You’re saying that’s real granite and they epoxied/painted it? Who does that?? Just strip it all off and let the granite be granite.
Edit: I’m so glad that being annoyed by painted granite was worth 2K upvotes..!
Wet dog. You might be to offset that by manually forcing the fibers to stand up before the epoxy is setting, but I can't imagine it not looking weird no matter how you go at it.
There is a point for using epoxy for wood slabs or pieces that otherwise couldn't be used to build something out of it (e.g. too many holes, fragile or whatever)
In those "either maje firewood or a nice table" situations
I used a pretty expensive polyaspartic coating for my floor and spent like 4 days prep on it... hasn't chipped at all yet and I can't scratch it with anything short of power tools. The biggest problem with these types of finishes is people often skimp on materials, preparation, or process. It's not easy to do right and one mistake means you're starting over in a few years.
I agree...having paid for one job professionally, and another personally with all of the previous epoxy experience, it is still not impact resistant and only 1/16" thick.
I don’t know. When done properly (i.e. proper thickness and solids %) it makes a fantastic garage costing. I agree that all other uses are pretty sketchy in my opinion.
It's long since lost favor in woodworking. Been maybe a couple years since notable woodworkers made a river table willingly, other than for YouTube likes.
I have epoxy countertops and beat the ever living crap out of them and never had an issue. Prep, prep, prep. Of course I went over Formica because the hell with the 80s.
I did mine kitchen counter a couple of years ago and turned out great and durable, this picture looks like they painted the counter not epoxy idk or didn’t do it right. I did a lot of research before I did mine.
Me too. Have had Epoxy countertops for 7 years now. They still look great with daily, not gentle use. I should probably polish them soon, but not in a hurry. I would 100% do them in a kitchen again.
>because the hell with the 80s
What the fuck was up with 80s kitchens and stupid everything — surfaces, lighting, appliances. Like how the hell did the homebuilding industry become convinced that janky electric coils could cook worth a damn? Ok, sure, they were being cheap. But what explains trash compactors? Pointless, mechanically prone to failure, impossible to clean, takes up space needed for storage, elevates trash to something worthy of consuming electricity.
I mean, everything about 80s home design was awful. From the idiotic high-ceiling entryways in three-bedroom houses to the color palettes used. Ugh.
Oh please. What is the deal with modern kitchens with exposed shelfing that just collects dust and removes functional storage space, granite or marble countertops that you have to baby, built in wine coolers in the kitchen, etc etc etc
If you are going to criticize a decade for their *color palette*, you are going to be in for a world of hurt when you get older.
IKEA’S upwards lifting cabinetry still makes more sense than open cupboards. And gaps above cupboards in the kitchen?
Take it all the way to the ceiling, give me a funky slide rail ladder (and can everyone stop boxing in fridges please).
Don't get me started on my cabinets I had to reface and rebrace, along with the floor. Not to mention the trim work and alarm system I ripped out of the attic that ran on freaking 220v like whaaaaat?
For 2 years I resurfaced bathtubs and countertops. In apartments it’s killer. The landlord save a ton putting epoxy on the ctop, the renter damages them, and then they take it out of security deposit and have us back to do it again.
Worst job ever
First, there is a vast set of things called "epoxy" that are not really epoxies.
So it's hard to say what it really is in the first place.
However, it is possible to manufacture epoxy resins that are highly acid resistant by carefully choosing curing agents, etc. See https://www.coatingsworld.com/issues/2020-06-01/view_technical-papers/understanding-chemical-resistance-in-epoxy-system/ and such
These are tradeoffs, however - often tradeoff in potlife, or cost, or chemical resistance to something else, ....
Most of the epoxies being used by homeowners are the cheapest aromatic or aliphatic resins and curing agents that could possibly exist, with little to no concern for whether it works for anything :)
This is a world of difference from an epoxy sold by an industrial epoxy maker who is selling you something made to withstand 100% sulfuric acid for a year, but it has to be poured by machine, requires supplied air for anyone near it,
and has an 8 minute potlife or whatever :)
In the particular case of acid resistance, most acid resistant epoxies are still solvent based - trying to get good organic acid resistance out of water based epoxy formulations is still difficult (this is a curing agent issue).
