How To Install Epoxy Over Old Countertops Ultimate Guide | Stone Coat Countertops

We used our

stone

coat

liquid

epoxy

to transform this old laminate kitchen. Learn right now how to save thousands on your next project. You can renew and refresh old

countertops

, tables, desks, and more. We'll teach you every step of the way for free. In this video we cover all the pro tips and tricks you need to know to transform any space. Class is in session and we've done the hard work for you to take advantage of our years of experience using our

epoxy

to transform old

countertops

. so you can imitate marble, natural

stone

, you can even imitate quartz concrete, whatever you design, we will show you how to make rock face edges, smooth edges, we will teach you the base

coat

process and more, whether that you have a new construction. project or a remodel, if you want to do a messy pour or an exotic countertop, that's all revealed right now, you can design on a dime, you can transform your colors, you can do it on site, learn how to take your project from concept to Full stay. tuned in enjoy the video remember when you subscribe to our channel click the red subscribe button and make sure to ring the bell to get notified every time we have a new video thanks again do you have an old kitchen with a laminate countertop that you need to revive?

Using stone coated countertop epoxy, we'll teach you how to refinish those old countertops instead using eight simple steps. Let's get started. The first step is preparation. First, we'll move any bulky appliances that might be in our way and then we'll mask the floor with paper, add plastic over the cabinets to protect them from any drips, and then we'll finish by masking the walls. This step is fun, it's simple but it's also important, don't make a mess and you'll win. Don't stress, in this particular case we are going to replace the old sink, it has seen better days so we will add a stainless steel sink by disconnecting it and putting a new one in its place.

If you like your kitchen sink, you can leave it. that in place and mask it off, pro tip guys, dry fit your new sink before

install

ing it that way, you will have no surprises after the countertops are complete, this guarantees a perfect fit, guys, as long as you have painted or finished cabinets, start with delicate. surface tape as your first pass that way when you add the plastic you tape it and when you press it or remove it it doesn't peel the paint we are using three mil plastic this one is also three feet wide the countertops They measure three feet. tall so it fits perfectly, tape it to the cabinet tops and stick it to the floor and you won't get epoxy drips falling on the cabinets.

Okay, time for our optional preparation step. I can cut the existing backsplash nice and flush. or I could leave the backsplash in place if I leave it in place the epoxy levels out and wants to run downhill so what I'll have to do is come back about two hours after I've poured my surface and add some color that backsplash that way, I keep the color on the backsplash to match the counters. It's a little simpler and a perfect match if you pour it nice and flat, but it does require you to cut it. I'm going to bridge the gap between the wall and the counter and make a new backsplash to cover the old one.

I like to do it this way, it looks super professional and is easy to do. We are going to use one of two tools. I can use a reciprocating saw or I can. I will use a vibrating multi-tool. This is a plunge cut. This will come at an angle, but it's super simple. I'll use a saw on my straight runs and my multi-tool to cut the corners. I'll mark the top of the backsplash. cut the caulk so you don't peel the paint, that's a pro tip when I'm done with this I'll sweep up the sawdust and I'm ready for the next step.

This is the backup rod. The backup rod was found. at your local hardware store, it is designed to be placed around windows to block any drafts from entering. It is also a great solution to fill the space between the countertop and the wall. Pro tip when adding the bondo on the back. We are here too. I'm going to bondo this seam where the old laminate countertop was attached, that will make it perfect and it won't go through when you pour the epoxy. I'm mixing enough bondo to fill the space between the counter and the wall as well.

To cover any damage like knife marks or burns, I'll also cover the seam while I'm at it. If you're new to Bondo, make sure you don't mix more than you're comfortable with. It has a short time of work because I have made hundreds of kitchens. I can move pretty quickly, but it's okay to break up the bondo into several steps, just mix enough to do what you're most comfortable with and then move on, the more hardener you use, the faster. is configured, it is a professional tip. I'm going to use my handy masker to prep the back wall.

