Rust-Oleum Countertop Transformations Kit

We decided to overhaul our kitchen ourselves, because we were on a tight budget. We had existing cabinets and counters that were worn and dated, and we installed new unfinished cabinets and a countertop on the opposite wall. We needed to refinish everything so it matched, and we decided to use Rustoleum's Countertop and Cabinet Transformation products to make that happen.We started with the countertops...The kit comes with a DVD as well as an instruction booklet. DEFINITELY watch the DVD for technique and visual demonstrations. The instruction book is rather small with very fine print. I took the time to write out the steps / instructions and taped them up in the kitchen for quick easy reference. It made things easier to remember what comes next and to ensure we were using the correct tools / materials for each step. I highly recommend doing this because there are so many little things to remember! Also make sure you read the outside of the Countertop Transformation box. There are materials you need that will have to be purchased separately.My husband took Friday and Monday off from work, so we could take our time and make sure we gave each step ample time to be completed. We figured it would take us at least three days to get through everything and allow for drying time.Day One: ThursdayI cleaned and prepped the kitchen. I took everything off of counters, cleaned them with disinfectant, moved the table and chairs into the living room, swept and washed the floor, and put away any miscellaneous items that might be in the way. I set up a work table with all the tools and materials we would need. I taped off the edges of the counter and put up protective plastic sheeting on the walls, floors, appliances, and base cabinets. Be generous with plastic and tape. You are going to generate a LOT of dust and the paint chips are going to fly everywhere. Cover EVERYTHING. I think it took me about three hours to get this all done, and this is time the DVD does not factor in to the project completion time.Day Two: FridayFriday morning we finished taping off the doorway to keep the pets out of the kitchen and to keep the dust / paint chips from spreading throughout the house. We put up the baby gate we use to keep Koa out of rooms, and we taped plastic up and secured it under the gate so the cats couldn't get through or over the gate.We had to repair the end cap of our old countertop and we had to attach the end cap of our new cabinet. We are also replacing the kitchen sink and faucets, so we removed those as well and taped plastic around the hole.We then started prepping the counters. We washed everything with soap and water and allowed them to dry completely. Each section of counter, including the backsplash and the front edge needs to be sanded. The kit comes with a "diamond embedded sanding tool" but it only comes with ONE. I purchased a coarse sanding block from Lowe's but it didn't even come close to matching the effect of the kit's tool. As such, Gabe ended up having to do all the sanding in this step.Once all the sanding is done, or if you're working as a team, once one section is done, you need to clear all the sanding dust from the counter. The instructions say to use a shop vac with a brush attachment, but we didn't have one. We simply used a small whisk broom and a dustpan. It works pretty well; you just have to make several passes over the surface and clean the brush / empty the dustpan frequently. You then will take a damp lint-free cloth and wipe off the counter until there is no residue left at all. I made three passes over each section, rinsing the cloth out between each pass. Once they were thoroughly dry, we ran our hands over the surface to make sure there was no dust left. We took a new dry cloth and ran that over each section as well. It took us about two hours to do all of this.Here is where timing comes in to play. You have to apply the base coat, and you then have a 20 minute window in which to apply the paint chips. It's important to work in a team to get everything applied within that window and to work in sections so that no one section dries before you're able to complete it. Because of our schedule for Saturday and the timing involved in the drying, we waited until about 8pm to start the base coat.We started on the new counter, which was a white-ish marbled color. I used the paint brush to do the backsplash, front edge, and ends. Gabe followed with the paint roller and filled in the middle. The instructions tell you to lay it on thickly, like you're frosting a cake. Take this literally and apply a liberal coating. You shouldn't be able to see ANY countertop through the base coat.Work on smallish sections at a time so you can get the paint chips down before the base