apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i would really reconsider this idea - with the amount of activity that happens on a countertop I suspect it will get messed up very quickly. Have you considered other options? maybe see if you can do something with inexpensive tile or broken dishes as tile, it would be much more durable.

You're going to be MUCH happier if you save up a little and install new countertops. They're reasonably cheap at home improvement stores and simple to install. Painting countertops gives me a the heebie jeebies...

Oil-based Killz applied with a roller and then followed by any house paint, again applied with a roller. It helps to finish with a clear polyurethane topcoat. The key is to use Killz though. It's not a tough project, just take your time and make sure you mask off everything properly. Killz sticks to everything as it dries and once dried, it's pretty much unremoveable.

I´ve been thinking about tiling my worktop but am worried about the grout being hard to clean. Anyone have experience with this?
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ROUGH UP laminate surface with some sand paper first, doesn't have to be alot, use about 120 grit. Then OIL based high adhesive primer as stated above. Make sure you get a primer that you can cover with water based latex (not heard to find). Then put on your latex paint (I would use exterior which you can get on any color), at least two coats, then lightly sand with 200 grit or so, then water based poly: at least THREE coats with LIGHT sand in between. Make sure each coat sits overnight or at least 24 hours before putting on next coat. It will work!!!! this can all be done with a roller, I would use a foam whiz
Catherine

You can paint it - but it will still be cracked and probably uglier.

If the edges are square, just use the existing counter as a substrate for new ceramic or stone tile - otherwise, it's time for replacement, and new laminate counters don't cost that much.

Harpa--

Grout can be hard to clean if you let stains set in - but if you choose a color other than pure white, promptly wipe up spills and install the tile with narrower groutlines you'll have fewer issues.

Can anybody comment on the durability of painted countertops? I live in an apartment with a HORRIBLE kitchen - forest green laminate countertop, which was most likely a remnant - YUCK! I'm looking for a cheap/quick fix here and buying new a countertop isn't an option.

Harpa,

Use a sealant on the grout and you shouldn't have any problems. I would recommend a silicone based penetrating sealer. It won't change the texture of the grout (won't make it shiny or glossy) and will make it impervious to stains.

Allow the grout to set for at least 48 hours before applying it, and you'll be good to go. I also agree with bepsf, using a tinted grout and thin grout lines will help (and look better).

i watched eddie ross' (from top design) entry video and he mentioned that he had painted his kitchen counters with garage floor paint (white) and that 3 years later they still look great.

My last apartment had painted laminate counters. I didnt know it when I rented the place... but as a year progressed the colour quickly changed... stained... got thinner and thinner... and then I saw the real sparkelly gold counter top underneath. By then it looked like hell.

The awesomest part was during our stay there our landlords sold the house and the new landlords wanted to charge us for 'destroying the counters' I had the hugest argument and finally got my money back

My new apartment has gold sparkelly counter tops with a huge crack in one. I am not going to paint it, I've just put a nice wood cutting board over it

Before I started painting the countertop with any type of paint, I would check to see if the paint is food safe. It's one thing to make the counter looks good, but you also want to ensure that the paint that you use can be used on a surface where food preparation will be taking place. Your best bet would be to find a way to strategically cover the cracked spots with a cutting board as suggested above or perhaps you can convince the landlord to replace the countertop for health reasons. Good Luck.

Second on the Binz. Done it (about a year ago) and it's holding up just fine. I didn't bother sanding it beforehand -- too lazy -- but I did give it a layer of Binz. The trick is to paint within 24 hours of putting down the primer, to get a solid chemical bond between the primer and the color-coat. If the time is longer, just redo the primer coat and carry on (on the plus side, Binz cures within 45 minutes or thereabouts, ridiculously fast).

Oh, Binz is extremely stinky, because it's alcohol-based. Turn on a fan, open the window, something. The smell clears out fast but it can be overpowering at first.

Two coats of the latex paint, going with multiple lighter coats rather than one thick coat. Give it plenty of time to cure -- about 24 hours between coats, or 8-12 hours if it's not that humid and the temp's between 70-75F.

Once the latex has cured (I gave it another extra day just to be sure), then do three layers of OIL-BASED poly. Yes, it will yellow, which is why I would caution that getting a pure white is probably going to be impossible, but water-based poly just doesn't have half the durability of oil-base, IME. I seem to recall you can do the first coat, give it about four hours, then do a second coat without sanding between. The poly will also need to cure, for at least 72 hours before you put stuff on it, let alone get it wet.

If you've got a dusty or animal-filled environment and don't want to see hairs & dust & other speckles, scrub the last coat instead of brushing it. That is, get one of the nylon/plastic scrub-pads (you'll find them among the steel wool, as a non-metal alternative); dip it into the poly, and scrub it in light circles across the countertop. It will effectively sand the poly already on there, and give a last VERY thin layer of poly on top. It's a way to create a wiped-finish but with poly instead of shellac.

If you use high-gloss poly, brush the first three layers and wipe/scrub on the last, you'll get a satin finish that has a lovely depth, even if that is latex-based paint under there.

And it does hold up, pretty well. Oil-base poly is what's used for bar tops, so it will take a lot of hard wear and long use before it does start to wear down. When it does, scuff it lightly with 220-grit sandpaper and do another two layers of poly, and it'll be back to brand-new.

I don't recommend painting kitchen countertops for most of the reasons mentioned above.

You can get new in-stock laminate top sections from many Home Depot stores for very little money. (You will need someone with a power saw and experience to cut your sink openings, though.)

If your budget stretches a bit further, there are companies that will put quartz countertops directly over your laminate tops. (In my area, it's Granite Transformations; not sure how widespread they are.)

The best solution of all is to save up for new tops. Here's a blog posting on the pros and cons of the best-selling countertop choices today:

http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2008/10/counter-intelligence.html

Good luck!

You can buy laminate from some home improvement stores and install it yourself. I'm pretty sure that the Home Depots in the area stopped carrying it, but a couple of years ago I got it from Lowe's in Woburn.

Lowes has information on installation on their site.

It's more difficult than painting but will definitely look better. Plus it's cheaper, faster and possibly easier than completely new countertops.