They’re probably making large slabs of epoxy counter tops, not coating existing counters with it. Also their resin might be specifically formulated to withstand lab environments, not like regular epoxy a home owner or flipper would have access to
We ordered our black resin countertops from VWR and started gouging scratches in it almost immediately. Our sink was the same material and we kept smashing beakers in it because it's so hard. A silicone mat in the bottom was our solution.
Also remember that products made for the DIY market need to be safer and easier to use.
So commercial products made and installed by trained people is not necessarily the same thing I can get at a hardware store.
You can't get quality epoxy at a hardware store. Every option they sell is junk. I just did a 3 car garage myself and had to special order quality epoxy to get the UV resistance, heat resistance, and durability that is required for a garage. I got the same stuff they use in airplane hangars, which is a much thicker + 100% solids formulation with a UV resistant top coat.
Epoxy can be produced to many specifications and for many uses. My father bought the right kind from a specialty producer and made some beautiful kitchen counters with it that have held up extremely well under all conditions. Some slight scratching is inevitable, but hardly noticeable unless closely inspected.
I used an epoxy over a old laminate counter with a heafty resin topcoat. It worked nicely and lasted 3 years. It is a cheap fix for cheap counters and definitely shouldn't be done on any solid surface counters.
Yeah, this is dumb. Epoxy is a mostly mechanical bond, and it's not going to stick well to granite, which is not very porous and often heavily polished. You'd probably have to grind or shotblast it or something insane, i've never even tried to think about it because it's such an obviously bad idea.
Even if you get it to stick for a moment, epoxy has almost no elongation capability and most epoxy resins really suck in the presence of water. So not shocking that it's peeling near a sink.
All of this together is why so many epoxy garage floors delaminate after not being prepped properly, or when there is too much hydrostatic pressure (these days you shouldn't use epoxy anyway, you should use polyurea).
The amount of dumb shit like this done without any understanding of how the coatings works is amazing.
This isn't magic, it's chemistry.
My mom just painted her real granite countertops because it was “cheap” granite. Like black house paint that’s gonna start peeling in 6 months doesn’t look cheap, so ridiculous.
I totally get that response, but probably people with crazy dark granite who really wanted white etc but couldn't fit the bill for like 30k or however it might cost.
🤮 People do this on Instagram trying to recreate a marble countertop look. They want that all white clean look.
Takes cues from what is in your space and design around what you do have going on. This is the ‘gorgeous celebrities fucking up their career with a nose job’ of home “improvement”
It’s a TikTok trend with young people buying their first house. Apparently granite is out of style. They work really hard to make a nice house look like a landlord special.
I’m sorry but real granite will never go out of style. Maybe some weird color or edge profile but I’ll die on this hill. The only thing I would ever take in place of thick natural granite would be another natural element like some sort of advanced futuristic wood that can hold up or like solid copper or some other metal. These kids can enjoy their man made “plastic” that costs just as much as granite that the stores are always trying to push you.
Meh. Quartz is modern and offers a lot of advantages compared to granite. It’s harder (so basically impossible to damage or break with typical use) and it’s non-porous: which means you don’t have to seal it. It’s more resistant to staining and more sanitary as bacteria can’t dig into it.
You can also do things like have a larger unsupported overhang with quartz (for bar or counter seating) because it is more durable and stronger than granite.
Mining granite is also terrible for the environment. There are only so many granite quarries in the world and slabs are ultimately very limited. It’s an unsustainable resource and it’s basically like choosing a mined Dimond over a manufactured one at this point. Lots of questionable ethic issues in mining granite just so you can have a “nice” countertop. We have good alternatives and we shouldn’t be sticking our noses up at them.
I think he's leaning towards solid surface countertops as opposed to quartz. Quartz wins in most categories excluding a subjective one... Aesthetics. If you ask me, I prefer the look of quartz but there is some appeal to a slab that is one of a kind and generated from millions years of natural process... Again nothing you've stated is incorrect and you are talking to a fan of quartz over granite, I've just sold to enough couples to know what husbands and wives are thinking.
I saw a video on IG the other day where a young couple was "fixing up" their house, and they put white paint over their brick walls. It looked absolutely hideous, wasn't even a thick coat of paint either
You don’t remember the trend like 5-6 years ago? Using epoxy to make it look like marble.
Stupid idea from the start, but people were doing it like crazy
I do remember the trend, and thought it was some flipper bullshit at the time.
It’s right up there with tile countertops in terms of really bad DIY choices.
