Kitchen bench top re-surfacing

I have bench tops in good condition but just the surface.

Almost everything seems to stain it.
Even rubbing with just a wet cloth seems to rub off a little bit of laminate making it slightly lighter than the rest.

Wander if there is some kind of paint that could be applied?

Heard of paint for bathroom tiles, so thought maybe something like that is possible too.

Don’t want to go for false marble top up that I’ve seen promoted in shopping centre as looks almost as expensive as changing the tops.

Not sure where to start the search.
 
Hi George

Painting benchtops is I believe a waste of time. Better to roughen up existing surface and glue on new 'laminex/formica' laminate. Not expensive maybe a few hundred dollars. If done professionally, it is difficult to tell that it has been changed.:D
 
I agree with John.
However, I've had great success in the past with having the benchtops actually replaced, rather than re-laminated.
It's a more permanent solution with the advantage of being able to introduce a modern look the the benchtop profile with rolled edges, instead of the old school square edges. Makes the entire kitchen look more "modern".
The cost is not all that much more than re-laminating.
 
Yeah Rob

My comment only applies to the old square edges. Mind you, going for the post formed round edges may necessitate redoing the splashbacks as removing the timber top may damage splashback. PS Enjoyed your recent article in YIP. :)
 
Yeah Rob

My comment only applies to the old square edges. Mind you, going for the post formed round edges may necessitate redoing the splashbacks as removing the timber top may damage splashback. PS Enjoyed your recent article in YIP. :)

Thanks for the YIP feedback, John.
The guy I've usedin the past has been quite good at removing and replacing new benchtops while leaving the splashbacks undamaged.
Either way (re-laminate or replace), it's a very cost effective makeover for a tired kitchen and well worth looking into.
 
Hi George,

I agree with Rob and co. Better to spend the money on replacing the bench-top than fiddling around re-laminating. The edging can be a problem if not done professionally. If this is an investment proerty, even more reason to do a good quality job.

You may be able to save costs by using a cheaper laminate brand. Formica and Laminex are the well known brands but there are plenty of others to select from. Many are imported from Asia and are just as good for this purpose. I have used these products many times over and so have my clients. These imported products are so much better quality than they have been in the past, so don't let their origin put you off.

Re: Splash-back damage - you can usually remove a bench-top without damaging the splashback as long as it is removed super carefully. Have a look to see if the splash-back butts into the top of the bench-top or whether it runs down the back of it. The latter will cause you no dramas at all so this should give you some peace of mind if that is the case.

Hope that helps!
 
I completely agree with Jane. It doesn't cost much more to replace instead of repair benchtops and we do this constantly with no damage to splashbacks - a good installer will be able to do this for you with no hassles.

Wishing you every success, Ana
 
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