How Do You Paint And Seal Concrete Countertops

Terminal Updated on February 10, 2019 by

I've mentioned several times that I'm dissatisfied not but with the color of my concrete countertops, simply also how they've stained over the last two years. I used a sealer recommended past the company that provided the actual concrete and the border forms, and I wish I had done much more thorough research on concrete sealers before I made that decision.

I love the countertops overall. I would choose physical countertops again, if starting over on my kitchen. They're incredibly durable. Nothing will scratch physical. I've scraped stuff off of my countertops with the point of a sharp knife, and information technology won't damage them. That part I like.

But obviously, concrete is very porous, and if it's not sealed well (and I mean REALLY well), then it'll stain. If you outset out with night stained countertops, that volition be less of an issue. But if yous starting time out with light countertops like mine…

…and they're not sealed with the best and most durable sealer that money tin can buy, they'll end up looking like this…

I've had the about trouble with oils. Those rings are from an oil-based vitamin additive that I add together to my dog'due south food, and I would just squirt information technology on his food so place it on the countertop. The rings weren't immediately noticeable. They darkened considerably over time, and then it was too tardily. The harm had been done.

Subsequently doing quite a chip of research on the all-time concrete sealer available, I found that Stonelok E3/2K2 is one of the best. In fact, on 1 site that had tested all of the best sealers for immovability, it was rated as the second best. "So why not go with the best?" you might inquire. Well, I can't remember what the most durable sealer was called, but information technology was only available in a super loftier gloss finish, and that just won't do. This Stonelok E3/2K2 comes in 3 different finishes, including an extra depression gloss.

Interestingly, nigh a month later on I plant this product, Chris and Julia from the web log Chris Loves Julia poured their own concrete countertops using the same company's concrete and forms that I used (except they used the square forms, and I used the ogee edge form), and then they used the Stonelok sealer. You can see and read about their countertops hither.

So in addition to the improper sealer that left stains, I've also been unhappy with the color. Yous can see that information technology'southward only not white, and at the time I did the counteretops, I was really hoping for a brighter white like this…

Of course, since then, I've talked near staining my countertops black, but that was when I was planning on doing kelly green cabinets. Now that I've decided on the dark blueish (Benjamin Moore Admirer's Gray) for the lower cabinets, black countertops won't work. So I have to notice a way to burnish upwards these countertops and remove the stains.

I've also been thinking that since marble is my favorite, and for years now I've wanted a kitchen with gorgeous carrera or calacatta marble countertops, I might actually try to use various stain colors to mimic the look of veining.

And and then finally, a big result I've had with my countertops is that there are pitted areas in the surface. That was but from my inexperience with concrete. I had never worked with concrete earlier pouring my countertops, and I had no thought what to expect. So when it came to floating the concrete, I didn't become it perfectly smooth in places, and it left some pitted areas.

After 2 years of dealing with those areas, I can assure you that textured/pitted countertops and food/cooking simply don't mix. Stuff gets into those divots and pitted areas and the but way to become it out is with a scrubby brush and elbow grease. And obviously, I'thousand not going to scrub my countertops downwardly with a scrubby brush every solar day. That'due south way likewise much trouble. I need something like shooting fish in a barrel.

So I've looked at and researched how to get about solving all of my issues with these countertops. If I were going with dark countertops, information technology would be and then much easier. I could but strip them, clean them, and stain them with a penetrating stain. Then seal them and be done.

But since I'm going lighter, I really don't call up that just using a penetrating sealer volition work. It might lighten it up only a tad, just probably not enough for what I desire.

After looking at all of the stain options, I finally came beyond this production called Deco-Poz, which is actually a concrete micro-topping that can be used to resurface damaged concrete. And information technology comes in white.

And so my plan is to strip, clean, and etch the countertops using products that I constitute at Home Depot. Then I'll practise a very sparse skim coat of Deco-Poz over the surface, which will not only fill in any divets and pitted areas and make them perfectly smooth, only will also give me a brighter white (and probably super porous) concrete surface to work with. So I'll stain and try my hand at adding some veining…maybe. Once that's all done and dry out, I'll seal it with the awesome sealer. And and so I'll hope and pray that the new sealer as expert as the reviews say it is.

If non, then in two years, I might convince Matt that it's fourth dimension for new countertops. 🙂

I actually stripped the countertop on the wall of cabinets yesterday, and then left some concrete cleaner/degreaser on it. Once that's dry, I'll scrape information technology upwardly and then clean and compose the countertop today. Hopefully I can get a glaze of Deco-Poz on today and show you some progress tomorrow.

In other news, chiffonier paint is purchased, every bit is the grasscloth wallpaper for my breakfast room. And the drywall guys came Fri to drywall the hallway, and are coming back to do the taping and mudding. I'll show you that progress later this calendar week.

Helpful sources and products:

If you missed the DIY concrete countertop project, I testify that procedure in these three posts…

Update:

My countertops have been refinished! It was a multi-step process, and only office of it was DIY, with the other part hired out to a visitor that usually resurfaces concrete garage floors. Merely surprisingly, it didn't toll a whole lot. You can see the process in these iii posts…

Fond two Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey every bit I remodel and decorate the 1948 logroller upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has Thou.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the business firm by myself. You lot can learn more about me hither.

I hope you'll join me on my DIY and decorating journey! If you want to follow my projects and progress, you can subscribe below and take each new post delivered to your email inbox. That way you'll never miss a thing!

Source: https://www.addicted2decorating.com/my-concrete-countertops-two-years-later-and-my-plan-to-fix-them.html

Posted by: rayhans1935.blogspot.com

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