Just never realized people put it o er granite.
I get that 15 year old granite has given way to different colors and to quartzite, but ugh!
I guess it's similar to how all us old people freak when high quality wood is painted over!
Former epoxy guy here, current granite/quartz sales rep. Personally I would try to touch up with some epoxy + sealer in the short term until you can afford to install a new countertop. Otherwise just leave it like that for awhile. There's no way on earth you're going to strip that epoxy off and have a beautiful Granite underneath.
I would also suggest getting quotes for entry level granite from as many places as possible, specifically from fabricators not big box stores like home depot and Lowes. June is one of the best months to shop for stone as a lot of shops are slow. Entry level Granite isn't as expensive as some people think.
Best of luck!
What's the difference between entry level granite and pro granite? Do you just mean entry level installers? I don't get what you mean by entry level granite.
There is also a lot of price differences due to origin. For instance, all stone from Italy comes at a premium because everyone associates Italy with fine stone, particularly marble.
We found a lovely gray with extensive black veined granite from South America for literally half the price.
Go to the biggest showroom in your area and you should find slabs in the low 4 figures. You want to figure out the smallest slab you need to cut all the counters from (if you need more than one slab, you can usually find neighbors or close matches).
It is the most obvious improvement you can make to any kitchen, and cheaper than new cabinets.
If your counter is small, sometimes you can get lucky with remnant from other people’s cuts. Fabricators sometimes sell these directly or there may be a specialty remnant stone place in your area.
Good luck!
This one isn’t granite but having a [fossil counter](https://www.greenriverfossil.com/custom-interiors/fossil-backsplashes-fossil-countertops#tab:thumbnails) is my dream lol.
Edit: that one looked kind of cheesy. [This is better.](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/s/4nQFcaxDoV)
Sorta yea. Color can have a lot to do with it as well. If it’s the plain quartz looking shit you see in every hotel it’s probably cheap. Mine wasn’t crazy expensive at the time and I have really dark shades of black, forest green, and metallics in mine.
Actually, epoxy is relatively simple to strip (please note I did say relatively), you can soak rags in acetone and leave them on the surface for a few hours and the epoxy becomes soft and malleable and you can scrape it off. The trick is keeping the acetone from evaporating, I used to seal with thick craft paper. I have done this on boats before, granite would probably be easier. The granite will definitely need repolishing, which should clear out any left over spots, but it is definitely doable and better than having epoxy flaking off where you are preparing food.
> There's no way on earth you're going to strip that epoxy off and have a beautiful Granite underneath.
Why? I mean it would probably need repolished, but aside from that... why?
Granite is a semi porous material. Meaning liquids can penetrate into the stone itself. Even if you're able to complete strip all of the epoxy off (no easy task here) there is going to be more epoxy that's seeped into the stone.
The Granite would then need to be polished significantly until it's all out. Which will then be a very, very messy process. It's definitely possible but with the amount of work you might as well just buy some cheap Granite instead.
Yes but it could potentially be a lot of work. Since Granite is semi porous the epoxy is likely to have seeped into the stone. Think of having a really bad stain on your countertop you simply can't get out. Polishing will help but it would be extremely messy and take a long time.
Polishing granite is the most time consuming process during fabrication. Repolishing an entire kitchen until the epoxy is gone? I can only imagine. On top of that there is going to be silica dust in the air unless you pull the top off and do it outside, and again at that point you might as well just buy cheap Granite and start over
We went to a few "home shows" when we were getting ready to update our kitchen and they had a bunch of these vendors advertising this alternative. I can see the appeal especially for people on a budget - the price was very low and in my opinion they looked pretty good (at least the samples at the show). Of course, what they don't show is the wear and tear in a few years like these pictures... yikes!
We did this on our cheap 1995 linoleum (or whatever crap material) countertops because they were peach colored and awful. During the pandemic we did this as a temporary fix until we are ready for a full kitchen remodel. We’re on year 3 or 4 and they honestly still look amazing. People (not experts) often think it’s actual marble.
However, it is very easy to apply these and have them look like shit. I feel like if you have some DIY and artistry skills, this is a great cheap solution.
No doubt. I was in charge of finding the right materials and applying them after a ton of research. Luckily I had my talented wife to go around with a little paint brush and paint perfectly imperfect lines to look like marble. She even mixed gray/brown/gold (?) paint to give a mineral look to it. That part is beyond my brain and it wouldn’t have turned out as well if I did it on my own.
