Spray Painted Epoxy Resin Countertops – Testing Four Styles

I’m so excited to say that we are finally into the kitchen portion of our house renovation. We’ve been living with a kitchen that was in such bad shape that we couldn’t even use most of it for the past two years (check out some before photos of our kitchen in our pre-renovation house tour). As you can imagine, this new kitchen will make life a whole lot easier once it’s done. One of our first considerations when designing the new kitchen was countertops. I had always wanted to try painted epoxy resin countertops and I had seen some interesting images of faux-stone spray painted countertops with an epoxy resin finish. I didn’t want to commit to this look though without testing it out first, so I purchased a scrap piece of laminate (fyi: they sell sink cut outs for cheap at most hardware stores), ordered some epoxy resin from Countertop Epoxy, and set out to do my own test of four different countertop paints and epoxy resin.

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Testing Countertop Epoxy

I had five criteria that I considered as I was testing epoxy resin countertops: look, feel, cost, safety, and application. I also wanted to test four different paints: gray stone-look spray paint, off-white stone-look spray paint, black chalkboard paint, and pure white latex paint. As for the epoxy, I planned on adding a silver countertop glitter before pouring the same coat over all four samples.

I’ll go over my process, in case you would like to replicate this experiment, but I’ll also elaborate on my findings so that you don’t have to. If you’re not interested in trying this yourself, skip down to the epoxy results section. Okay, so let’s get started.

Applying Epoxy Resin Countertops

This project really involves two different stages: the painting and the epoxy application. For the painting, you will need the following supplies:

• Scrap piece of laminate (check at your local hardware store)
• Primer (I used Zinsser 123)
• Stone-look spray paint
• Chalk paint
• Latex paint
• Masking or painter’s tape
• Newspaper
• Brushes or a foam weenie roller
• A mask if you can’t be in a well-ventilated area.
• Latex or nitrile gloves

 

 

First, prime your board with a thin coat of primer and let it dry. Then use your masking tape and newspaper to mask off an area to paint. Then spray the paint in long even strokes that slightly overlap. The stone spray paint has a texture to it and it is not opaque so you really want to focus on evening out the texture across the area where you are painting. Continue until it looks thoroughly and consistently coated.

Continue the process of masking and painting until you have applied all of the paints you care to test. Of course, the brush-applied paint will need multiple coats to make sure they’re nice and even. Once you have finished painting, let the paint dry completely. I waited 24 hours before moving on to the epoxy.

For the epoxy step, you will need the following tools:

• Epoxy Resin (I got mine from Countertop Epoxy)
• Large disposable mixing cups with measurements
• Drill with mixing bit (I used an old beater)
• Nitrile gloves (a couple pairs)
• Respirator
• Work goggles
• Torch
• Weenie roller with fresh foam roller or a clean notched trowel
• Glitter additive (optional)

 

Make sure you have a temperature-controlled low-humidity area to work in because epoxy resin works best when poured between 72 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit and no more than 50% humidity. I would also find a place where you could make a mess and where fumes wouldn’t bother you or anyone else during the long curing process. Once you have an area to work, prep it by laying down plastic or cardboard on the floor. Find something level for the counter to sit on (I used a trash can) and lay your board on top of it in the middle of your floor cover. Prep yourself by putting on a respirator, goggles, and gloves before the next part.

The next step is the most important when working with epoxy resin. The epoxy comes in two parts: a resin and a hardener. It is extremely important that you use equal parts of each in order for the resin to cure. You also need to thoroughly mix the two for at least five minutes. Use your mixing cups to measure equal amounts (I did 16 oz), pour them together, making sure to scrape every last drop out of the cup. Then use a drill with a mixing bit (or an old beater in my case) to mix the epoxy resin for five minutes. Stop occasionally and scrape down the sides to make sure you are getting an even mixture. Wait until the resin is fully mixed before adding the glitter. I added a about a teaspoon of glitter to 32 oz of epoxy and then gave it another quick mix to incorporate the glitter.

Okay, so here comes the fun part: slowly pour the epoxy resin onto your counter, starting in the middle. Use your foam roller to spread it across the board, pushing the epoxy from the middle to the edges, but not over. Coat the entire top and then push the epoxy over the edges. You can roll the edges to make sure they are fully coated. If you see drips, you can run a clean paint stick along the bottom to knock them off.

After about 15 minutes, you will need to use the torch to get out any air bubbles, and there will be plenty of air bubbles. Keep the torch moving and hover about 3-4 inches above the surface. You should see the bubbles pop and the surface smooth out.

