How to Redo Giani Faux Granite Countertop Finish

I’m using Giani Granite Countertop Paint to finish my plastic laminate countertops. One countertop looks great, but the painter used a different sponge on the second countertop, and it looks awful. Can I sand it down and prime it again to start over? -Janie

Hi Janie,

Applying a faux granite finish, like Gianni Granite Countertop Paint, is a great way to breathe new life into old plastic laminate countertops. As long as the final poly clear coat hasn’t been applied, it’s no problem to refinish over the existing finish. Here’s how to go about it:

  1. Lightly sand the countertop.
  2. Wipe the countertop down with a damp rag to remove any dust.
  3. Apply a new coat of the Giani black primer to the counter.
  4. Apply the Giani faux granite finish.
  5. When you’re satisfied with the look, apply the clear poly topcoat.

If you want to refinish a countertop after the clear poly topcoat has been applied, you’ll need to use a paint stripper to remove the existing Giani finish, then start over from scratch.

Good luck with your project,

Danny

Further Information

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

29 COMMENTS

  2. I want to refinish both my countertops and my cabinets. Which do you recommend I do first? I plan to use the Rustoleum transformations for the cabinets and Giani for the countertops. Thanks.

  3. I applied a giani granite countertop and it turned out great the first time. The second time when it came time to apply the clear coat I could not get 1 side of the countertop to look shiney. I know it has to do with my application and I want to redo the topcoat. Can you give me any suggestions on how to apply a top coat with out leaving dull patches

  4. I refinished my counter top about 6 months ago and now I notice it will peal where the kids leave water puddles..what can I do to prevent this? The counters still look fine but seem to need further protection from water that is left sitting(like splashes from dish rinse water…help please..

  5. I refinished my counter tops one year ago. I love the look, however, there are a few areas where the paint has peeled off. Can you give me the steps you suggest for touching up these areas? I am wondering if I should have done several coats of the topcoat (I did only 2). Thanks so much.

  6. A have a few spots on my Gianni granite counter that has peeled…how can I touch these up….I have some acrylic paints the same color, but what would I use for a topcoat….thanks for your help…I love how they turned out.

  7. I have the same question as others above. I painted my countertops, now 2 years ago. I absolutely love it. However, I how have places that have peeled up and need touched up. I just need some guidance on how to go about doing this. I do believe I still have some primer left. Can I then use any acrlyic paints that would match the color? And then what type of topcoat do I use? The last time I did it, my countertops were not very shiny. I want to make sure and attempt to correct this, this time around. Thank you!!

  8. Giani Faux Granite is a good choice, but my first experience was spoiled by some small mistakes. While you remove the existing coat, try to keep it completely dry. I let my faucet drop some drops of water and they were caught inside it as Giani is known to trap moisture inside. I should have removed the sink completely, I guess. Anyway, if it gets even a little wet, dry it well with paper towels.

  12. Same as above. I did my kitchen and love it but have a few places that peeled….can I sand and touch up with acrylic paint and then redo whole counter with polyurethane, or would I have to strip whole thing?

  14. Folks, I asked Giani directly for steps to “touch up” and this is what I got (and their response was really really fast too!). I hope this helps.

    1. Lightly sand the blemish – and about an eighth of an inch around it
    with a very fine grit #600 sandpaper. Use the sand paper to gently remove any remaining loose material and feather back the rim of the blemish so that it’s smooth – Then wipe up the dust particles with a damp cloth and allow to dry –
    2. Next, if the blemish is all the way down to the original countertop,
    use an artist brush or foam brush to touch up the area with the Giani Black Primer and allow the touch-up to dry for four to eight hours.
    3. Lightly cover the area with a light dabbing of your Giani Minerals
    using an artist brush or the tips of your sponge. Allow the Mineral touch-up to dry for four hours –
    4. Use your foam brush or an artist brush and cover the
    Mineral touch-up and about a quarter of inch around it – with the Giani Clear Topcoat.
    5. Allow the first Topcoat touch-up to dry for four hours – and then
    repeat with a second coating of the Topcoat over the touch-up.
    6. Finally – to add additional reinforcement to your Topcoat – you may elect to add an additional Topcoat over your entire Giani granite. To accomplish this – simply use a very fine grit #600 sandpaper and lightly ‘de-gloss’ your existing Topcoat – Note – you don’t have to remove your existing Topcoat – just lightly sand it to knock down it’s gloss – Next – use a damp cloth to wipe up the sanding dust – and allow it to dry before adding an additional Topcoat –
    PS – you probably won’t need to re-Topcoat your backsplashes because of their location –
    Once it’s dried, your Giani granite should be back to looking beautiful –

  17. How do I get the lines from the roller smoothed out.? We did not overlap and it seems that the epoxy never leveled out. We finished a large island and you can see every line from the rollers. Please help us.

  18. I used Giani to refhinish my counter tops 5 years ago. There a large areas that need to be refinished again. I purchased the kits. I read that I will have to strip the counter tops before starting over. Is that correct? What would you suggest for me to use to strip them? Thank you.

    • Hi, Ronni,
      We receive numerous questions about specific products; due to the high volume of mail we receive, we do recommend contacting the manufacturer for such inquiries, as directions vary with manufacturer.
      In this case, you can find the contact information at https://gianigranite.com/pages/contact.
      Good luck!

  19. I painted my counter 1 1/2 yrs ago. YesterdayI had to touch up a few places. When finished I applied a fresh coat of clear finish all over but this time there are several places that were dull. What is the best thing for me to do besides leaving it?

    • Hi, Betty,

      Danny says, “I would suggest lightly sanding with 200-grit sandpaper and apply another coat of the clear sealer. That should give you a consistent finish.

      Good luck!”

  20. I applied all 3 colors to my countertops and they have dried completely. I didn’t realize the difference in some of the places on my countertop until it had dried. I have not put the clear coat on it yet. Can I apply more of the colors in the places that I want to touch up now that it is dry?

    • Hi, Holly,
      You will need to sand the entire surface and ensure it’s nice and smooth. Next, start the process again, using the manufacturer’s directions.
      It’s important to be very careful with painted countertops, so we recommend placing food and other items on other surfaces, not directly on the countertop.
      Good luck with your project!

  23. I’m using Giani Granite Countertop Paint to finish my plastic laminate countertops. One countertop looks great, but the painter used a different sponge on the second countertop, and it looks awful. Can I sand it down and prime it again to start over?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here