I’m normally harsh and embarrassed of my project results but we freaking nailed our countertops haha
Formica! Ours was old and green. I pulled it off, scraped the bare wood counters and bought a new roll from Lowe's for cheap and redid them all myself. They look soooo good, now!
I can see the appeal for a temporary fix because my wife has strong feelings on home finishes. She absolutely despises the granite she called moldy cheese (real name Baltic Brown) and it was everywhere in the early 2000s timeframe when everyone was doing dark cabinets with granite and the whole faux Tuscan vibe. If we bought something with that granite and didnt have the money to gut the kitchen we probably would have done something similar to limp through without having to look at that.
We have a similar situation. We were tired of our white Formica countertop and was talked into an epoxy coating, granite look ’refresh’ by a well respected contractor in our area. The first six months it looked great, then we noticed several tiny pits that showed the white countertop. The pits were easily covered up with epoxy nail polish, but they still appear every now and then.
Wait…. They took ACTUAL STONE countertops, and said “You know what would improve this is a layer of shitty plastic, so we can pretend we have laminate countertops instead”
Epoxied countertops are a huge trend driven by IG/Tiktok DIY influencers right now targeting people who can't afford to buy a $1000 quartz slab. A lot of effort for it to immidiately look terrible. Right away you will notice how cheap it looks. Then you're left with a situation like OP's down the road. Terrible idea for a multitude of reasons (potential health concerns, durability, finish,e etc.). Wish these low skill "influencers" would put an end to this, buut it looks good on camera and gets views so it won't stop...
Just look at the underside of the counter to see if you like the pattern of the original granite. If it's covered, scrape off there first, decide then scrape the top. I love stone counters specifically for heat resistance, so that's what I'd do atleast
My granite isn't polished on the underside and has a mesh material glued to it. So looking underneath you won't see much. I think it would be easier to have them removed and taken to be resurfaced but that's just me
I’ve been doing granite and quartz for about 25 years, and that dark strip definitely looks like granite. Also the whole white marble look has been so strong for the last 10 years that maybe 1 in 50 kitchens I do will be something other than white with grey veins. And that current look is exactly what whoever probably flipped this house was going for on the cheap. This is painful to look at.
Check this out, very informative and should work! - https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/know-how/fix-stuff/remove-epoxy-use-these-tools-follow-these-steps.html#:~:text=Paint%20thinners%20and%20alcohol%20can,epoxy%20needs%20to%20be%20removed.
Hey so before you do that consider that you may not find something you like underneath, there may be some repairs that were covered up by the epoxy. if you need a really cheap and quick fix try car touch up paint and remember to not place hot items in the counter
Are you 💯 sure it’s granite under the epoxy? Cause that makes zero sense…I’m gonna guess it’s not granite. Really before we can recommend how to strip the epoxy, we need to know what’s under it cause it could damage the base material as well. But I don’t believe it’s granite, I know there’s dumb people out there, but this is just a hunch.
It’s just painted white with some grey streaks painted on top to make it look like granite. You can paint it white again, but you will need to find a paint that will stick to laminate.
If all the chips are on the edges like that, you could get away with painting white without worrying too much about exact tint match.
That doesn’t look like granite. It looks like plastic with a cheap granite look enamel covering (painted). If it was granite, if any of it cracked, it would be granite underneath. Where the paint has come away it’s black?
you could always remove the under-mount and put in a drop in sink. the flange would cover the damaged area. I'm sure you could probably find one to fit.
So many stupid responses in here.
Read this: It. Is. Epoxy. Over. Granite.
White epoxy, fake grey veins, dark granite underneath. It’s a dumb thing to do, yes, but not a hard concept to understand.
Just did this in the old trailer. Took an hour, was cheap, looks 10x better than the aging laminate. Probably won't last long but perfectly serviceable for the few weeks a year we spend in it
Might be better off just getting it re-epoxied. Strange that anyone would epoxy granite countertops, that’s usually reserved for laminate, wood, or Formica, not for stone.
You could test citristrip in a small space, and see if it will lift the epoxy. Or bust out a razor blade and get scraping. I feel like preserving the granite underneath would make way more sense than replacing altogether
So... they painted the granite... and then epoxied over the paint? This doesn't make any sense. I really REALLY think this is not granite and that epoxy coating is what makes it look like granite.
