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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). |