniques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.