A countertop is definitely the most used part of a kitchen, even when compared to cabinets and appliances. It is, therefore, not uncommon to have a worn-out countertop amidst relatively new surroundings.
Installing a new countertop is probably the easiest way of making it ‘look’ new — however, it is probably the least practical way of doing it. If you’re renting your current house, it shouldn’t be an option at all. And even if you’re not — the financial acumen behind simply getting a new countertop every time the existing one shows signs of wear and tear is, to say the least, questionable.
The answer: Reinventing your old countertops instead. We list down five ways by which you can breathe new life into your old countertop:
A Thorough Cleaning
Most of the countertops are made to last a lifetime. You shouldn’t really have to replace them after a few years anyway. If your countertop is getting too dirty, just give it a thorough cleaning. There are different types of cleaning solutions in the market depending on the material your countertop is made of — just pick one and get to work. Just be mindful that you might need to reseal the surface after a thorough cleaning, especially if you are dealing with natural stones.
Painting Your Countertop
No matter how counter–intuitive it might sound, painting your countertop is actually a great idea to revitalize it or even give it an altogether new spin. The paint to be used will have to be good enough to be resistant to heat and chipping, though. Also, make sure you coat it with at least three layers of polyurethane for that extra protection.
Covering Countertops With Other Materials
Covering countertops with cheaper and more readily sacrificable material is a great bet to keep them safe. Wood veneer, fabric, metal — everything works as long as you know what you’re doing. Take this for instance: Get some wood, clean it, trim it, file the edges, and you have a butcher-block style countertop with no additional investment. Another option can be to cover it with tiles. Whatever you do, don’t go overboard — the last thing you want is to end up spending more money on reinventing it rather than replacing it.
Concrete Plans
A concrete slab is a beast when it comes to durability. Even though pouring a full concrete slab might not be easy, you can still cover your countertop with a concrete coating. That will considerably increase the durability of your existing top while simultaneously costing a fraction of the price of an actual concrete slab.
Stick It Up!
Apart from cleaning, most of the methods here require some sort of investment. If you are renting a place and cannot really make any changes to the existing structures, you can always use stickers such as water-resistant vinyl films. With an adhesive backing, they are pretty simple to install. When combined with polyurethane as a sealant, they create a lasting solution to boring old countertops.