Formica Countertops?
 

This is somewhat of an unusual question as most of the threads I have researched on TOTV about countertops involve switching from formica to granite, quartz, silestone or other engineered products.

My mother-in-law is in the process of downsizing--she sold her larger home in TV and just bought a smaller home here. Her new (pre-owned) home has formica countertops in a not-so-lovely (actually horrible) blend of pink and blue. She doesn't want to put a lot of money into granite or other engineered surfaces but would like nicer colored formica (she thinks they are easier to maintain and she is on a fixed budget and doesn't want to spend too much).

I told her to check out Home Depot and Lowes first, but does anyone have any experience or recommendations for someone that installs new formica?

Thanks for any advice!

We've had very good luck with Lowe's and Home Depot installers in the past.

Jon,
I was faced with a similar problem. I plan on ripping out the kitchen in a couple of years, but could not live with the pink countertops until then. I wanted a cheap, easy solution. I did this with a kit I bought from Giani granite. (They have a website) I got enough to do the whole kitchen and two bathrooms for like $60.00 It has held up wonderfully and we are very pleased. It was a fun and easy project.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...k/100_7071.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...k/100_7078.jpg

It took a day or two, but it was not difficult.....no ripping up everything. Just thought I'd throw out another option. I liked the Giani system much better then the other countertop systems the big box stores sell for more money.

Frank

Nice!
 

Nice job Frank! My wife is leaving me for you! :duck: All I leave is grease around the house! :1rotfl: You make things look great.

Even nicer yet!
 

So she's been lying to me all this time!!!??? :1rotfl:

:jester:

Bill :wave:

looks great:coolsmiley:

Thanks Frank, that looks great! i'm pretty handy and I would certainly be willing to give it a try if my mother-in-law was willing. For that price it might be a nice "moving in" present.

I consider myself fairly handy, do you think this is something I could do myself or should I hire someone to do it?

Any specialized tools needed?

Thanks again!

Jon,
I'm sure you could do it. There are no special tools, etc. They also give you most everything you need.

You basically just clean off the counter with a good cleaner like windex, etc. If there are any dings, chips, etc they could be filled with wood putty, bondo, whatever you have.

Then you tape around sink, backsplash/wall with the blue or green painters tape. You then roll on the black iron core primer they give you. It's weird painting a perfectly good countertop black but it is the first step. It is latex, so do not worry about a bad smell. This bonds to the countertop. Let that dry overnight or most of the day.

The next step is sponging the different colors on in order. You can't screw up, and they even give you a piece of black cardboard to practice on. You can get a different look dependent on how much of one color you use, etc. After a color or two it really comes alive. If you want any veining you can get a feather and do that also. If you are going for a granite look remember that granite is NOT uniform, so anything goes.....you are not shooting for perfection.

When you are happy with the look, (and if you're not, just re-roll the black on it and start over), let it dry and then you do the last step. You roll on a few coats of automotive grade polyurethane they give you. Let that dry and then put a small amount of silicone clear caulf around the sink and you are done. 2-3 days tops.

I can only speak for myself here, but we have been very pleased with this. It has held up VERY well, no nicks, scratches, etc. We have gotten many compliments on it and it was quick, easy and cheap. Dependent on the ratio of colors you use, style of sponging, etc you can get many different looks even with the same colors. The pictures do not do it justice. If you are considering it you are welcome to see it in person.....we are just a few miles south of you all in The Plantation.

DISCLAIMER- I do not sell this stuff and benefit in NO way here.....I just like doing house projects and if I can help someone else with advice I'll share it. Not everyone wants to spend $4-5 thousand on granite countertops when they plan on gutting the whole kitchen in a few years. I"m thinking for our next kitchen I might make my own concrete countertops....but that is another project.........;-) Well, time for me to get to work. I'm redoing my lanai....putting in new windows and a door, etc, today. Anyone wanting to help lift a ten foot wide window unit feel free to stop by.....:)

Frank

Frank,

I played golf in your lovely neighborhhod a few days ago and was very impressed. This Florida retirement life is great, isn't it?

