We gave the kitchen of homeowner Stephanie Ward a makeover on a small budget including:
- Giving the plastic laminate countertops the look of real granite.
- Cleaning and refinishing the kitchen cabinets.
- Replacing the cabinet hardware.
- Adding rollout wire baskets to improve storage.
Refinish Kitchen Countertops
To improve the look of the plastic laminate kitchen countertops, we applied Giani granite countertop paint.
Giani’s countertop painting kit comes with:
- Primer
- Mineral colors
- Clear topcoat
- Roller
- Foam brush
- Sponge
- Directions and DVD
To apply Giani granite countertop paint:
- Clean countertops to remove dirt or grease.
- Remove any silicone caulk and replace with paintable caulking.
- Fill gouges in the countertop and sand smooth.
- Mask around countertops with painter’s tape.
- Apply primer with foam brush and roller and allow to dry.
- Dab liquid minerals on the primed surface with sponge.
- Add veining with an artist’s paintbrush.
- Lightly sand high spots with fine sandpaper.
- Wipe down countertop to remove sanding dust.
- Apply clear topcoat with roller and brush.
- Allow surface to dry at least eight hours.
- Lightly sand any rough spots with fine sandpaper.
- Wipe down countertop to remove sanding dust.
- Apply another coat of clear topcoat.
- Allow the countertop to cure 48 hours before using.
Find out more at Faux Granite Finish for Kitchen Countertops. Granite countertop paint can be ordered on the Giani website at gianigranite.com
Clean Kitchen Cabinets
The cabinets were cleaned by heating a damp sponge in a microwave for 30 seconds, then using a citrus based household cleaner to remove any grease and grime. Wear rubber gloves to keep from burning your fingers on the hot sponge.
Watch our video on How to Remove Grease from Kitchen Cabinets to find out more.
Finish Kitchen Cabinets
Next, a coat of satin polyurethane in a spray can was applied to the cabinets. For best results apply several light coats.
Replace Cabinet Hardware
To complete the kitchen cabinet transformation, we replaced the knobs and hinges on the cabinets with similar ones with a more up to date brushed nickel finish.
When buying replacement hinges for cabinets, be sure to bring one of the old hinges with you to the home center or hardware store.
That way you can make sure the screw holes, footprint of the hinge, and overlay of the new hinges match the existing ones.
Check out our Homeowner’s Guide to Cabinet Hinges to find out more.
Kitchen Cabinet Storage
Our final project was to add pullout wire basket under the kitchen sink, available at The Home Depot, to improve storage space. We also installed tilt-out hardware on the false drawer in front of the sink for a sponge.
Watch our video on How to Install Roll Out Wire Baskets to find out more.
Other Tips from This Episode
Simple Solutions with Joe Truini:
DIY Scrub Brush Drill Attachment
To make a powered scrub brush to chuck in your drill, cut the handle off a standard scrub brush, drill a hole in the middle, insert a 4” long machine bolt in the hole with a nut on the other side to keep it from spinning. Chuck the bolt in your drill for easy cleaning with no elbow grease! (Watch Video)
Best New Products with Jodi Marks:
Behr Marquee Exterior Paint
Behr Marquee paint is a high quality, exterior latex enamel with both primer and paint in one can. Cross linked polymers and UVA protection provide resistance to dirt and fading, making it a great choice for painting the outside of your home. Behr Marquee paint is available at The Home Depot. (Watch Video)
Ask Danny Lipford:
Reattaching Loose Laminate
To reattach plastic laminate edging that has come loose, place a cloth over the edging and heat it with a clothes iron to reactive the glue. If that doesn’t work, apply contact cement to both the edging and countertop, allow the glue to set, then press the two surfaces together. (Watch Video)
