Why might you want to replace a kitchen worktop?
Worktops are the unsung heroes of our kitchens; we use them for everything from chopping and slicing to kneading bread and making pasta – we even sit on them! Consequently, they can become a little tired looking. They also set the tone for your kitchen, the worktops literally bring everything together, so when it comes to giving your kitchen a new look, they’ll be key to the design.
If you want to bring more colour into the room or make it look less dated, you may want to replace your worktops and there are plenty of materials you can choose form. The most popular include laminate, wood, granite and marble.
Can you paint kitchen worktops?
The painting option seems like a great way to renovate kitchen worktops on a small budget, however, it is not as simple as for example, painting an old table, you need to sand them down, prime them to ensure they are completely clean and grease free and apply a base colour before painting the countertops several times, finally adding a protective layer of topcoat. Even then, it is not guaranteed that they will last the course in their new incarnation.
What are the advantages of painting kitchen worktops?
Always use chopping boards.
Always place hot pots/pans on trivets (discoloration from heat can happen quickly and one of the downsides of laminates is that these burns can’t be repaired).
Make sure you mop up spills quickly.
Do not store liquids on the surface that may leak and stain.
Be aware that bleach, inks and dyes can damage or stain their surface.
While you can easily clean your countertops with a household detergent, remember to rinse thoroughly with water
Do not use abrasive or acidic cleaning products or even place them on the surface.
What are the disadvantages of painting kitchen worktops?
Painted kitchen worktops might reduce the value of your house or make it less attractive to prospective buyers or renters.
Laminate worktops are impermeable. This means that stains from liquids and foodstuffs don’t adhere to the surface which also means that paint won’t adhere either and even if it does it won’t be very resilient. Paint will easily chip and flake off.
It’s not just about how the paintwork will look in a short space of time, those chips and cracks could become a breeding ground for germs, making your countertops dangerously unhygienic.
Painted kitchen worktops won’t be heat resistant so if placing hot pans on the surface you always need to use a trivet.
Painting over a granite or marble worktop wouldn’t make sense as you’d be making an expensive surface look less expensive, similarly you’d be better off sanding down and re-varnishing a timber worktop.
New kitchen worktops might not be as expensive as you think.
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