Your kitchen looks very good.

wow
 

The countertops look terrific!

Sold at Wal-mart in TV.

I watched the "how to" video on their web site and it does look easy. now if my mother-in-law approves I will have a new project. should be right about the time I finish doing the landscaping on our house. Retirement is SO relaxing!

Jon,
I did not intend to "hijack" your thread. Glad you like it. To those who posted, thank you for the compliments.

I know it might be a big step to do this.....my offer was sincere if anyone wants to see it up close before doing it feel free to PM me....we are happy to help.....

Frank

Not a hijack, I asked for advice and you provided a wonderful suggestion (which I am probably going to take). That is what TOTV should be all about!

Jon,
Glad to help. I also did our guest bath countertop....

Before....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...k/100_7054.jpg

After....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...k/100_7091.jpg

On this one I muted the colors a bit by twisting the sponge a bit...that mixed the colors some and gave it a bit of a different look. One thing I would caution on.......Sponging is like fingerprints...no two people sponge alike. Do not have two different people sponge the same color on the same countertop, as it WILL look different. You can do one color, have another person do the next color.......that is fine. But if two folks do the same thing and meet in the middle you may notice the difference. We did not do this, but I could see someone not thinking of this and do it that way. Good luck!!

Frank

Frank, I am so glad you posted this because this thread had inspired me to go to Lowe's and purchase the "other" kit to redo a bathroom countertop. You just saved me $200.

Granite Counters: Scary Warning
 

I saw on the news that Granite is harmful here is a site that will explain.....some say it is, some say it's not...I say it is better to play it safe than be sorry....some people are more sensitive than others... Granite Counters: Scary Warning - Netscape Home & Living :undecided:

frank--I'm in the process of selling my home to come to tv. The question is does this kit when applied give the granite effect or just to change the color tone as I have a formica top. Than You

My next door neighbor did the same kit...but he was not consistant with his sponging.... it looks good from afar, but when you get close up, you can see he did not do a good job, you really have to be consistance in your dabbing. He also had to go out and buy more of the finish coating, it left streaks. He said it is the same as auto finish coating (was too much money) so he used a clear coat of polyurethane. :undecided:

pivo, your question is more of an opinion, but in my opinion I think it does look very much like granite. But that depends on how picky you are. Could I tell the difference between the two......of course. The thing here is to not get to paranoid about it as granite is a natural product and it does have variations in it, so if your Giani job is not perfect it will be fine.

Giani does a great job at refreshing old counters, fixing nicks and scratches, etc. For me the best thing about doing this is simply- IT IS NOT PINK. I have spent the last 5 years "de-pinking" my house.

MLB- I think that streaking can happen if you "over-roll" that finish coat. Folks tend to do that. It is better to just roll it on once and leave it to self level. They tell you that. Once dry, then do another coat as it will bring out more depth.

Basically, it was easy, cheap, fun, and it did the job for me, simply no more pink. It's not a $4,000 Granite job, but it was my $60.00 "no more pink" job and it has held up perfectly for the past couple of years.....I'm pleased. For me, there was no risk. I hated the pink countertops. The only other option was to rip them out at a much higher cost.....so it was worth the try. If for some reason I would not be pleased after doing it I was only out some time and $60.00, and I would have to rip them out then anyway......

On a related matter, I read an interesting article the other day about granite. I'm not sure I agree but it was saying that perhaps granite may be on it's way out. It was once just for very high end homes but has become much more common and is now found in many homes. This was fueling the high end homes to look for something else.

One thing to remember is that some folks redo kitchens every 12 years or so, and one might be less inclined to do that if they spent $4-6K on countertops.....some folks get nuts on kitchens....I used to design $50,000 kitchens.....but in the end cabinets are just boxes to keep stuff and countertops are just flat work surfaces. A friend of mine says all houses are basically just "rocks and trees".......Enjoy!

Frank