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Countertop Transformations

How To Make Your Countertops Look Like New

With today’s rising prices, you would think twice before replacing your old countertop. Even a laminated countertop would cost you from $10 to $30 per square foot nowadays.

And the prices are more prohibitive when it comes to granite. Your cost could crank up to $200 per square foot. However, not replacing your countertop would leave you with your old and tired looking countertop. There are also homeowners who just would like to change the colors of their countertops. Thankfully it is now possible to do countertop transformations that will spruce up the looks of your old countertops. The cost will be a lot lower than what you will spend in getting a new countertop.

What Exactly Are Countertop Transformations
Countertop transformations basically mean refurbishing the surface of your worn out countertops. It is an alternative to replacing old countertops which are still usable. The high cost of building a new countertop is what drives this type of activity. The cost of remodeling a countertop is definitely lower than the cost of building a new one. This is true even if you will use the same type of material as your old countertop. Your actual remodeling costs will also depend on how elegant and durable you want your re-worked countertop will be.

Ways To Transform Your Countertops
There are several ways you can give your countertop that ‘new’ look. The difficulty or ease by which you can do it will depend on the material of your old countertop and the new material that you will replace it with. Here are some ways you can transform your old countertops.
• By resurfacing them – resurfacing countertops are ideal for those who have old and worn-out granite countertops. If your granite countertop is still structurally strong and there are no major cracks or scratches, then it would be best for you to just resurface it. There are granite fabricators who can do this and their service charges are reasonable enough – compared to what you will spend in building a new countertop. Although this can be a DIY project, it is advisable to let the professionals handle it if you don’t have the skills and the tools.
• By re-laminating them – if your countertops are made of laminates, you can re-work the surface by putting on new laminates. This project is easier than resurfacing stone countertops. If you have decent handyman skills and the required tools, you can do it yourself. You can really save a lot in this way.
• By tiling your old countertop – putting new tiles on your old countertop will really make it a new countertop. This is also relatively easy project, although you need to do a lot of preparation before you put the tiles in their places. You can also do it yourself if you know how and you have the necessary tools to do the job. The cost of the tiles will depend on their quality. But if you will do it yourself, you can go for quality tiles since you will not be paying for the installation cost.

What Are Your Options?
• If your old countertop is made of laminates, you can buy the easy-to-apply countertop refinishing products available at your local hardware stores. This is a kit which includes all the materials and instructions that you will need. This is a perfect DIY project. You need to sand the old countertop so that the new coating will make a good bond. It will take you approximately 4 to 6 hours to do the resurfacing and about 2 to 7 days for the surface to fully cure.
• For those who will choose to tile their old countertops, you have a number of options. You can either use granite tiles, prefab granite, ceramic tiles or other suitable tiles as long as they will suit the function of the countertop.
• Those who have worn out granite countertops can opt for the product called granite transformation kits. This is a granite blend that you pour into thin slabs which fits on top of your present countertop. But you have to let the professional installers to do this. Even then, it will cost you less compared to installing a new granite countertop. The granite blend consists of granite stone, quartz crystals and color pigments. The resultant surface is hard, resistant to chemicals, stains and scratches.

Advantages of Countertop Transformations
The biggest advantage of transforming your countertops is the savings that you can get. At only a fraction of the price, you get a new look for your countertop. And you are able to save your old countertop.

Disadvantages of Refurbishing Granite Countertops
In the case of granite countertops, even if your resurfacing material looks like granite, it is still not the same material. The colors of granite transformation kits are relatively common whereas the color of each granite stone is unique in itself.