Regardless of the quality of the countertop, sooner or later it will lose its presentability. It is not always possible to purchase a new kitchen set. Therefore, you can update the coating of the countertops in the kitchen with your own hands, improving its performance and appearance.
Types of countertops and their main defects
The work surface can be made from different materials. Each of them is subject to the appearance of different defects that will have to be de alt with:
- Natural stone - the most popular and durable material, the least subject to wear, has a long service life. The countertop for the kitchen table made of natural granite is not afraid of either temperature or mechanical stress, and is also not subject to damage under the influence of chemicals.
- Acrylic. This kind of artificial material looks very attractive. But she has her shortcomings. Acrylic resists scratches and cuts, while other artificial stone kitchen countertops, such as colored concrete, are more durable.
- Quartz agglomerate. Resistant toall types of impact, as durable as natural granite. But over time, it loses its aesthetics.
- Casting stone is a kind of thin-layer polymer having a base. The material does not withstand grinding with force, so you need to be extremely careful during this.
- Plastic is the most budget option for designing a work surface in the kitchen, which is the reason for its low performance. When cutting without the use of special boards, it quickly wears out.
- Tree. For the countertop, material treated with impregnations and varnishes is used. Since the top polish can wear off over time, you need to think about how to renew your wood countertop.
Renewal by polishing and grinding
The simplest and most optimal method of updating the work surface is polishing with grinding. In this way, it is possible to restore kitchen worktops made of artificial stone or other similar material. When updating the surface of cast stone, you need to be extremely careful, since this material can only withstand 2-3 such updates. This is due to the fact that the stone itself is applied too thinly on the base.
The following tools and materials are needed for work:
- grinder;
- polishing machine;
- special polishing paste.
The tool for grinding and polishing can be one (grinder), but with different nozzles. In the first case, it is an abrasive P120, in the second - up to P1500.
Action neededdo the following:
- Before you update the countertop in the kitchen with your own hands, you need to level the top layer with a grinder. During this, water must be constantly added to the surface to prevent heating of the stone and its damage.
- Using polishing nozzles (first with a large abrasive, gradually reducing it) to make the surface of the countertop matte. Circles need to be moistened constantly. After that, you can use a special paste if you want to have a glossy countertop in the kitchen.
How to update the countertop with foil?
Pasting is considered a radical renovation method, as it allows you to radically change the appearance of the countertop. To do this, use a thick vinyl film on a self-adhesive basis or photo wallpaper. If you don’t know how to update the countertop in the kitchen with your own hands, you can follow the standard pattern:
- Degrease the surface, then grind it with a grinder. Inspect carefully. If there are chips, potholes, then they must first be filled with repair putty, and then perform the described steps.
- Now you can stick a film on the countertop. At the same time, it is important to fix one side as well as possible, which will prevent distortions and movements of the web during rolling. To simplify the pasting process, you can use a plastic or rubber spatula, which should expel the bubbles and smooth the coating.
The service life of such a film is no more than 4 years, so the countertop will have to be updated more often. But then her appearance will not bother.
Painting using a stencil
This way of how to update the countertop in the kitchen with your own hands can be considered one of the most original and creative. Thus, even the most risky fantasies and wishes are realized. Another advantage can be considered a small financial cost. The update itself is performed in the following sequence:
- The first step is to choose a pattern for the stencil. Ideas can be gleaned from the Internet, then printed on paper.
- Now you should transfer the pattern to the stencil material. It can be thick cardboard or thin plastic. Choose the material so that you can cut the template with scissors.
- Prepare brushes of the right size, foam sponge and acrylic paints.
- Wash the surface of the countertop thoroughly, degrease.
- Now it needs to be covered with the main color, which will be the background. You can proceed to the next step only after this layer has dried.
- Using the prepared stencil and sponge, apply the selected pattern. The paint layer should be thin. So it will be possible to prevent the flow of paint under the stencil and the vagueness of the picture. If there is any doubt that the sponge will be able to apply the pattern neatly, then you can do it with a brush.
If desired, this method can be safely combined with decoupage, but it is not recommended to do this to update the working surface.
How to update an old kitchen countertop with paint and glass?
This type of countertop renewal is suitable for all fabrication materialswork surface, which must first be prepared. There are two ways:
- putty;
- grinding.
You can use any paint for coloring, but the most suitable is:
- acrylic paint;
- alkyd enamel;
- water-based paint.
Before applying the coloring layer (there should be at least two, and preferably three, and each subsequent one must be applied only after the previous one has dried), the surface must be degreased.
You can increase the life of the countertop by putting tempered glass on top. This will prevent both damage to the painted coating and the ingress of paint fragments into food. By the way, tempered glass can also be used for other renovation methods, such as pasting, painting.
Decoupage under glass
First you need to choose a suitable pattern. Ready-made decoupage pictures are sold in specialized stores, but there is a more economical way. Drawings can be cut from napkins, magazines, newspapers, or you can print a composition selected on the Internet. All work is carried out in several stages:
- First you need to clean and then degrease the surface.
- Dilute PVA with water in equal proportions. You can also take special glue for decoupage, but as a rule, it is sold in small quantities, so before updating the countertop in the kitchen with your own hands, you will needmake careful calculations. Moisten the prepared picture in this mixture.
- Stick the soaked image to the surface of the countertop, smooth it out, removing all bubbles.
- Leave countertop to dry completely.
