Changing up an Orange Formica Countertop With Concrete
by
Libbie B
5 Materials
We bought an older home we planned to use as a rental property. Charming as some of the features in the house are it was also tired and old. We decided to make a few cosmetic updates before renting. We started in the kitchen with painting the cabinets and then moved onto the countertops. I wanted to try a concrete skim coat I had seen on Pinterest. So, as usual, I jumped in.
Finished result.
Orange Formica
This was what we started with (the former owners were big Coca Cola fans).
After taping it off we started sanding with a sander. I have to say I did not like results so I went to a 60 grid sandpaper and sanded it by hand. Just enough to take off the sheen and allow the skimcoat to adhere.
Henry Feather Finish
We mixed it in small batches.
We put several thin coats on, sanding very lightly between coats. I did this by hand also. This was DUSTY so go slow with a light touch.
I used a trowel to spread the concrete mix.
First coat.
Coat 4.
Final coat
Then we sealed it with 3 thin coats of Acrylacq.
I used a gloss finish because it is what I had on hand.
They have been holding up really well for the time they have been in use. Part of the charm is I did not care if they were perfect. But they are holding up under semi heavy use. For around $60.00 (there was not a lot of square footage) I would certainly do it again!
Resources for this project:
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Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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4 of 145 comments
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Beautiful, so much easier than concrete! Great job.
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Thank you, Amy!
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Great job! Love the new look!
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Thank you!
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Frequently asked questions
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Hi, I have been considering this method for my countertops for a good while now. However I am not so partial the colour. I was wondering if the skim coat could be coloured to a black, deep blue or even a white?
I totally love this and you did an awesome job on your kitchen! I have 20 year old formica countertops and am now thinking I might try this thanks to this post of yours! Problem is my countertops have a rounded edge..would that be more difficult to apply than on the straight edge?
Looks awesome, well done! I really love how the cabinets turned out. Do you have a tutorial on them? :)