I will be using different spray paints and additives so don't worry during the project the back wall will be masked off for easy cleanup. Now, when you're prepping, you can use butcher paper, newspaper, or anything to cover these different areas. Remember that every minute you spend prepping and masking in the kitchen can save you a lot of time on cleanup, so take your time, have fun, and prepare it right. Number two is cleaning and sanding, we will use a teaspoon of trisodium phosphate, mix it with a little warm water, rub the surfaces and then sand with 60 grit to create a mechanical bond. follow the instructions on your degreaser, we will use a little elbow grease to remove the grime from these countertops for a great long term bond when we apply the bondo, we apply it hard, we will sand the high spots using 60 grit and our random orbital sander, We are also going to sand the laminate to create that mechanical bond.

Remember your tile doesn't need to be perfectly smooth, we're just trying to remove those high spots, use 60 grit to sand that. Do it well and rinse, you're ready to vacuum up the dust and move on to the next step, okay, it's time to declutter, how do you calculate your square footage? It's simple, it's length times width which will equal your square foot, for example, this. the island is three and a half feet by two and a half feet, you multiply that and you get eight and three quarters, that's eight and three quarters square feet. Let's look at our L-shaped countertop, it has a sink cut out and is basically going to be split into three separate pieces for easy measurement.

Let me show you how I'm going to use my blue tape as my imaginary line to make it really easy to measure. I'm just going to break this piece off so it's a separate counter. up than this now and I'm going to measure this section, I'm going to measure this section and finally the third section and then I'm also going to add a little bit for my backsplash, let me show you how easy it is. I have two feet by two feet which will be four feet square here I have three feet by two feet which will be six feet square and here I have two feet by two feet again that's four feet square so I have four four and six, that's 10 11 12 13 14 square feet, so I'm going to do the backsplash.

I know I'm going to factor in a six inch backsplash, so I'm just going to get my linear footage, so I come here, which is eight linear feet and that's it. Four linear feet is 12 linear feet and then I'm going to divide that by two because it's six inches, so that's going to be an additional six square feet. You see how easy it is to measure, so get out your tape measure, break out your kitchen. in simple squares and this is how you can get the square footage so you know what to order isopropyl alcohol pro tip 91 basically isopropyl alcohol is a great cleaner and removes excess dust before adding the adhesive primer.

It also removes epoxy from your tools and if you have a drip somewhere where you don't want it to get into your isopropyl alcohol, it's a great solution to any problem. Step number three is the adhesive primer. The adhesive primer is only necessary when you are going to refinish non-porous surfaces such as laminated corion and cultured marble, if you are going to refinish wood, you do not need to do this step, you can continue, but since we are going to refinish existing countertops, we will apply our adhesive primer that Ensures a long lasting project, this gives you an excellent chemical bond, you simply apply it like a coat of paint, let it dry and you are ready for the next step.

Remember that you only need a very thin coat to win in this process. add our color after setting it. It is always good practice to use some masking tape on the rollers to remove any loose fibers. This is a pro tip to avoid leaving fibers in the coating. The adhesive primer is ready and dry. it's time for step four the epoxy base coat in this case this recipe calls for white we're going to do our white base coat we're going to let it dry and we're ready for step five I'm going to do two coats of my white base coat and I'm going to sand in the middle with 220 grit.

Okay, let's show you how to go over an existing countertop that you want to leave intact. I'm just going to make a piece that falls over the existing countertop. What I have to do is Get my length and width so I can place that piece on top of it and hide it. Let's say I'm moving later. I could take it with me and turn it into a coffee table. Do you think it is a good idea. I say understand. the okay button for that one okay so I know my length is going to be 43 and 5 8 and my depth is 34. so let's go 43 and 5 8 by 34 is this current countertop so I'm going to make my piece bigger than that one, so it simply falls on top of the existing one.

Let's head into the garage and show you how to make a drop edge with some key pro tips. We'll start with MDF, which is a medium-density fiberboard. we like this, it's cheap, it's flat and it's the same material on all sides, so if you mill an edge it will match perfectly. Using a table saw to cut some drop edge strips will hide the existing countertop. I'm going to screw them to that piece of mdf that I cut to size to have a shell that will encapsulate that old laminate, so what we're going to do is create a drop edge to hide that existing island.