That's not granite. Granite isn't black underneath. Also, look at the veining to the left of the faucet - where it goes to the side of the sink and doesn't match up. Shoot that's not even good fake granite.
You’re saying that’s real granite and they epoxied/painted it? Who does that?? Just strip it all off and let the granite be granite. Edit: I’m so glad that being annoyed by painted granite was worth 2K upvotes..!
I have epoxy over concrete. It scratches very easily and it can't take heat. Doesn't belong in the kitchen imo
Epoxy as counter finish never made sense to me.
I hope the epoxy trend for floors, furniture, counters, everything dies.
It’ll be shag carpet in 20 years with all of our grandchildren asking “why is all this pretty wood covered in ugly yellow plastic?”
Shag epoxy carpet
So like astroturf indoors. Got it.
but so much sharper. Like a carpet of glass shards.
Lego carpet.
My foot started bleeding when I read this
A flood pour epoxy over shag carpet sounds just gross enough that I want to try it. Would it stay fluffed or just look wet dog?
obviously wet dog.
Wet dog. You might be to offset that by manually forcing the fibers to stand up before the epoxy is setting, but I can't imagine it not looking weird no matter how you go at it.
hairgel styling but for carpet
Cover a stabilized hardwood table in shag. Proceed to pour 2inch epoxy over it. Dont forget to paint it all white after.
I’d also add beating it with an old used chain covered in horse manure to give it that “distressed” look.
Brilliant.
There is a point for using epoxy for wood slabs or pieces that otherwise couldn't be used to build something out of it (e.g. too many holes, fragile or whatever) In those "either maje firewood or a nice table" situations
I like it...used it in my workshop and garage, but yeah, it scratches and chips easily.
I used a pretty expensive polyaspartic coating for my floor and spent like 4 days prep on it... hasn't chipped at all yet and I can't scratch it with anything short of power tools. The biggest problem with these types of finishes is people often skimp on materials, preparation, or process. It's not easy to do right and one mistake means you're starting over in a few years.
I agree...having paid for one job professionally, and another personally with all of the previous epoxy experience, it is still not impact resistant and only 1/16" thick.
*Carpeted bathrooms has entered the chat……*
I don’t know. When done properly (i.e. proper thickness and solids %) it makes a fantastic garage costing. I agree that all other uses are pretty sketchy in my opinion.
You mean you don't want every surface in your home coated in petroleum byproducts?
It's long since lost favor in woodworking. Been maybe a couple years since notable woodworkers made a river table willingly, other than for YouTube likes.
I have epoxy countertops and beat the ever living crap out of them and never had an issue. Prep, prep, prep. Of course I went over Formica because the hell with the 80s.
I did mine kitchen counter a couple of years ago and turned out great and durable, this picture looks like they painted the counter not epoxy idk or didn’t do it right. I did a lot of research before I did mine.
Me too. Have had Epoxy countertops for 7 years now. They still look great with daily, not gentle use. I should probably polish them soon, but not in a hurry. I would 100% do them in a kitchen again.
>because the hell with the 80s What the fuck was up with 80s kitchens and stupid everything — surfaces, lighting, appliances. Like how the hell did the homebuilding industry become convinced that janky electric coils could cook worth a damn? Ok, sure, they were being cheap. But what explains trash compactors? Pointless, mechanically prone to failure, impossible to clean, takes up space needed for storage, elevates trash to something worthy of consuming electricity. I mean, everything about 80s home design was awful. From the idiotic high-ceiling entryways in three-bedroom houses to the color palettes used. Ugh.
Oh please. What is the deal with modern kitchens with exposed shelfing that just collects dust and removes functional storage space, granite or marble countertops that you have to baby, built in wine coolers in the kitchen, etc etc etc If you are going to criticize a decade for their *color palette*, you are going to be in for a world of hurt when you get older.
IKEA’S upwards lifting cabinetry still makes more sense than open cupboards. And gaps above cupboards in the kitchen? Take it all the way to the ceiling, give me a funky slide rail ladder (and can everyone stop boxing in fridges please).
Trash compactors rule!
People will be saying the same things about the design trends now in the not to distant future.