coat dries. Once you've coated your area, spray the wetting agent on the surface. Spray liberally but not so much that it leaves puddles or drops on the counter. Follow this immediately with the paint chips. Start spraying the backsplash first, and move back to front from there. You will literally have to throw paint chips at the front edge of the counter to get coverage. It's pretty funny; don't worry about being neat because making a mess is unavoidable. Once you've finished one section, move on to the next, following the same steps.Have a flashlight on hand. Shine it all over and around the counter. If you see ANY shiny surfaces, this is base coat showing through. Throw more paint chips on those areas until you can't see any shine at all. They give you WAY too many chips so you can be as liberal with them as you want. (We still have 2 ½ bags of chips left!)This stage took us about 90 minutes from start to clean up.Day Three: SaturdayOnce the base coat has dried, it's time to clean off the excess paint chips and sand the surface smooth. Brush off whatever you can with a small whisk broom, then use the scraper provided in the kit to go over all the surface areas. Be careful here - it *is* possible to pull off chunks of paint and base coat that will need to be retouched. Then use the diamond embedded sanding block to sand the counter smooth. (The coarse sanding block I bought at Lowe's did work really well here, so Gabe and I were able to work together.) Use the fine sanding block on the edges and the backsplash to blend them in to the rest of the counter.They tell you to match the counter top smooth level to the sample they give you. Honestly, I don't think it's possible to get it THAT smooth without sanding right through to the original counter. Get it to where you're comfortable with it and be done with it or you'll make yourself crazy. Also, the front edge and the backsplash don't have to be as smooth as the surface. Leaving a little more texture here is okay.Inspect the counters thoroughly for any bare spots and touch them up now. Use a damp sponge to dab on the base coat, then throw enough chips on to cover it. You have to let these spots dry for at least four hours, then sand them down even with the rest of the counter.We started this around 3pm, and it took us about 90 minutes to complete this step. We then had to wait four hours for the touched up areas to dry.The hard part is cleaning all the sanding dust and excess chips off the counter. We went through so many cloths... I only bought one bundle, and I wish I'd had two. I would recommend tossing each one after you've used it because each damp cloth makes sanding dust paste. Trying to reuse it a second time didn't work so well but we had no choice. We wiped each section down about five times before we felt everything was clean enough for the top coat. Make sure the counters are thoroughly dry before applying the top coat.You'll apply the top coat in basically the same manner as the base coat. Use a paint brush to do the side edges and the backsplash, then use a roller to the front edge. Use the brush to fill in any areas the roller can't reach. Be care not to leave globs, drops, or extremely noticeable roller lines. They will dry in place and be visible afterwards.We started this step around 8:45pm and we finished in less than an hour.This is the only part of the project that is EXTREMELY smelly. The top coat has a very strong odor, and this presents a bit of a challenge because you can't open any windows or ventilate the space while applying or drying. We made the mistake of applying the coat at night, around 8pm, and had to leave our bedroom and living room windows cracked all night because the smell was so strong. As a result, the counters were still sticky and tacky this morning because it was so cold in the house. I'd recommend applying this in the morning on a nice day so you can open windows to ventilate once you're done AND still have the temperature adequate for drying.Day Four: SundayWait until the counters are no longer tacky to remove the painters tape and protective sheeting. Score the edges of the tape with a chisel or blade to make it easier to peel off so you don't pull off any pieces of the countertop.Miscellaneous Tips:This project could be completed in less time than we took, but because of work schedules, we planned to spread it out over a few days. If you time it right, you can get it done in less time. Just don't rush it.All of the online reviews tell you that one fault of this kit is the amount of base coat provided. Always overestimate your square footage and underestimate the coverage area on the box. We have roughly 35 square feet of countertop, so we bought the kit for 50 square feet. We had enough base coat, with enough left over for