Decorating with Plaster Stenciling

An Ugly Old Ceramic Tile Counter Top Gets a Facelift!

Counter Before

Applying AquaStone

Doing "knock Down" with Scraper

Applying Glaze

Blotting with a towel

Applying further color

Finished Counter Top

I hated this counter top from the day we moved in to this house, but in the 5 years we've been here, I've never had the chance to do anything about it. So I lived with it, until now.

Seeking the help of Janice Faulkner from Faux Effects, I was introduced to products that would let me create a beautiful sandstone finish right over the top of those ugly ceramic tiles and poor grout job without removing a thing! Boy! Aren't I "all for that"!.

I started by cleaning the counter well and wiping it with pure white vinegar to give it extra tooth.

I then applied a coat of Prime Etch by Faux Effects to etch the surface and prepare it for the sandstone application.

Once dry, I applied "Aquastone" from Faux Effects over the entire surface then after a few moments used a plastic scraper to do a "knock" down of bumps and ridges which resulted in a real looking stone texture to the surface.

I had a bit of a problem with the grout lines continuing to show through and realized that if I had filled them first, let them dry and shrink, then applied a full coat of Aquastone over the entire surface, I wouldn't have had that problem. So I learned the hard way so you don't have to!

Once the Aquastone applications were dry, I then applied a color wash of glaze and paint over the surface with a brush, blotting and then blending with a towel. This should be done randomly as you are not looking to completely cover the surface with an all over color. You want variation.

I then blotted on a slightly darker color just here and there, again blending with a terry towel.

Once the paint colors were dry, I sealed with with two coats of "Aqua Seal". For complete stain resistance, I recommend that you seal further with a coat of clear polyurethane.

My counter is now beautiful and I love it (as I now think of that nasty purple counter top in the main bath in our home in Idaho....hmmmmm).

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