Epoxy Countertops (Two Year Review)

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Has it really been almost two years since I painted our countertops with epoxy?! I still get asked frequently about how our countertops are holding up, so I decided it’s time to give you guys an update. Enough time has passed, so let’s get into it!

If you’re new here, you can see where I originally painted our countertops here.
I used Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy.

Also, we painted over leathered granite (that is the bumpy appearance you see).

**I get a lot of questions about our countertops and I’m not always able to respond here quickly. I no longer have a home instagram account, but you are welcome to message me at my photo business account @courtneysmithphoto if you have questions!

So what’s it like living with epoxy countertops, almost two years later?

Honestly, I forget that they are painted countertops most of the time! They still look great. I still love them and have never once regretted doing this.

They’ve kept the glossy sheen and remain hard and smooth to the touch. I’ve received so many compliments on them, and unless I’ve told you, people do not know that they are painted on.

We cook daily in our household and pretty much live in the kitchen. Other than not placing hot stuff directly onto the countertops and not leaving things that will stain it out, we are NOT gentle in here. And still, the biggest issue I have are the little chips that happen here and there in the epoxy.

I see these chips most frequently in high traffic counter areas, around the edges of the faucet base, and the edges of the countertops. I take one day out of every 1 – 2 months to touch them up. The chips are usually tiny (it looks bigger in the photo than it is). But it’s important to note that it takes about 2 seconds to touch up. It’s VERY easy (I’ll explain in just a bit).

There are sometimes small areas of discoloration that happen on the countertops. In my original post, I referenced that strawberries left out, etc. could do this to the counters. We have actually had no issues with strawberries (although I’m sure fruit would if left out long enough). CRAYOLA MARKERS are the main cause of discoloration in my household…so you may not have this issue at all (lol). We have a 5 year old that is VERY into art right now. If she gets marker on the counter and I don’t clean it up right away, it seeps into the epoxy and discolors the area.

The discoloration can also come from something with ink getting wet and being left on the countertop. This has happened with plastic bags from the grocery store, children’s artwork, etc.

I’ve had issues with red juice getting spilled and left out as well.

How do you take stains out of epoxy?

You can fix stains in epoxy one of two ways! I have found that if I let Dawn PowerWash sit for a bit on a spot that’s been discolored, it will often wipe right up. If that doesn’t bring it up, I just touch it up as I would a chip in the paint. More on this in a moment.

The only other issue we have run into is seeing rust where our countertops meet our splashguard. I have since used white caulk to seal over that and it fixed the issue! So if your countertop behind your sink backs up to a splashguard, this might be something to consider!

How do you touch-up epoxy countertops?

I keep a can of Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy underneath our sink for quick touch-ups. The spots are usually so small that I just go through with a q-tip and dab them until I can no longer see the spot. I try to keep a box of cheap paint brushes handy, but honestly, a q-tip works the same (if not better).

I most often do this in the evenings after our kids have gone to bed. That gives the spots time to harden overnight and be ready for normal use the next day.

Why did you use Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy?

Just a note, this is in no way sponsored by Rustoleum!

I feel like painting countertops has really taken off in the last two years. When I chose to paint ours, it was honestly still pretty rare and there was not as much info to go on.

I also just didn’t have the budget to spend on a countertop epoxy painting kit. I researched and those ran almost $800, so I knew that was out of the question. Beyond that, other methods and kits were multiple steps and a lengthy process.

To me, this method was (and remains to be) the easiest and cheapest way to transform countertops.

Before painting our countertops, I had seen so many people raving about Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy for their bathroom countertops, and that got me thinking…would it not work the same for kitchen counters? I hated our brown and black countertops enough to try, and I’m still so glad I did!!

Would I paint my countertops again?

Yes! If I could go back and do it again, I believe I would still choose this exact method. It was $50, easy to do, and has held up so much better than I ever dreamed. It’s also incredibly easy to touch-up, where as I’ve read that other epoxy counters can be trickier. The touch-ups blend right in.

I remember this being so scary to do. There was so much worry that they’d be awful maintenance and that I’d regret the decision every day of my life until we saved enough to replace them. I promise you that they aren’t and you won’t! They aren’t fragile. Beyond that, as I’ve stated many times, touch-ups are so easy that I am not bothered when something happens to them.

If you are unhappy with your countertops right now, this is truly an affordable, easy, GREAT way to update them and love your kitchen!

See the full tutorial and original post here.

I get it. This is a project that takes a lot of psyching yourself up for, but then after doing it, you’ll wonder why in the world you waited so long! I’m so thankful I did this instead of living with countertops that didn’t bring me joy. There’s honestly no great rush to replace our countertops anymore because of how much I like these. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love a brand new quartz as much as the next person, but these are great for now.

I hope this gives you the encouragement you need to just paint those countertops!

xoxo,

Looking for more affordable home improvement ideas? Check out these posts!

1) Boost Curb Appeal on a Budget

2) Weekend Home Projects Under $100

3) Small Bathroom Remodel (In One Day!)

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