Once you are done, you will need to let the epoxy cure for 48 hours, though it should be dry to the touch in 24. In terms of countertop usage though, the epoxy is not fully cured for 30 days.

Okay, so now on to my thoughts on the finished epoxy countertop and the epoxying process: I ended up with some pretty mixed feelings about the whole process. If you remember, I had five criteria for this test: looks, feel, cost, safety, and application, so let’s examine the looks first.

Do Spray Painted Epoxy Resin Countertops Look Like Stone?

I knew that epoxy countertops couldn’t exactly replicate stone but I wanted certain aspects of stone to shine through. I wanted a glossy, reflective and smooth surface which the epoxy delivered with one caveat: there were wavy and sunken areas that were only visible from a certain angle but hard to ignore once you saw them. They were only in a few spots but it was enough for me to strongly reconsider using epoxy.

 

As for the color and patterns, I loved the depth of the stone-look spray paint. The glitter also just added a wow factor and made the counters look amazing. As for the white countertops though, they started to look a bit yellow in spots after three days of curing. Perhaps I had lingered too long with the torch in those spots. I definitely ruled out a light countertop after seeing that though because nothing would look worse than aging yellow countertops. It also showed fingerprints very easily.

Finally, the edges were a problem for me because the resin gets just slightly thicker on the corner and then thinner on the vertical edge, which makes it look runny even if you don’t have drips. This immediately gives away the fact that these aren’t stone.

What Do Epoxy Resin Countertops Feel Like?

Overall, I thought the epoxy had a nice smooth feel to it, though it did feel a bit plastic-y, kind of like smooth tupperware. It felt very solid and substantial, not flimsy or soft in any parts, but it wasn’t cool to the touch like stone.

How Much Do Spray Painted Epoxy Resin Countertops Cost?

Compared to other countertops, epoxy resin is a pretty economical choice as long as you can cover an existing countertop. It would probably cost me about $50 to $75 in paint and around $500 in epoxy to coat all of my current countertops (55 square feet). If I had to build a surface for the epoxy, the price could go up substantially depending on the materials I used. Still, I would say most people could do their countertops for around $400 – $900.

Is Epoxy Resin Safe?

So here is my big problem with epoxy resin: epoxy dealers seem to talk up how safe the resin is, saying it’s low or no V.O.C. and that you don’t need a mask but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

First off, never use this stuff if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. I was breastfeeding at the time of this test and I had a major safety issue that ,after 2 calls to poison control and 1 to a pediatric help line, left me unable to breastfeed for 72 hours. Basically I had somehow gotten a tiny amount of epoxy in my hair and, when I took a shower, the epoxy ran into my eye. Since substances in the eye can enter the bloodstream, I had to cease breastfeeding to give it time to get out of my system. I also had to flush my eye for hours to make sure all the epoxy resin was out.

Even though the resin company claimed the material was safe, when I received the epoxy resin in the mail the bottles had warnings all over them. The warnings said that the product is harmful if inhaled and it can cause skin irritation. it’s also extremely harmful to get this in your eyes or to ingest it. I was really shocked to see the inhalation warning since so many epoxies on the market now boast of being no V.O.C. Bottom line, if you do choose to use epoxy resin, make sure you wear a mask, eye protection, and gloves (and make sure your hair is pulled back).

How Hard is it to Apply Epoxy Resin to Countertops?

The process of applying epoxy resin to countertops is pretty simple and actually a lot of fun. That said, you do have to make sure that you are extremely precise in your measurements and that you mix the two parts thoroughly.

Other than the safety issues mentioned above, I only have one problem with the application process — it seems difficult to control the outcome. You only have a limited time to work and there’s not much you can do if you make a mistake. If I could practice more or take some classes, I might feel more confident in getting the same results each time, though that would add more to the final cost of the countertop. As is, I’d be afraid I’d end up with a bunch of problem spots in my final countertop.

Pros and Cons of Epoxy Resin Countertops

So my final verdict is that I would probably try painted epoxy resin countertops in certain applications (a small bathroom, a rental kitchen, or even a dining room table) but I’m not going to try it for my kitchen countertops. We are currently living in simultaneously the worst and best house I have ever lived in. It is in horrible condition but it is a stately, large house that calls for high-end finishes as we complete our renovation. Epoxy resin just won’t make the cut in my book for such a space. It’s a shame, because I was really excited about this application.

In the end, we decided to just pony up the money for quartz, which we purchased through IKEA during their kitchen sale. I’ll post more about our Ikea kitchen soon. I’m so excited about it. In the mean time, I really enjoyed working with epoxy (aside from the health scare) and I’d encourage anyone to give it a try.