touch ups as needed.Make sure you have secured the plastic to the floor. These chips will go EVERYWHERE. We draped it down from the base cabinets, but we didn't tape it down to the floor and clean up was a bit of a mess.If you have the space for it, pull your appliances out away from the countertops. I wish we'd pulled the fridge and stove out because getting the tape off of these, out of the crevices, we challenging.I always think of painters tape as my safety net and I'm not particularly precise when painting edges as a result. That was a mistake here, because these are very goopy materials. Trying to pull the tape out of the corners when everything was dry was problematic because they were weighed down by the equivalent of road tar.We made the mistake of applying the base coat and the top coat at night, when the lighting in our kitchen was less than ideal. It was very difficult to see what we were doing and we were dependent on our flashlight to look for areas we missed. Try to do these steps during the day when you have ample natural light.Wear your safety gear!!! Glasses, gloves, and a dust mask are most definitely necessary. You're going to get hot and feel suffocated but you don't want to be breathing in all that dust, and if you wear contacts, you do not want this getting into your eyes. Additionally, I didn't have my dust mask on the whole time, and Saturday morning I had to blow my nose constantly to purge the dust and paint chips from my sinuses.Throw the lint-free cloths away when you're done with them after each stage. There is so much sanding dust embedded in them that you'll just make paste if you try to wash and reuse them.Inspect your countertops very carefully. We are now noticing a few areas we missed after sanding, but we can't touch them up now. We know no one else will notice them, but we know they're there.Take your time. Don't rush through any of the steps or the process as a whole. It will be worth it when you're done. There will be imperfections, as there often are with DIY projects, but no one else will notice them. Most of ours are along the backsplash, and since we're also going to be painting the kitchen, we're confident we can cover them up and/or make them even less noticeable.Overall, we definitely recommend this product. I ordered the kit through Amazon.com and got the large kit for $195. We probably spent another $50 on tools and materials (plastic, tape, paint brushes, etc). When you compare the cost of brand new counters against a financial investment of $150 and some sweat equity, it is SO worth it. We LOVE the way the counters look now. We installed a new sink and new faucets today to tie it all together and we think it looks fantastic.Rustoleum Countertop Transformation gets two thumbs up from us!

Background/Experience:Two twenty-something ladies with no prior home construction experience minus the basics such as painting a room, ripping up carpet, light furniture refinishing/painting, laying stick-on tile floors, etc. I'm a first-time homeowner.This Project is Best If:If your countertops are in decent shape but you just don't like the color/pattern/finish, this project would work great for you. If you don't like your countertops' shape, it probably isn't for you. This project works best in a middle-of-the-road home where granite isn't expected. It also was a manageable project because I didn't have a huge amount of counter space (12 linear feet, about 26ish square feet when including backsplash and front edge). I'd equate the finish to a new laminated countertop with a “stone” look such as an HD laminate. I think this project was a great way to avoid the hassle of a new countertop install and also it was about $300 cheaper and less wasteful in not getting rid of a perfectly good countertop. (I estimated new laminate to be about $600ish installed and this cost me $300ish total – note, I WAY overbought, see below). My countertops were less than 10 years old when I did this and had only light shininess – I bought a new house and just wanted to update the color and pattern.What You Need/Should Have that is NOT in the Kit:1. A partner2. ShopVac or regular vacuum with brush attachment3. Dropcloths4. Painter's Tape5. Flashlight or High Powered Work Light6. Foam Roller (small) – get two7. Nap Roller (small) – get two8. 