Articles Directory | Free Articles | New Articles Daily | Fast and Easy Makeovers for Your Old Countertops

Nothing makes a kitchen look old faster than laminate countertops that are cracked, burned, or stained. Regardless of your kitchen's condition, attention is brought to these areas. At one time, the solution was replacing countertops, the process being costly and messy. Your kitchen would be in disarray for weeks. Now, old countertops can be covered with engineered stone, durable and beautiful, and resembling granite. A special polymer is added to natural stone, custom cut in their shops, and installed over your existing countertops. This takes only one or two days, the transformation goes from worn and old to a beautiful top that is resistant to scratches and stains.

Another easy and fast way to change up the color on a vanity top that still has a '70s hue is painting the countertops. It is relatively an easy and inexpensive way to change the colors of your bathroom. Select paint and plan for a three week curing period at end of the project. Color choices are so varied; just make sure to coordinate accessories, floor, and wall color with colors you can live with for a period of time. More importantly, it should be a color you don't mind seeing every morning when entering the bathroom. Since the counter is close to the mirror its color should go well with your coloring.

Once you find the perfect color for your countertop, clean it with warm water and mild soap, and dry well with soft towel or cloth. Using 150-grit sandpaper, lightly sand and wipe any dust away. Apply a coat of quality acrylic primer, let dry and apply second coat. After that coat is dry paint a couple more coats using latex or semi-gloss paint, letting each coat dry. This will make it strong and offers protection against wear and scratches. After the last coat is dry then seal with two coats clear acrylic paint. Drying time for acrylic seal is quick but try to be easy with counter because it has to cure for about three weeks. During the curing period do not scrub or use abrasives, just lightly wipe off. Even after curing it isn't wise to ever use abrasive cleaners on your countertops.

One benefit of working with paint that it is inexpensive, in case you don't especially like the color, you can make changes right away. Simply sand lightly, put another primer coat on before painting a new color. If you are not able to complete the overhaul of your countertops, the laminate ones are fairly inexpensive. It is an option to purchase new countertops and have them professionally installed to save you time and effort. No matter whether you do it yourself or have it hired to be done, when it is finished you will have a brand new looking kitchen to enjoy with friends and family.