We know that that island is one and one. a quarter of an inch thick, so we'll make sure that drop edge hides that island completely. You can adjust the appearance of your countertops' thickness by adjusting the drop edges. If you are doing new construction you could even laminate just a strip of mdf underneath. To make your countertops look like an inch and a half thick, this is pretty standard and is awesome for new construction remodels or even old coffee tables. I'll stick it in with some micro pins first, glue it in, and then I'll come. back and I will pre-drill and screw with coarse thread screws that way it will never come apart.

I used an oversized drill bit as a countersink, so I would hide the heads of my screws. I'm also going to use my angle. grinder and a 50-grit metal sanding disc to pre-shape the edges on this decorative island you see on this island. I want it to look like the edge of a rock wall, so I'm pre-shaping it so I can apply the next step. but look at the site, I'm going to keep those edges as they were. I will have two different borders in the same project. In fact, it will add more visual interest so that everyone who gathers along this gathering place, which is the decorative island, has something to talk about.

The bondo will serve two purposes: one, I will hide the top seam where I laminated that edge and two, it will create a chiseled look. In this case, I want the island to look like a piece of chiseled stone. It will look really fantastic having that stone and the rest smooth it really accentuates each other and creates visual interest it's easy to apply I mix that bondo use a gloved hand and tap those edges after applying it that creates high spots I let it dry and I go back and sand it nice and smooth so it doesn't hurt your hand when you rub it, this is how I measure if done correctly, you can imitate multiple textures using the same process, it's really fun to experiment with different ways to emulate lava rocks, seashells, edge rock, granite, anything you want, just study what mother nature creates and have fun.

I'm going to apply two coats of our base coat, this really gives us a beautiful shade to start with and again this. The recipe calls for white. This is the same base coat that we used on site on the laminate, but in this case we didn't need our adhesive primer because we are going to apply on a more porous surface which is MDF, so we don't need adhesive primer. Straight into the base coat now that I'm caught up with the rest of the kitchen, I'll bring this to the site tomorrow and I'm ready to apply the epoxy.

We wanted to make a six inch backsplash so I went and bought primed MDF. It was six inches tall. I'm just cutting it to size so I can make my backsplashes with something thatwas available. I'm using a trim router to create a smoothed edge for the epoxy to flow over that backsplash. You can also use a sandpaper and just do it where the epoxy will flow and it's not a sharp 90 degree cut, that's a pro tip. I'm going to sand my base coat with 220 grit, clean up the dust, and I'm ready for the next step. ready to pour, I'm actually going to mask the sink cutout with a trash bag so it catches the drips and doesn't get into the sink cabinet.

I'm also going to mask off where the plug joins the cabinet, so there's really nothing there. touch the cabinet, let's go ahead and oversize wherever we're brewing so we don't stress during the pour. I'm going to temporarily use masking tape to mask a dam along the perimeter of my countertop to catch all the epoxy as I pour it so it doesn't come over the edges until I'm ready for that step. this catches all the epoxy that I can use as streaks in different accents. It's a great technique to do when pouring. instead to control the pore, I will prep my epoxy and accent colors and have them ready to go.

I'm going to pre-spray some of my edges to give it that effect to match the top surface. This is professional advice. how to make a realistic rock border Hi guys, I'm one of the colleagues working on this video. I want to make sure you know that we have a complete kit made for this recipe, as well as a few others that will help you save thousands. on your next kitchen or bathroom remodel, click the link in the description below to access that kit and now come back to the video, this kitchen is about to flourish because we are on step five, we are going to code color, this is the we apply epoxy to the colorants and we will mix them in a bucket and pour it on the surface, the base coat of epoxy is dry, we sand with 220 grit, now we have taped the edges like that, we encapsulate and we trap the epoxy until we are ready. to make it flow over the edge, we'll start with our L shape, then we'll do the backsplash and we'll finish with the island, that's a pro tip, we'll use the island as our mixing station. and we'll be done with that and then we'll leave, we'll turn on the heat in the house using a radiant heater that way it doesn't blow dust all over the house, it'll set up and tomorrow we'll do the clear coat let's get started pro tip I'm going to use some isopropyl alcohol and a rag just to wipe off any dust left behind from wiping off the dust after sanding guys when you mix we will mix the b part then we will mix the a part we will do a one to one ratio we will mix it for about two minutes using a drill, then we will use our spray paints, this is what will give it its color. and make it come to life and look like stone as we transfer the clear epoxy to another bucket.

