“I have enclosed some pictures of my newly papered counters. I absolutely love how they turned out. You can’t see my floors in the pictures, but they match the counters perfectly.” ~ Laura
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Technorati Tags: kitchen counters, countertops, makeover, room makeovers, home decorating idea
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10 responses so far ↓
Mary Vesper // Mar 17, 2008 at 9:44 am
Beautiful! I would like to do this, but how do you go around your sink … do you have to take it out. Also, when completed, will it hold up to water?
Carrie Wigal // Mar 17, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Hi Mary,
I believe you do need to take the sink out. With counter tops you definitely need to seal the paper with some sort of polycryllic (at least 4-6 thin coats). Here are some instructions on one person’s experience covering butcher block counters and another’s experience covering formica.
Good luck with your project…and be sure to take pictures.
Mary D Quinn // Apr 7, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I just finished polycrylic coat number 5. It’s been a long day. It looks great on my bathroom counter tops in the master bath when I gaze in from the bedroom. The only negative I have is that you see the layers of the tears and overlaps even with that much coating over it. If doing more to get a perfectly smooth surface I would lay it like regular wallpaper in straight sheets without the tearing. Next time!
Overall, I am pleased with the application and it was as easy as could be because of working with pieces and not plumb lines, etc.
Carrie Wigal // Apr 7, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I’ve heard that people sand the surface after several coats of the poly and then a final 1-2 coats of poly to get that smooth, polished finish.
Read this:
http://www.paperitfun.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=478
Mary D Quinn // Apr 7, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Oh, I did sand between each and every coat with a 320 sanding block by 3M. It is the layers of the paper underneath that makes the surface uneven. Perhaps this would show less if the finish were glossy, but I’m not a bling, shiny type so it will have to do. I can send you pictures if you’d like just tell me how to do it. I’ve documented each and every step.
Carrie Wigal // Apr 7, 2008 at 7:57 pm
My husband says it’s possible you may be over-sanding it. ?? Of course, that may not be true too, but he says with enough coats it should get smooth. What I’ve heard (now I haven’t done this myself…and we did our porch banister but we haven’t finished it yet), is that you apply several thin coats of poly after applying the paper (at least 4) before you sand anything. I’m assuming it’s so that you only sand the top layer or two of poly, leaving some poly coating underneath. Then finish off with another 1-2 coats of poly. If you’re still concerned about it, I’d try another 2-4 coats, sand it and then apply another 1-2 coats.
I don’t believe the finish matters (matte vs glossy). Again, this is just a suggestion. My husband is a residential contractor and this is his advice.
You might want to leave a comment here:
http://paper-it-fun.com/2008/02/19/formica-counters-never-looked-so-good/
There are several folks who have done their counters that are subscribed to those comments…and they can probably give you more information based on their personal experiences.
Good luck!
Jan // Apr 14, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I found I just have to be more careful about the overlapping so this isn’t a problem. I also use exterior polyurethane as it does not get water spots. The lighter gray had less noticeable overlap lines than the camo. I use less paper too!
HANNA // Jun 22, 2008 at 4:16 pm
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION IF AFTER I FINISHING WITH ILLUSION PAPER ON THE WALL CAN PAINT CLEAR SEMI-GLOSS INSTEAD OF SATIN? WOULD YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW BECAUSE I LIKE THE SHINY LOOKS LIKE A MARBLE,WILL IT HARMFUL THE PAPER?
THANKS
Carrie Wigal // Jul 25, 2008 at 11:13 am
I just received the following comment from someone in an email and thought it was appropriate to post here:
“Don’t try a spray on sealer. I did in my bathroom above the tiled area of my shower. I wanted to make sure water wouldn’t damage the paper and now the sealer turned yellow!”
Karen Larson // Apr 12, 2009 at 10:48 am
We just completed a project covering the orange formica in a 1976 modular home. My question is about daily cleaning. What products are ok ans which are not. This is a rental, and we plan to include maintenance instructions in the rental agreement.
By the way, we used Hearthstone Multi and you simply can’t see the seams or overlaps at all! We will send pictures after everything is complete. It is an amazing transformation.;
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