- Now the surface needs to be covered with several layers of varnish. There should be at least three of them, but ideally it is better to make four. Moreover, each subsequent layer can be applied only after the previous one has completely dried.
You can increase the life of such a countertop with the help of tempered glass. In this case, decoupage can also be used to update the working area. The fact is that such a surface is afraid of the effects of aggressive detergents, high humidity and temperature. And tempered glass prevents damage.
Covering with decorative tiles
This method is suitable for updating products from any materials. And also in this way, the restoration of countertops made of wood, plastic, chipboard or fiberboard is carried out. You can choose ordinary ceramic tiles or mosaics (using the second option has more options). When choosing a color scheme, you need to consider the color of the apron, which is located directly above the countertop.
You can make your design more original by using tiles of different sizes and shapes.
Before you update the countertop of the kitchen set with your own hands, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:
- directly tile according to the chosen design;
- glue;
- grout.
After preparing the necessary tools and materials, you can get to work:
- Clean the surface, degrease and dry.
- Apply glue to the countertop and directly to the ceramics.
- Lay the tiles on the surface.
- Leave until completely dry.
- Now you can rub the seams. Put the grout with a spatula, and then remove the residue with a damp cloth.
Concrete restoration
For a worn concrete countertop, not all renovation methods are suitable due to the characteristics of the material itself. But concrete can be safely used to restore a work surface made of stone, both artificial and natural. To work, you need the following materials:
- mixture for finishing concrete screed;
- sealant (preferably acrylic);
- varnish for concrete;
- volumetric container for solution preparation;
- 2 spatulas in different sizes (20mm and 10mm);
- coarse sandpaper;
- industrial mixer (can be replaced with a drill with a special nozzle);
- grinder with a grinding disc.
The amount of concrete screed mixture depends on the size of the countertop itself. This information can be read directly on the packaging. The standard consumption is 1.2-1.5 kg per 1 m2 of surface with a layer thickness of 1 mm.
Himselfthe restoration process is as follows:
- Before applying concrete, you need to carefully prepare the surface. It must be cleaned of contaminants, it is recommended to pay special attention to the remnants of food and fat. You can use dish detergent for this. If silicone sealant residues are found during inspection, they must be removed, as concrete has low adhesion to this material (this is why acrylic sealant should be taken).
- After all contamination has been removed, the surface must be treated with sandpaper of different calibers (25-H and 20-H). This procedure will increase the adhesion of concrete to the old surface. That's why you don't need to think about how to clean a scratch on the countertop.
- Now the surface needs to be washed and then left to dry.
- After that, you can start preparing the solution. How exactly to do this is indicated on the package, as there may be some nuances. In most cases, the mixture must be diluted with water in a ratio of 2:1. It is better to add water gradually so that the solution is not too thin or thick. Ideally, the consistency should be like sour cream. It is recommended that you first prepare a small portion in order to be sure of the correct proportions in the future.
- The prepared solution must be applied to the surface of the countertop with a spatula. Distribute the composition on the countertop should be smooth and slow movements. This will reduce the risk of bubbles. To restore the countertop, a concrete layer of 1-2 mm is sufficient (this depends directlyon the material of the product and the existing problems). But to improve performance, it is recommended to make several such layers.
- The next step is sanding. You can proceed to it only after the complete drying of the layer. This will take at least 24 hours. For grinding, you need to use coarse-grained sandpaper or a grinder with a grinding disc. When covering with concrete in several layers, the procedure must be repeated for each layer. The latter should also be processed with fine-grained sandpaper.
- Finish the restoration by coating with acrylic sealant (it must be applied with a brush). And you can also cover the surface with a layer of varnish, if you want to get a glossy surface, by the way, you can use it to change the color of the countertop. After, you need to sand the top again with fine sandpaper.
Replacing the countertop
In some cases, the restoration of countertops made of artificial stone or other material is impossible for various reasons. Then it is much easier and cheaper to buy and replace the surface than to restore it. You can make a replacement with your own hands. You will need the following tools and materials:
- drill with a set of different drills;
- electric jigsaw;
- files;
- fine sandpaper;
- sealant;
- spatula;
- pencil;
- pattern;
- roulette;
- gon.
Replace the countertop by doing the following:
- Turn off the water and other communications, then remove the sink.
- Dismantle the countertop. This must be done very carefully, while maintaining the elements that attached the surface to the table, for example, screws, corners and other fasteners.
- Clean the place where the new work surface will be installed in the future. Particular attention should be paid to the joints.
- If a new countertop for the kitchen table was purchased without holes for the sink and stove, then at this stage they need to be made. Although it is better to entrust this work to specialists, especially if it is a stone or glass product.
- The prepared surface should be put back in place. Before the final fastening, you need to make sure that it lies strictly horizontally.
- Finish the countertop with the special corner pieces. They will not only give the design a finished look, but also increase performance.
Top Care
Proper care will help increase the life of the countertop. There are five golden rules that will allow you to update the work surface much less frequently:
- Use a cutting board to cut food, even if it's just one piece of bread.
- Do not put hot dishes on the countertop, even if the worktop is made of stone.
- Do not use abrasive cleaners to clean the surface. It is better to replace the latter with more gentle ones.
- Try to avoid hitting the surface, so it's better to beat the meatelsewhere.
- Do not leave the countertop wet, it must be wiped dry with a cloth after each wash.
Despite the seeming simplicity of all update methods, in some cases it is better to trust professionals. This is due to the need for certain skills, tools and experience.