We'll also add color periodically to give it that random look, then we'll take that bucket and pour it onto the surface after that. I'll remove the tape and let it flow over the edges in about three hours. I'll scrape off the drops. I'll use a paint stick, a gloved hand, or even an old credit card and scrape those drips off so it doesn't drip the next day. and I can apply the color coat after mixing my clear epoxy. I'm going to transfer it to smaller cubes. This is where I'm going to spray my different colors. The different colors that I use will be mixed with my drill and I will use a vacuum cleaner to pick up the excess paint.

How many projects do you think you could do with a can of spray paint? A lot of man. Some professional advice. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove excess paint to keep your work area nice and cool. Also to maintain my countertops. a little clearer. I'm going to be pretty conservative in the amount of black spray paint I use. I have less epoxy and I'm going to use less spray paint just to keep the nice black accents and tints and not the noisy part. From this project, when you are mixing your colors, start with the lightest color first and then when you place the mixing petal on the next color, you will not contaminate a dark color inside a light color and make it darker.

Makes sense? That's a professional. tip, remember that some of that spray paint is mixed with the epoxy and some is sprayed between the layers of epoxy, this gives you different effects that automatically make it look like natural stone, this is how you do a dirty port like a pro, now you know, okay, here's the game plan: I'm going to pour a stripe right down the middle of this, but I'm going to keep the grain flowing in this direction on the l so it looks like it was cut from a slab of stone, then I'm going to do a diagonal pattern on the decorative island here so that this will be the masterpiece of the entire project.

Once we have the counters fixed in place, we can't tilt them, so we're just going to pour and let gravity do its job. I can also use a heat gun to move it around, even with gloved hands, they are great tools for moving and manipulating the epoxy so that it covers everything evenly as the epoxy begins to level out over the edges. I can grab that excess and fill in the gaps that remain. What I have left is a professional tip so that you do not waste anything. You can also add it to the other counters that haven't been fully completed yet.

This also adds different colors to the mix that you can drag and create accents with that brand. It looks more random and more natural. I love the beauty of this recipe, but remember that you can customize it in your own space. Whatever accent colors you want to add, fear not, you can also do some research on our YouTube channel and website. and look at the many different options you have to create the kitchen of your dreams. Remember that you will also save a lot of money, we are going to mask the edges of the island in the same way as the rest of the project. but in this case we are going to tilt that island, this allows us to cover it using gravity, it is a fun technique and I love doing it wherever possible, we scrape the cubes after mixing and use that excess epoxy to pre-lubricate the island. this allows the pore to glide and glide a little easier and to cover it up quickly using the tilt method we will also go back and add some veins, this adds a really beautiful color and stacks them on the project so it looks very natural, Now it's time to cover the backsplash, we actually made a little station in the kitchen where we used a piece of foam insulation to catch the drips and stacked it in buckets.

This was a great process to be able to pour out the excess epoxy I had left to cover those splash guards, I also added some black spray paint in the bucket and poured it into the center of the guard, the splashes were too light for me and they didn't match the counters so by adding a little bit of black, tilting it and moving it around I was able to really match the color I had on the counters where they would be placed, don't worry this is a forgiving process if you want to adjust the color use the gravity, use heat, use a little bit of color and you can match it exactly to your desire after you pour it, I'm going to blow out the air.

You can use a heat gun or blowtorch and eliminate the air bubbles that are generated when mixing. Now it's time to take off. that tape that we created a temporary dam with, rub those edges with a gloved hand and you're ready for the next step, that's step five, that's the epoxy pouring and that's the fun part, but remember that pre-planning avoid poor performance, we prepare this kitchen. so we weren't worried about making a mess, what we're going to do now is wait a few hours, we're going to go back and scrape the drips off the bottom of these countertops, which does two things that also eliminate scuffs. waterproof the edge underneath so it's really sturdy and lasts a long time in your kitchen environment guys we'll be back in a few hours we'll take care of that but I love the contrast we're getting here I have some darker areas in this section , I get to this part of the kitchen, it almost turns caramel with a little bit of black streaks and then I got this vein coming through my decorative island and I love the rock wall, this really put the cherry on top of it this project, we'll come back to it in a moment when we scrape off the drips again.

