It doesn't even really work on laminate except as a very short term solution for someone trying to sell. You can buy a whole new vanity top, maybe even in granite, if you shop something stock from a box store and end up under $150.

How short is short term? I am looking for something for 2-3 years. Eventually I would like to put in new vanities/cabinets and then go with new countertops and sinks but it's not in the budget just yet.

The granite itself isn't so expensive, but the cutout for the sink would have to be custom or need a new sink, that would add significantly to the cost... and there are 3 bathrooms the upstairs ones have countertops of this same material 10' long!

I watched the video of a Rustoleum demonstration of that transformation product, as we have a work counter in our office I would like to change out. It looked very messy and incredibly time consuming. A new counter would look better and-- unless you're doing it yourself--- cost less. Although the demonstrator claimed it was easy I can see the finished product looking and feeling uneven (in the bas relief aspect). It would be cheaper and look better to just get a new laminate counter. The finished "transformation" looked very DIY.

You should call their support number and ask them directly.

It worked fine for me on laminate and for $200 and 1 weekend of my husbands time I am thrilled with it.

We used it in our kitchen last year to cover the 80's peach counters. I did not want to live with peach any longer and I did not want to replace the counter since I want to replace the entire kitchen in a few years. I have had no issues at all with it.

I think there is another recent post where someone used it in a kitchen in bath but I can not find it to see if her counter was also laminate or not.

Your counters don't look like they're in bad shape at all, but I can see why you'd like to try this transformation on them.
I have no knowledge of how the product would work; it might be great!

But as far as replacing the tops with prettier cultured marble, it's not cheap in our area. And ten foot counters are not standard, so I think you'd have to special order them.

I was very surprised to find that the price for a custom cultured marble shower was almost exactly the same as for a travertine tiled shower including labor and all materials. In our area, for a small shower, this was about $3000.

MS

Golly. Perhaps I'm operating on old information. We replaced a horrible 6' bath counter top with Venetian Marble with an integrated sink for under $200, but it was a few years ago.

I want to live where you live, bronwynsmom!

That sink is the downstairs guest powder room it's OK, the master bath has the 10' long version and has some stains that are impossible to get out (makeup?) and the yellowy color isn't really something I love.

But, having looked more that the Transformations info, it does sound very time consuming and perhaps not worth the effort. I'll strategically place some items on the countertop for now to cover up the damaged parts, and start svaing towards new vanities/sinks/countertops in the future!

I just used the rustoleum stone effects counter top in both kitchen and bath we were quoted 100$ per square foot for granite installed. It was time consuming as the top coat takes 3 days per coat to dry.
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from what I have read the epoxy coating is the same used by restaurants and bars commercially.

Not sure how it will stick to what you have I would call them.

For small money you could make that bathroom look fab. Paint the cabinet a pure white and add brushed nickel knobs, paint the area around the vanity a robins egg by Martha Steward or BM Whythe blue. That will make it look great and then add a few accents like a brushed nickel towel ring to the left. Get a air plant and put it in a pottery wall pocket to the left also and add a piece of nature looking art to the right wall. Throw in a new towel in the towel ring and a yummy white rug and you're all set. All very easy to do and just leave well enough alone on the counter.

Wow CL, what a beautiful transformation! What brand of beadboard wallpaper did you use on the cabinets? Some have such shallow lines it doesn't look like beadboard but yours is great. I love the white and gray.
I agree with yayagal, a little paint and accessories will really change that bathroom without having to redo the countertop. In the midwest the countertops are called Onyx Collection Countertops. They have a lifetime guarantee against discoloring and other problems.

We had a kit of this become damaged the other day. So, instead of marking it down to throw it away, we experimented with it to make a display to showcase it. Since they were renovating the break room and changing out the counters, we grabbed an old section of the laminate before it could hit the dumpster.

We followed the directions on the box to the letter. Gave it plenty of time to cure and everything. After curing, it was just sitting horizontally on the counter in the paint department waiting on us to figure out how to build the display. One of the contractor desk guys came in and set his coffee mug down on it so he could talk about a big contractor paint order. When he grabbed the mug to go back to his desk, it slid a tiny bit on the surface. Peeled a strip right off of the counter.

Based on that experience, I don't think it's more than about a 5 minute solution. And it's almost as expensive as buying in stock laminate.

If you want to paint counters, you'll probably have better results using traditional products like elbow grease and sandpaper, then an oil base gripping primer, followed by an enamel topcoat, and a couple of coats of water based poly on top of everything. Painted counters of any kind aren't a permanent solution, but they can get you buy for a year or two.

You might want to look at something like Habitat ReStore. They have tons of counters, and you might find one that works.

Look into the cultured marble at the big box stores. It is not expensive. Our vanity top is small, but I think ours was maybe $150 special order.

Prairie Mom I am not sure the brand but I bought it at Walmart it was prepasted. Home Depot had similar stuff but you needed to paste and I was being lazy.

Green Designs - did you do all 3 steps or just the epoxy top coat? I have already dropped stuff on mine and no issues plus I have a friend who has had it for a couple of years now with no issues. I do know it peels right off if you don't prep the surface properly as I spilled some on my floor and only had a bit of an issue getting it off.

