How to Paint A Bench Top

Australian home renovations should be timed, especially when it comes to painting. While renovations in summer is not the most ideal time for any painting project in Australia, you can still use this opportunity to touch up and do some small DIY projects. On the other hand, during winter, the humidity level is always less, meaning less moisture in the air, and paint can dry quickly. So the best time to carry out renovations in a city like Sidney is during winter. You can employ several ways to update your kitchen and bathrooms, however one of the most effective ways to bring life back into you kitchen or living spaces is by painting your bench top.

With the right knowledge and products, painting your bench tops can be a fast and easy DIY project. It can completely transform your laminate or timber kitchen and bathroom bench tops.

This article looks at how to paint a bench top for your home as part of your Australian home renovations.

How To Paint A Bench Top

1. Remove the old silicon

Your first step should be to remove all the old silicon if neccessary – Silicon is used to join your benchtop to the tiled backsplash in your kitchen. If your benchtop does not have a backsplash or is free standing, it will generally not have any silicone applied, so you can skip this step. You can do away with the silicon using a silicon or paint scraper.

2. Prepare the surface

After removing the old silicon, clean the surface using sugar soap and warm water. This mixture will make the bench top free of grease, grime and dirt. The bench top should be sparkling clean so that the paint adheres properly. Additionally, you wouldn't want mold spores to stick around before you paint. Therefore, you can get rid of them using a spray-on mold killer.


3. Make the surface rough

The third tip on how to paint a bench top requires that you take some sanding paper and make the surface of your bench a little rough. A rough surface helps the primer to stick. If your surface is glossy, you should use some sandpaper for this part. When you finish, wipe off all the dust in readiness for your primer.
 Note: If you have previously oiled your benchtop, you will most likely need to strip back all of the existing oil. Check the manufacturers instructions on the can of the paint your are using to make sure.

4. Apply the primer

After masking up all your edges so as not to get paint over other parts of your kitchen, you can now pour out your primer. Depending on what surface you are painting on, will determine the primer that you use. These primers come in paint tins. Applying a primer is the initial phase of how to paint a benchtop; therefore, begin from one end and apply the primer evenly across the laminate benchtop. Allow adequate time for your primer to dry – some primers take as little as one hour, however the longer you give the primer to dry - the better.

5. How to paint a bench top

After the primer dries, you can now apply your first coat. Using a roller, apply long, even strokes across the top – you will need to use a brush for the edges and corners. Consider applying two coats for better results. The second coat is what is known as 'laying off. It will give you a nice, smooth, even finish. You may apply a clear protective coat to the surface, but this isn't compulsory.


6. Apply back the silicon

When your paint dries up, remove the tape and re-apply your silicone. You can do this by applying slow pressure on the 'gun.' 


7. Job is done!

That is how to paint a bench top, and your space will now look freshened up.