Many people desire to change the countertop surface in their houses but don’t want to spend a lot of money or pay an expert to accomplish it. This is where epoxy countertops come in. You can pour it yourself over any of your current countertop surfaces, and it is rather inexpensive. When finished, it gives your countertop a whole new, energizing appearance. It is also durable and long-lasting. Working with resin has the benefit of being simple to keep clean once it has dried. That is great. We’ll explain more about epoxy countertops and how making your epoxy resin countertop may help you save a tonne of money in this blog. Here is a simple resin craft and guide for making marble epoxy countertops.
DIY Marble Countertops
It simply involves painting your countertops in a faux marble pattern and covering the entire surface with the epoxy product, which cures to a solid finish, to get the faux marble countertop effect. Because you need to clean, prime, paint, and epoxy, each of which involves some drying or waiting time, the job takes a few days.
After considering a few alternatives, such as painting the counter with marine paint and utilizing a tile restoration kit, we decided to use this technique. So far, so good. Now let’s discuss each step.
Make The Corners
An experienced carpenter previously forewarned me that epoxy wouldn’t adhere to sharp edges while applying finish. For epoxy to adhere properly to the corner and flow over it, the edge must be rounded. Use a 1/8-inch. a round-over bit on the ends while holding the router horizontally so that it can follow the contour of the front edge. Use a 1/4-in. or 3/8-in. round-over bit if the front edge isn’t rounded over.
Getting Ready To Pour Epoxy Resin On Your Countertops
Epoxy products may be messy, so before you begin, cover all of your floors and cabinets with plastic sheeting.
Clean The Area
You must thoroughly clean your countertops. TSP may be used to clean countertops. Water and a lint-free cloth should be used liberally to clean the whole surface. To prepare for the undercoat, clean once again with rubbing alcohol or paint thinner on a clean, lint-free cloth.
Remove Old Caulk
Any old caulk should be removed with a knife since latex caulk can reject epoxy. Replace the latex caulk in the area you’re working with acrylic caulk.
Patch Seams
Use all-purpose body filler to close any holes and seams. This comprises the space between the backsplash and the counter, inner corners at the front border, and seams at the miters. Smooth down any exposed particleboard. Work quickly and in tiny parts since body filler is a two-part solution that will harden after being combined in a few minutes.
Prime It
Once you’re done cleaning, prime the whole countertop surface with a tiny roller. Apply primer to all the surfaces you intend to paint, paying attention to the edges. Allow to dry overnight, then use fine sandpaper to gently sand. To eliminate dust, wipe with a moist washcloth or tack cloth. Use a bonding primer in this situation.
Apply Epoxy
Apply three coats of white paint, or whatever many are required, on your counter. The grey paint should have some water added to it. To make a vein, make a crooked line with the grey paint with a little paintbrush. Use a damp marine sponge to wipe the grey to make it disappear. To further mix the vein in, softly go over it with the dry, soft brush. Blot the white paint over the grey with a softer sponge, and then go over it one more with the soft brush. Continue doing this until you’ve built up a decent amount of depth and layers. It will resemble actual marble more closely the more layers there are.
As you near the finish line, add a little black to the grey or create your grey by mixing black paint with white paint to create a deeper grey. Utilize this deeper grey and repeat the layering procedure to add deeper veins.
Add Top Layers Detailing
Try not to mix as much on the upper veins so you can see the veins. Once you are satisfied with the appearance, let it cure before adding the epoxy on top. Observe the instructions on the package. If you have a backsplash, pour the epoxy over it first and let it drop to the ground before spreading it all over the counter.
Make Bubbles With a Heat Gun
To remove all of the bubbles from the epoxy, use heat using a heat gun or torch. If you don’t have one, gently blow over the bubbles with a straw to pop them.
Finishing The Edges
Don’t focus too much on the edges when working. The fact that resin will flow over is half the pleasure. Once your pattern is where you want it, dab the remaining resin on the canvas’s sides if you are concerned about the edges. The top design will meld with the sides, giving the impression of being seamless.
Wait To Dry
It will take the resin 24 hours to solidify. You may take off the packaging tape from the back once your resin has dried. As you move, the resin drips ought to break off.
How Long Do Countertops Make Of Epoxy Last?
These resin coatings are robust. Epoxy hardens to provide a surface that is incredibly durable and gorgeous. The emulsifier also offers a glossy, long-lasting sheen.
Which Epoxy Resin Should Choose For Marble Countertops?
Quality will be far more important while purchasing epoxy than pricing. It will be helpful to get an epoxy that does not bubble excessively. You’ll need to utilize a heat source to burst any bubbles that form in your mixture. We suggest Pro Marine Supplies and Incredible Solutions merge to create Promise Tabletop Epoxy. creating an epoxy resin powerhouse by fusing the greatest technologies from both previous brands. Promise provides a better composition that reduces bubbles and increases shine and UV Resistance. Many companies, including Promise, provide both a tabletop epoxy and a deep-pour epoxy. Each is designed for very distinct purposes, including coating and casting.
Additionally, you’ll want to confirm that it will be clean and free of flaws after curing. The majority of brands are self-leveling, however, before making a purchase, you might wish to confirm. This guarantees that it will be self-smooth, saving you the chance of messing up the job with a leveler or foam brush. You should also take the epoxy’s working time into account. The average epoxy will provide 20 to 30 minutes of work time, however, the temperature outside may affect this. You might wish to check that it will be pourable and workable for a while. Last but not least, and maybe most crucially, make sure you have adequate epoxy on hand before starting your job.