The only thing left to do in my kitchen is to update the countertops. We are preparing to put this house on the market this spring and we don't want to sink TOO much cash into the remaining fix-ups.
The countertops in our kitchen are what went into the house back in 1971. Nasty light green formica. I've heard that as long as the formica itself is in good condition, you can actually have them 'resurfaced' with a good heat resistant epoxy in a different color without even having to remove the sink or cooktop, etc.
Is there a user friendly DIY product on the market for this purpose, or is this really an undertaking best left to a professional?
Thanks
Actually, the substrate is what needs to be good. It often rots out around the sink area. But you can install another layer of formica over the existing. I am not that crazy about coatings on laminate(formica). The surface must be properly preped or the new surface will fail quickly. The old surface must be thoroughly cleaned to remove years of grease, dirt, etc., then scuffed with sandpaper to provide tooth for whatever comes next, be it epoxy or new laminate. Laminate is inexpensive and will spruce up the kitchen, and last. Not sure about epoxies.
I know it's more expensive, but I would replace it. Provided there aren't any weird installation problems, the prefab sections are fairly inexpensive at the big box stores. More labor involved, of course, but the results are worth it. We replaced ours last year (for our own benefit, not sales) and we love it. Among other things the old countertop was square-edged and two-part (surface and backsplash). The new stuff has the rounded edge and is one piece. If you resurface or recover the existing counters what you may end up with is counters that look like redone 35 year old counters.
Get new laminate countertops. The preformed ones with the integrated backsplash are the most economical ones. Updated color selections include those that look like marble, granite, natural stone, and concrete.
Keep in mind that updated kitchens and bathrooms help sell a house at the asking price and will likely expedite the sale. New countertops will catch the eye of the potential buyer, and they will see that countertop replacement will not have to be on their to-do list upon moving into their new home. In other words, you will get your return on the investment in new countertops.
While there are coatings for just about every surface, coatings for countertops tend not to be a long-term, durable option. Countertops are subjected to lots of use and abuse, and coating failure is common.
I just built new laminate countertops from scratch for the first time and it was surprisingly easy. The most difficult part is by far putting together the substrate since its shape has to be perfect. Gluing the laminate on top of it is actually very simple if a little bit stinky. Since you already have the counter in place, maybe that's a viable alternative. All you really need is the sheet of laminate (paid $230 for a 5'12' of Formica brand, granite look alike), a router ($100), the proper bits ($40), a few clamps ($10), contact cement ($25), a j-roller ($15) and a file ($5). It would require removing the sink to do a good job, but that's easy enough.
my 2 cents,
JP
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