2 brushes – Be prepared, you may need to throw them out following the clear coat at the end, this stuff is incredibly sticky)9. Two separate paint trays – I used disposable10. putty knife/sharper knife/edge11. Tweezers – to remove any arrant fuzzies/tiny hairs that might enter the top coat after putting it down, when you go to score the tape and remove it12. Damp spongeTips – What Worked Well for Us:BEFORE1. Read all the reviews and watch every single video you can find online. I had been looking at this product for over a year before I did it.2. Choose your color carefully. People have said the Onyx looks terrible – like black asphalt because it is all one color. Whatever you buy is going to dry darker and shinier than when the color chips are on and then sanded. I would go with “Desert Sand” (tan) or “Charcoal” (gray). We did Charcoal and it looks great – it's the color chips that make a difference.3. Overbuy by a LOT – Every review says you don't get enough base coat in the kit. I have 12 linear feet, aka, about 26ish sq feet. There are TWO kits available:Small – for 10 linear feet or 25 square feetLarge – for 20 linear feet or 50 square feetHere's the weird thing – when I got the boxes in the mail for the small kit, they were labeled “12 linear feet or 30 square feet” I am not sure if this is the new or old quantity or if they have kept the package the same and just been more conservative with the amount that it does, etc. Because it was listed on Amazon as being 10 linear feet or 25 square feet and I have about 12 linear/26 square, I knew I could NOT push it with one small kit due to everyone's complaints about base coat amount.So I had the choice – buy one large kit or two smalls. One large would have been cheaper by about $80 BUT I bought two smalls to get two times the amount of materials (so my helper could help me work). This is a very smart idea and I'd recommend two smalls or heck, if you are between sizes, a small and a large or even two larges. BUY DOUBLE what you need just in case – you can always return an unopened kit, I would imagine.Okay, so I get the kit and it's marked 12 linear/30 square despite it being 10 linear/25 sq online. I found that to be dead on accurate for me, going from tan original to charcoal. I had JUST enough base coat without even cracking open the materials in Kit #2, provided I used the can and scraped it for touchups. (Not sure if they increased the amount or what due to complaints, my kit actually did a little MORE than it was supposed to) I am keeping the other kit for any touch up needs in the future. I did use the materials from it (sander, scraper, diamond block). It was nice to have peace of mind to know we had plenty if something went wrong.4. Watch the entire video the whole way through first. Then have it going and pause it before doing the next section each time.DURING5. This says “in a weekend.” I think that's overestimating the time this takes. I'd say total, it took me at MOST 8 hours from opening box to touching up paint in my kitchen, spread over three days (Friday – prep, sand, base coat, chips, finish at 12 midnight; Saturday – started at 12noon with vacuuming, wiping, wiping again, drying, touch ups, waiting, touch ups again with no waiting, clear coat, inspecting, touch ups – finished at about 7pm, then let dry and remove tape at 11pm and touch ups again, finishing at midnight, Sunday – letting dry and fixing up kitchen wall paint and cleaning) . You can't use your counters for a week. You COULD do this project after work two consecutive days if you had 3-4 hours in there.6. At the end of each step, we carefully went over each inch of the countertop with a high powered work light, two of us, and were anal about each and every spot, inspecting it, etc.7. Move your stove out or fridge if it abuts the countertop.8. Do a round of “touch ups” before every step – you need to see if any other spot needs more sanding. Okay, we vacuumed, does any other spot need more base coat and chips? Anywhere just need some more chips? Okay, we just put topcoat on, does any spot need more? Even though we already did topcoat, do we NOW see a spot that needs more base and chips and a touch of topcoat after removing the tape? Etc.9. We prepped our chip bags by opening and wetting agent before putting on base and kept a close eye on the clock.10. Expect to have to touch up your wall paint a decent amount when you are done if you are up against it with your countertop.11. Don't wait too long to remove your tape and you MUST score it carefully.12. The chip spreader wasn't great for us, we had trouble with the angle. We ended up hand throwing a lot of chips and in a few places, PRESSING them into the finish on a patch or trouble spot.13. It's a two man job. If you can, work during the daylight. We couldn't do this because it was early winter and dark early – so we used a high powered work light.14. Remembering that it is a money back guarantee if you don't like it and that I already didn't like the current counter tops helped me keep an open mind – what's the worst that could happen, we start over with new counters! I almost backed out, I was really scared by the reviews, but am so glad I did it!15. Follow directions to the letter. This is really easy and could