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DIY Venetian Plaster Countertops |
Want to change the look of your countertops and cannot afford marble or granite?
Well, here is a cool idea for you. It takes some time and a lot of effort, but the results are awesome and it is a very inexpensive way to change the look of an old countertop.
I used to have white formica countertops - who would ever think of putting WHITE countertop on a heavy traffic work surface? My problem was that it used to get stained with almost everything.
However, after I tried this new idea (not seen done too much in the United States), I love my counters and find them so easy to clean.
The materials you need for this project are drywall tape, non-sanded grout (make sure it is the NON-sanded one) - you can pick the color that matches your decor in your house, cement bonding agent, spatula, sanding paper, clear coat and wood molding.
Here's a step by step guide for your project:
1 - Find a molding that you like. It will give it a nice classy finish as well as help the grout stay in place. Cut it to fit the edges of your counter; apply with either liquid nails or nails.
2 - Cover your entire countertop with the drywall tape. Make a netting that will help the material hold better on the counter.
3 - Mix the non-sanded grout according to directions - when it gets a "mayonnaise" consistency, apply some bonding agent to the grout. This glue like material will help the grout get stronger. Mix quite a bit of material since this will be your first layer on top of the counter.
With a spatula spread evenly all over the surface.
4 - Once it is dry to the touch, mix another batch of grout and glue, and apply like you did the first coat. Try to apply evenly.
5 - Repeat previous step until you are over the molding. Don't worry about how it looks now. Remember you will be able to sand the surface and "erase" most imperfections.
6 - Once you are over the molding, it will be time to play with 2 colors of grout. Here is where your marble effect will come to place. You need to colors: your base color, that is the color you have been using for the different coats, and another color (in my case, my base color was gray and I apply white at the end)
7 - So, now you have a batch of grout with your base color and another with he color you chose to give the marble effect. Put your base color con the counter and then, with a spoon, drip some of your second color, drip unevenly - don't be afraid! Get a spatula and start swinging it on the second color - move it in different directions.
8 - Let dry completely.
9 - Now, it is time to sand. Don't forget your shop vac! This is going to make a lot of dust!!!
10 - Start with a grit 220 sandpaper. Sand away. You need to get those imperfections out.
11 - When you think you have the surface pretty smooth, get a 400 grit sandpaper and sand a little more.
12 - Now it is time to wait a few days. You need this grout to be completely dry. You might have some cracks. Don't worry! You can mix more grout and fill he out. Remember this material is a little like cement - it will contract, so you need to let it crack and fix the cracks as they appear.
13 - Now you need to give it a final finish coat. I used Minwax clear coat - it is a lacquer like product. I used water based because I did not want the smell of the oily products. I also chose a glossy finish. It makes it so shiny!
14 - When the first coat is dry, sand with a fine sandpaper, and apply more coats. I applied 5 coats to mine.
You probably noticed that I have some tile on the wall. That is my backsplash. I took the formica backsplash out and picked some nice tile that went with the colors of the counter.
I hope this works and trust me, people will be asking you where you got those new fancy looking counters!
 Counter BEFORE  Kitchen counter AFTER  AFTER  AFTER 
BATHROOM COUNTER  Counter BEFORE  Doing the backsplash  Finished counter and backsplash |
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DIY Venetian Plaster Countertops 
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