I like to pick up any excess that may have fallen to the floor after leveling it and use it to create fractured spider veins. You see, the epoxy is gelled. At this point, those veins don't like to travel much and will stay nice and thin and make them look like fractures. This is fun. I also use the same paint stick to scrape those drips from under the counter and after that. use your gloved hand to remove any excess so it's nice and smooth and you don't have to sand after those gobs have hardened that's a pro tip guys it's time for step six we're going to level up this project with marble spray, we have multiple colors black, white and silver available, this really gives them an enhanced look, it will put fractured lines over this layer of color to really give it an extra layer of depth and realism, guys look at how we do this, first we start with the edges and then we do the main thing. part or the field of the countertop and then we will apply our clear coat, but first we are going to sand with 220 grit, this will ensure that the clear coat adheres to the first coat that we did, guys, this is an easy step that you can't do.

It doesn't have to be perfect, all we're doing is roughing and scraping, just scraping it off so the next layer really grabs like a mechanical bond again, we're going to use our 91 isopropyl alcohol to clean the dust off this surface. so we have a clean surface to fracture our marble spray. Alright guys, pro tip, when we send you the marble spray, you won't be depressed. There is a latch under this lid, so remove the lid and we have a small washer that the washer does not. Don't let the cap get pressed and that's how we ship it safely so please take it off so your marble spray works well guys.

I'm going to start with the edges first. I'm going to do the perimeter of all the edges and then I'll Complete what needs to be done on the top, this is so I don't overdo the marble spray and get just the right amount. Test the spray before going to the surface, that way you will understand how it comes out of the can. A little goes a long way, this can will do several jobs for me, so don't worry, you'll have plenty. Remember that we have all the products that we are using in this video at stonecockcountertops.com.

Wow, that looks good, okay? I'm going to go ahead and do the field now and we'll see what this looks like. We have several colors of the marble spray depending on the desired look you have. If you like a lot of contrast on a light color, you can use. black marble if you want some lighter shades you can use our silver or our white these are all different effects to give you a different look okay guys question of the day did you like the marble effect after we did it or did you prefer it before the marble effect let us know know I love it after the marble effect, I can't wait to try it or I liked it better before the split, let us know in the comments below, don't forget to make your backsplashes and look at the top of the backsplash towards the can so you can make everything match like a pro.

It's amazing to see this project come to life, but even though this step looks good, I can't wait to add the clear coat, it adds so much depth it makes it look like you're a fake artist, I love that marble spray, what do you guys think? ? Would you like white or black or would you like to apply silver over this type of color or would you like it the way it was if you choose to do the marble spray later? you spray it, go through it and break any of those hanging ropes. This dries very quickly.

You can do it quickly. Remember that traditional countertops can cost thousands of dollars, but stone epoxy coating costs five dollars per square foot, guys, pro tip. I have plastic where the backsplash is going to go, that's because that marble effect spray is obviously going to have a little bit of overspray, so you have to catch it with a little bit of plastic, a little bit of paper, a little bit of cardboard of newspaper, whatever you choose to block that spray. I'm going to bring that down now I'm going to pour the clear coat I'm just going to add a one to one ratio like we did yesterday without colors it's the same layer of countertop epoxy stone and we heat it up and put it in front of a space heater it will flow like a dream , but in this case, instead of pouring it from a bucket, we will pour it and trowel it.

We'll measure it with our 1.8 by 1.8 square notch trowel, this allows for it to spread nice and evenly, then we'll cut that surface just to make sure everything is mixed and we'll hide those trowel lines, after that we'll come back and scrape those drops off in about three or four hours and tomorrow we're going to take the prep off of this, we'll be done and we'll get ready toput the kitchen sink back in and reuse this countertop, okay guys, because this island is removable, I'm going to take advantage of that. I'm going to take it off, use this as my mixing station and we'll be done with the island so we can put it back in and pour it and we're done guys, remember the marble effect spray dries very quickly, there's really no wait time.