be a fun project for an adult and kids together – just need attention to detail. If you have one really picky person, let them join in and help to make the result perfect.16. There will be roll marks in the top coat – it's inevitable and not very noticeable.17. On the base coat step, it will be very frustrating to try to brush on the backsplash as every swipe fills in a bare spot, but takes some of the paint off an adjacent area -it's like it isn't sticking or something. Just keep going and do your best – it all worked out in the end.Tips – What We Should Have Done1. We should have been MUCH more careful with the wetting agent. I oversprayed and chips stuck to my wall in a few spots. I used elbow grease to get these off but some remain. Only spray it on the counter.2. If you have cheaper cabinets like me (some parts, such as sides normally hidden by appliances, that are MDF), be VERY careful adhering tape. BARELY touch it or consider skipping that side. I did my tape lightly and it STILL tore off a piece of the cabinet finish on the sides.3. We vacuumed a lot BUT I would advise really, really watching the pet and human hair. We changed our clothes before going in to work on the kitchen and didn't let the dog in for days or near us with our work clothes on. Tie up your own hair and lint brush yourself before going in too.4. Take your curtains down if they are anywhere near the counters. I didn't and got paint on them.5. Wear tight-fitting clothing (no loose shirts to drag on the front) and have a stepladder available for getting some hard to reach places without leaning on the front of the counter.6. Practice with the chip spreader before you start to spread so you can see where it is spraying.7. When sanding and scraping, watch your counters' high points and constantly, constantly check to see if you have scraped too much.8. The clear coat will ruin the tray it is in, the paintbrushes, the rollers – it is basically glue. So be prepared to throw these items out and replace them.9. Keep a little base coat back for touchups. Then, when you have applied the top coat, keep a little back for touchups, watch the clock like a hawk, and RIGHT at the four hour mark, score the tape and remove (earliest you can remove the tape, latest you can possibly use top coat which is 4 hours after mixing) and touch up then.10. If you just bought a house, do this BEFORE moving in, before pet hair or human hair or dust enters the house. If not, get ready with your tweezers to remove any speck of hair or lint later on.11. If you have multiple sections of countertop (I don't, mine run continuously), you can do it in pieces and probably get more experienced as you go along.12. You could probably jury-rig up your own kit by buying materials on your own for WAY, way less. But you do pay for the convenience and the guarantee . If I was a more confident DIY'er, I'd probably make my own kit out of original materials.Tips – What Didn't Seem to Matter1. I didn't remove my sink. I am going to keep my sink a long time. This seems to be okay because we taped it pretty well and even plastic-bagged the entire thing for the first chip spreading round.2. Patch drying time – you are supposed to wait 4 hours and on the first round of patching (between chip cleanup and topcoating), we did. We then found MORE places to patch and still MORE places to patch after topcoating. We didn't wait 4 hours on Patch Round #2 or #3 – we put down base, chips, and clear coat within 2 minutes.3. I didn't find it to be that messy. I taped up my cabs pretty good and put plastic sheeting and old rugs down, then Shop Vacc'd everything up – it's messy but not horrifically like I expected.4. For fear of sanding too low, I didn't do my finish as smooth as the sample – I kind of kept it a teensy bit rougher as it would be with an HD laminate. Go to a store and see a new laminate that has the “stone” texture, not just stone print, with teeny raised pieces – I sort of copied that. The sample is on a different material than an actual countertop/laminate and so it is not really accurate.5. I didn't silicone caulk my sink yet – I think that might be a great touch and help cover any errors near the edge there, but it hasn't been necessary for me.6. I didn't putty my seamed edge. My edge seam was already really, really flush in a corner of my kitchen where they meet, and I felt puttying it would draw it out more and make it more visible. Again, my original countertops were relatively new and very professionally done.7. I didn't wear a face mask or gloves. The top coat did burn slightly on my hand, but it was very mild.Update:I will come back and update on the durability of the product as I am just two days past when it was finished. I hope to get 3-4 years out of it before upgrading my countertop.