If you’re thinking about remodeling your kitchen, you may be considering replacing the countertops. There are many options available to homeowners when it comes to choosing new countertops, including granite and quartz.
However, if you don’t want to invest in new materials or aren’t sure what kind of counters would look best with existing cabinets and other features in your kitchen, another option is to simply cover up existing counters with epoxy coating.
Epoxy coatings can be applied over just about any surface including wood, tile, or concrete—and yes even glass! In this article we’ll explore how to properly prepare your old countertops for epoxy coating using our product Clear-Coat® by Evercoat® as an example:
Can you epoxy over old countertops?
Can you epoxy over old countertops? Yes, but you will need to prepare the surface first.
Sanding and cleaning your countertops is a must before applying epoxy to them. You can either use an orbital sander or sandpaper that’s up to 400 grit for this step.
After sanding, clean the countertops with soap and water and let them dry completely before moving forward with priming or painting.
You may also use an all-in-one primer if you want to change the color of your countertops without having to repaint them completely.
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How do you epoxy existing countertops?
To get started, clean the countertops. You’ll want to remove any dirt, grime, and grease that’s accumulated over time. Wipe down the surfaces with a wet cloth and then dry them thoroughly with a dry one.
Next, put on your mask and gloves to protect yourself from airborne particles while you work with epoxy resin. Now it’s time to mix up some of our working epoxy resin!
Before applying it directly onto your counters, test out your roller by rolling some excess onto an old piece of cardboard or foam board with no finish on it (this is called “rolling out”).
If the roller doesn’t seem like it will work well for spreading out the product evenly across large areas like this without leaving streaks or globs behind in its wake then consider using something else instead like a cheap paint brush instead which would be able to spread around more evenly without leaving streaks behind as easily since there wouldn’t be any spongy material inside holding back all those little particles from getting stuck underneath when trying to push them around fast enough really quickly so they don’t end up clumping together into big patches instead which would make things harder later when trying wipe off excess residue before starting application process itself but only way I’ve found works best at least after testing different methods extensively
Why You Should Not Do epoxy resin countertops?
Epoxy resins are a great choice for many applications, but not for countertops. Here’s why:
- Epoxy is not a good choice for countertops because it cannot withstand heat and moisture. In the kitchen, epoxy will be exposed to high heat from pans and pots being placed on it as well as steam from boiling water. In bathrooms, heated wet towels can cause the epoxy to delaminate or lift off of your existing surface. Laundry rooms have even higher amounts of heat, which can cause the epoxy to crack or become damaged over time.
- Epoxy is not a good choice for countertops because it does not provide any sort of protection against stains or spills that may occur daily in your home. Spills happen—whether you’re cooking dinner or folding laundry—and having an unprotected surface makes them harder (or impossible) to clean up quickly before they stain permanently into your beautiful new countertop!
How long does epoxy last on countertops?
The lifespan of your epoxy countertops will depend on a lot of factors, including:
- How well the countertops were prepped before application. The better you prep, the longer your epoxy will last.
- How often do you use the countertop surface. If it’s an island that only sees action while cooking or entertaining guests, then it may get less wear than if it’s used as a work space every day.
- The quality of your epoxy product and how well you apply it to ensure complete coverage over all areas with no voids in between pieces when they’re stacked together (a major cause for peeling).
- What kind of cleaning solution was used on them in addition to soap and water—some are more acidic than others and can eat away at some types of epoxies faster than others; also some cleaners have chemicals like ammonia that can damage finished surfaces over time so avoid using them if possible!
How much does it cost to epoxy countertops?
When you’re considering epoxy countertops, it’s important to know how much they cost. Epoxy is an affordable option when compared to other surfaces such as granite, wood, and laminate.
The average cost of epoxy countertops is about $300-$500 per linear foot (for example: a 10′ long island would cost $3,000 – $5,000).
This price includes the labor and materials necessary for installation. There are also additional costs associated with getting your existing cabinets refaced or repainted if you’d like them changed along with the new countertop installation process.
Epoxy is more affordable than some other types of materials because it’s very durable; it won’t crack or chip like laminate does over time.
It also has a smooth texture that makes cleaning easier than other options such as stone or concrete which can be porous and difficult to keep clean in high-traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms where food spills happen regularly
Does epoxy stick to Formica?
No. Epoxy does not stick to Formica. Formica is a plastic laminate, and it is not porous or absorbent. It’s also very slick, so the epoxy resin won’t have any traction or movement on top of it.
Therefore, you should avoid using epoxy on your Formica countertops if you want a high-quality finish that will last for years.
Formica is not recommended for use with any kind of resin, including epoxy resins or polyester resins—because these products have different properties than vinyl laminates like Formica, they aren’t compatible and can produce inferior results when used together.
How do you renew old countertops?
- Remove the old epoxy.
- Prepare the countertop surface for new epoxy.
- Apply new epoxy to the prepared surface, being sure to cover all areas of your countertop in an even layer.
- Allow the new epoxy to cure overnight before cleaning up any excess material or sanding down any rough edges that may have formed during application or curing process (this step is optional).
- Clean up any stray bits of dust or debris on your newly restored countertops before finishing by sealing it with a final coat of varnish or wax for added shine and protection against scratches and stains (also optional).
Can you epoxy over existing epoxy?
Yes, but it’s not recommended. You see, the problem with that is that the old epoxy won’t adhere very well to the new epoxy.
And the new epoxy won’t stick very well at all to either of them. In this case, “stick” refers both literally and figuratively—literally because without any adhesion between layers of epoxy in different states of cure and figuratively because it’s hard for us humans (and our families) when something like this happens.
Conclusion
We hope that this blog post has given you a good idea of what epoxy is, why it was used in the past, and how epoxy can be used on your countertops today.