It will be ready for the clear epoxy after about 10 minutes of drying. That's amazing again. Making a clear coat is simple. We'll start with part b and do part A. We'll use three ounces per square foot on this. then we're going to mix for two minutes using a drill, we're going to pour it, we're going to trowel it, we're going to cut it and then we're going to burn off the bubbles, the bubbles come out super fast, that way we can mix. with the drilling and train some air, but the blowtorch will remove them, if you don't want to use a blowtorch you can also use a heat gun.

I'm going to start at one end of the kitchen with my clear epoxy, I don't have any. color in it, it is clear. I'm going to use my 1 8 inch square notch trowel to measure the depth to get an even coat. Here this is the finished layer. We want it perfectly level. After spreading it out, I will scrape off the excess and return it to my mixing glass. I can pour that little chip into the back wall and not make a huge mess. It's very easy to control and I have a lot of time to work, so I don't need to be in a hurry.

Just make your way through that kitchen using the same technique, scrape the excess into the bucket and I'm ready to move on. I don't need my mixing station anymore. I'll slide my island back into place and do the same process. and the procedure on the island, okay guys, now that everything clean is readythe surface, we're going to cut the surface using our chipping brush, then we'll go back and blow it out. Make sure you brush those edges horizontally with that chipping brush and you'll get beautiful coverage. Remember to simply cut the entire surface in a random pattern, it's that simple when you cut, mix the material one last time and remove any of those lines from the trowel.

It is a great step to ensure a uniform cured finish. Did you know that stone coat epoxy is eco-friendly and has no harmful odors? It is also heat resistant. You can place hot pans directly on the surface. It is resistant to UV rays. Scratch resistant. It is perfect for your kitchens and bathrooms. It is food safe. It is impact resistant. It has been tested by clients and contractors. Passed when it's time to remove the air bubbles. just sweep the surface with my blowtorch again, you can also use a heat gun. I'll do this a few times, usually three times, let the counters sit for about five minutes and come back and burn them again.

Pro tip, guys, make a final. It sweeps and scans the surface, looks for any small microbubbles that may be protruding, and the blowtorch expels them immediately. sweep before leaving it. Okay, we'll be back in a few hours, like yesterday. We'll wipe those drips off and tomorrow we'll do all the prep work, clean the kitchen, slide the refrigerator and stove back into place,

install

the sink and voila, that's how you clean a bucket if you let the epoxy put in a bucket. and you take it out a couple of days later, this is how to clean the bucket efficiently and perfectly when you take off all the masking, start from the top and work your way down, place everything on the floor material, roll it up like a burrito and the Cleaning is quick.

I take the opportunity with the stove and refrigerator out of place to do a deep clean before putting them back. I like to make my backsplashes larger than necessary so after I pour them I can use wood. tooth saw blade to cut through that epoxy and wood and give me a factory finish, okay, let's go find the parts we need for the sink, we'll cut this backsplash flush and we'll come back to finish the installation after we you make the backsplash cut the bottom that way you get a nice snug fit to the existing countertop and it looks much cleaner.

You will have some drips, bumps and imperfections on that bottom when you pour, just cut it off and you will have a factory edge after dry installing all of our backsplash, we are ready to adhere it to the wall using 100 silicone, just a few tablespoons spread evenly and will stick for life. Now it's time to seal the joint between the backsplash and the countertop. We pre-masked with blue painter's tape and got some silicone that complemented the color of our countertops. This is a very, very light gray silicone and it worked perfectly for this recipe, the best method for creating a nice tight seam. is to use your finger and push the silicone into place, then remove the tape and it will look amazing.

I used some plumber's putty to install the garbage disposal flange on the sink. I also pre-installed the faucet and soap dispensers so that when I dropped the sink in, I was ready to plug in the connections and test it out. We used the same method as the backsplash to create a leak-proof seal around the perimeter of that sink. Remember we have videos on how to do undermount sink installations. Also, just check out the description below. We love using our gentle liquid cleaner to finish the job right. It makes countertops feel as slippery as glass. Remember that the difference between good and great isn't much, so go ahead and try a practice sample board.

Go to your local thrift store and get an old side table. Test your recipe and epoxy skills. You'll get some experience and be able to do this in your own space. It's professional advice. Thank you very much for watching everyone. You did it? change your mind about marble spray, be sure to let us know in the comments below, click the link in the description below to access the epoxy kit for this recipe, see you at the next remodel, you got this, you got this .