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Do you have dingy, outdated or just plain old ugly countertops and want to update them on a budget? What if I told you I had a trick that can update them to a beautiful, bright white epoxy finish that washes easily and resists abrasion… and it will cost less than $4 ? Interested?

I used this exact same technique on my boys bathroom vanity countertop over a year ago and it has held up great! No chips, scratching or problems at all. Check out my boys’ bathroom vanity- before and after…

Are you ready?

Supplies needed:

• TSP substitute 
• Epoxy spray paint in white 
• painters tape 
• press n seal
• masking film 
• respirator mask
• eye protection

PREP:

Prep work in any project is KEY to a long lasting and beautiful finish. To prep the countertops, I used a TSP substitute first and cleaned everything really well to remove any residue, oils and dust. I made sure I followed all of the prep instructions on the back of the can of appliance epoxy.

Then I taped off anything I didn’t want to get paint on it. This product is smelly and has a lot of overspray. I first used painters tape around my sink basin and all edges of the countertops. This will ensure a nice crisp finished edge. Then, I used press n seal (yes the stuff you use to cover food) to cover the sink basin and faucet making sure there were no gaps. I also used the press n seal on the side walls- I put it two widths up the walls and down the sides. Then I used this amazing product called masking film. It has a taped edge with a plastic sheeting attached. I secured the taped side at the edge of where the vanity and countertop meet and spread out the attached plastic sheeting to cover the vanity. Then I used a canvas drop cloth on the surrounding floors.

Now to prep you- yes YOU need to prep yourself too. You will need to wear a respirator face mask, eye protection, pull your hair back into a ponytail  or bun and then wear a hat or cover with a bandana. Make sure you are wearing old clothes and shoes. Did I mention it has a lot of overspray?

Remember I said it’s super smelly- now you need to open windows in the space and turn on an exhaust fan if you have one. I also shut the door to the bathroom so the overspray wouldn’t fly out into my bedroom. 

Now your ready to paint. Shake the can of the appliance epoxy until you hear the ball inside rattle- then continue to shake for at least one full minute to properly mix the paint inside.

Now… you HAVE to do all coats within 30 minutes or you will have to wait one full week before reapplication. What happens if you try to recoat after the 30 minutes but before the full week? You will have crackling and bubbling- and we don’t want that. 

I started at the back of the vanity (closest to the wall) and sprayed the attached backsplash part then started the countertop. I worked left to right keeping the spray about 12 inches from the surface. You want to do long sweeping strokes in a back and forth motion. Don’t stop in any one area too long or it can puddle/drip. I worked my way from the back to the front… moving from left to right.. then when I had it all sprayed with one light even coat – I immediately went back over it all again.  Remember you have to do ALL coats within 30 minutes. (I could not take any images or video of the actual spray process because I didn’t want to ruin my phone with the overspray.)

Once I finished the painting, I let it “dry to the touch” for at least 2-4 hours before I carefully removed the tape and plastic coverings. You do not want to touch the surface until it has fully dried.

The can says it is dry and ready for use in 24 hours. I like to wait 48 hours … a little extra time can only mean it has more time to cure, right?

Now stand back and enjoy those beautiful updated countertops!!!

***NOTE: This product is not sold with the intended use on countertops. This is just a product I have used in the past and has worked for me. This update is not intended to be a permanent fix. It is a great temporary update until you can save up to replace your outdated countertops with new ones. Once applied this can not be “undone” to go back to the pre-existing countertop finish.