Refinish counter like real granite

Q: I have an old laminate kitchen countertop still in good shape. I want to refinish it so it looks like real granite.

— Sandra

A: There are several do-ityourself refinishing kits you can buy to provide a durable, real-granite or stone-like appearance. They are available at most home center stores for between $150 and $200. Typical kits can cover about 40 to 50 square feet of counter area that is in good condition.

My own house is about 45 years old and had butcher block counters. I chose a SpreadStone countertop refinishing kit, http://www.daichcoating.com, because of the color and the real stone particles in the surface. Making your old countertops look like real granite is a three-step process. Plan on this project taking a couple of days. This gives each layer time to dry before the next step.

Clean and sand the old surface with 80-grit sandpaper. Don’t worry if you can see scratches. The base layer is very thick, so it covers any scratches. This also works well on wood or concrete surfaces. When applying over tile, a bonding coat must be applied first.

The kit includes a medium brush, mini roller and matching paint tray. Using the mini roller is recommended, except for space-restricted spots, where the brush is needed.

Stir the base coat, roll it on, and allow it to dry. A second coat is recommended. The base is being used for color and as a primer, so its thickness does not affect the finished surface.

Next, apply a colored coat, which includes the tiny real stone particles. Roll this on thick. You will see and feel the stone particles when dry. Put on another coat of the stone-filled coating, and even add a third coat if there is enough left in the can.

Once it is dry, sand the surface with 120-grit sandpaper in a circular pattern. This makes all the natural stone colors stand out. If you have an orbital sander with a vacuum, the sanding takes less time. You will be sanding actual stone, so there will be a lot of fine dust. Wear a breathing mask or respirator.

You can sand it down as smooth as you like. While trying to get it too smooth, I accidentally (the learning curve) sanded all the way down to the base coat in a few spots and had to touch them up with more of the stone coating.

This is where three layers of stone coating really helps; the layers provide more thickness for sanding smooth without going through it. My finish has a slight texture to it.

When you have it as smooth as you like, roll on a clear sealing coating. It is very thin, almost like water, so it does not get cloudy or puddle on the surface.

This brings out the stone color even more. Apply a second thin coat, and wait a day to use the counter.

Another type of simulated granite countertop kit, Transformations, available at https://www.rustoleum.com, uses an adhesive base coat, special wetting agent, decorative chips and two-part finish coating. This kit includes a special sanding block, a stone particle shaker and a spreader. This is best done as a two-person project because you must work fast when applying the chips.

Roll on the adhesive coating evenly, and make sure it stays wet by spraying on wetting agent. Using the chips spreader, turn a crank handle, which throws a spray of chips out the front. Cover the surface evenly with chips. When dry, vacuum off loose chips and lightly sand the surface for evenness. Stir the two topcoat liquids together. You will have about four hours to use it before it sets up.

Another kit from https:// www.gianigranite.com also used a base coat for the background color. Once this dark coat is dry, use sponges from the kit to dab colored chips in a liquid base and onto the surface.

Each counter will look slightly different. There is a practice test sheet included. Finish the surface with a clear topcoat.