I'd paint or gel stain the cabinet dark chocolate with brushed nickel pulls. Change out the mirror to one with an espresso frame, and it will look great.

I don't think the counter is bad at all. Mine is similar. I'll try to post a pic tomorrow.

I definitely plan to paint, just not sure what color yet. For downstairs powder room (shown) I was thinking a fresh green with white cabinets, but wasn't sure about the yellow-ish countertop looking OK with that.

Upstairs master bath the countertop is a bit discolored, and it's huge with one of those "makeup stations" on one end and an enormous mirror down the wall. I can't really put in a smaller mirror because it would have to be centered under the light which would not be centered over the sink, I think it would look weird - yet a framed mirror this size would be very expensive. The bedroom is Wedgewood grey (blue with grey undertones) so I would like to have gone with a soft grey for bathroom but not with the yellow countertop! Maybe I'll stick to white up there. The upstairs guest bath is similar to the master only the shower is on the end of the room. Feeling uninspired!

Pic from when we first moved in, rug and towels are now white.

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I remember the exact counters you have. Not sure which home it was. They wore like iron. Mine were the same color, wonder if they used any other.

I'd try bleach or even a Mr. Clean on the underside just to see what would change. Also lacquer thinner does wonders too. Sanding and buffing may also renew the top. A laminate counter would cost the same as the kit and they have come a long way with options. You may like it and not want to change.

Years ago I had a laminate counter top professionally spray painted. Think they put 3 coats on it. Was harder to take care of than the laminate and although a great color change, still looked unatural. Nothing hot at all and once a plate was dropped on it...cracked an area big time. On the other hand we had a jacuzzi tub refinished and it was hard as nails. My husband the OCD guy, finished all with his auto buffer after the guy left. Gave the tub a mirrored finish.

Even if you change the counter, you still have the tile to contend with that does not work with your bedroom color scheme. I think you would be wasting money on a temporary solution for the counter if the tiles are unchanged. If this is a long term residence I'd save the money until you are ready to change both major features.

There are frames you can buy and affix to the existing mirror with some kind of mastic or epoxy. Voila---- framed mirror :) I think it is not very expensive and that would be a worthwhile quick pick me up for the room.

I will have to get a pic of the upstairs master bath the counter there is much longer and has discolorations. But based on this info I will live with it. I don't think gel stain will work on the cabinets as they are cheap pressboard with plywood fronts and have several layers of paint. I am planning to paint them - probably white. Walls I have not decided yet!

Oh that's not tile it is vinyl peel and stick squares - the color is also not great but thy were new before we bought and in great shape. We plant to be here 3-5 years so not really long term buonshore knows what the future holds...

Here is a similar counter with espresso gel stained cabinets. Your sinks are nicer undermount sinks. The cabinets were originally oak.

I love the look of the gel stain but as I mentioned these cabinets are not real wood (1980's pressboard with plywood fronts I think) and have several coats of paint on them already... they don't seem like good candidates for gel stain?

I love undermount sinks but unfortunetely these are cheap cast iron with chips already rusting near the overflow area. They look better in the photos than real life!

I found a FAQ link that might be helpful- http://countertops.rustoleumtransformations.com/pressroom-faqs.php

I have never seen the countertop transformations but the stoneffects looks like granite not little flakes but little trowel on rocks. I have also seen people use the spray cans that look like rock then put the epoxy counter finish on it looks great too.

I will have to look at the can but I painted my kitchen counters with I think Rustoleum. My kitchen was built in the 50's and to replace the counters will destroy the lower cabinets because of how they were installed.
The counters have been "painted" for three years and look pretty great. I touch up here and there but considering my kids aren't super careful I am a fan of the paint.

I'm going to try refinishing these countertops, probably some kind of epoxy, probably not rustoleum brand as it seems overpriced. I have done a lot of reading on the topic and since cultured marble is a polymer, apparently epoxy finished work great on it - better than on laminate. I can repair some chips, and then paint - finishing with a clear topcoat to protect the surface. I am sure it will end up looking better than the existing, yellowed, scratched and stained countertops whether I attempt a faux finish or just make them white.

Oh and the cabinet doors are MDF with unfinished edges - not even cheap plywood - and the doors are undercut since they are designed to have no pulls, you hook your fingers onto the overhang. I hate the shape and I may have to get creative with a router. Replacing all the doors in all 3 bathrooms would be too expensive. I did paint the powder room vanity and add hardware, I think it looks better but not great.

THe sinks need to be replaced they are chipped/rusting and not even the right size for the cuts - if I have under-mount I want no lip to retain water and dirt! Also the faucets are too close to the cutout edge in the master bath so all kinds of gunk builds up between the back of the faucet and the edge of the countertop, this drives me nuts. The powder room sink and the guest bath sink are slightly different shapes, so the faucet is better placed - but those 2 sinks are very rusted.

My plan is: remove the sinks, drill holes for single hole faucets, epoxy the countertops (to look like granite or corian etc) and replace the sinks with proper sized ones hopefully under-mount if I can find the correct size, or top mount if I need to cut the hole slightly.

Here's the powder room after painting, the countertop and sink looks fine in the photo but really, trust me it is not!

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This post was edited by tinan on Wed, Jan 2, 13 at 0:43