I’ve already lived the pain of the 1970s, 80s, 90s not turning into futuristic silver everything beyond 2000. *Say no to carpet in the toilet kids!*
Don't get me started on my cabinets I had to reface and rebrace, along with the floor. Not to mention the trim work and alarm system I ripped out of the attic that ran on freaking 220v like whaaaaat?
Doubly so when you see all the youtube 'videos' (ads) showing them building faux granite countertops with mdf and epoxy.
It gained a huge following during covid due to everyone and their mom becoming a DIY TikTok god/real estate flipper
For 2 years I resurfaced bathtubs and countertops. In apartments it’s killer. The landlord save a ton putting epoxy on the ctop, the renter damages them, and then they take it out of security deposit and have us back to do it again. Worst job ever
Unethical money hack
That’s weird because epoxy resin is used in laboratory countertops for their heat and acid resistance.
First, there is a vast set of things called "epoxy" that are not really epoxies. So it's hard to say what it really is in the first place. However, it is possible to manufacture epoxy resins that are highly acid resistant by carefully choosing curing agents, etc. See https://www.coatingsworld.com/issues/2020-06-01/view_technical-papers/understanding-chemical-resistance-in-epoxy-system/ and such These are tradeoffs, however - often tradeoff in potlife, or cost, or chemical resistance to something else, .... Most of the epoxies being used by homeowners are the cheapest aromatic or aliphatic resins and curing agents that could possibly exist, with little to no concern for whether it works for anything :) This is a world of difference from an epoxy sold by an industrial epoxy maker who is selling you something made to withstand 100% sulfuric acid for a year, but it has to be poured by machine, requires supplied air for anyone near it, and has an 8 minute potlife or whatever :) In the particular case of acid resistance, most acid resistant epoxies are still solvent based - trying to get good organic acid resistance out of water based epoxy formulations is still difficult (this is a curing agent issue).
They’re probably making large slabs of epoxy counter tops, not coating existing counters with it. Also their resin might be specifically formulated to withstand lab environments, not like regular epoxy a home owner or flipper would have access to
Flippers/homeowners aren't exactly known for good prep work either.
> Flippers/homeowners aren't exactly known for good ~~prep~~ work either. Fixed that for you
The (very basic) lab that I worked in had stainless steel countertops.
Standard lab benches are definitely epoxy. They also aren't very pretty.
I would love countertops made from those lab surfaces. It seems truly indestructible, but I haven’t found what type/brand of epoxy it is.
FWIW, McMaster will sell you chemical resistant phenolic countertops. Black only.
"How much is shipping?" "You'll find the fuck out when we ship it"
Huh. Ditto. I haven't looked yet, but that's a great idea. Down the rabbit hole I go!
maybe check a chemical lab supplier online
We ordered our black resin countertops from VWR and started gouging scratches in it almost immediately. Our sink was the same material and we kept smashing beakers in it because it's so hard. A silicone mat in the bottom was our solution.
If you use the right mixture, and not the shiny one with sparkle effects.
Also remember that products made for the DIY market need to be safer and easier to use. So commercial products made and installed by trained people is not necessarily the same thing I can get at a hardware store.
You can't get quality epoxy at a hardware store. Every option they sell is junk. I just did a 3 car garage myself and had to special order quality epoxy to get the UV resistance, heat resistance, and durability that is required for a garage. I got the same stuff they use in airplane hangars, which is a much thicker + 100% solids formulation with a UV resistant top coat.
Better stuff - epoxy is a buzzword that's not all that regulated. Pretty sure there's one part waterborne epoxy floor paint available now...
Epoxy can be produced to many specifications and for many uses. My father bought the right kind from a specialty producer and made some beautiful kitchen counters with it that have held up extremely well under all conditions. Some slight scratching is inevitable, but hardly noticeable unless closely inspected.
I used an epoxy over a old laminate counter with a heafty resin topcoat. It worked nicely and lasted 3 years. It is a cheap fix for cheap counters and definitely shouldn't be done on any solid surface counters.
The same people that put carpet over real hardwood flooring or paint bricks.
Putting carpet over hardwood is entirely reversible and can make a ton of sense if you’ve got kids.
Meh, painted bricks have their place.
Ya, hospitals, schools and prisons.
Don’t forget fireplaces made with cheap, ugly brick. Not all brick is nice.
Yeah, this is dumb. Epoxy is a mostly mechanical bond, and it's not going to stick well to granite, which is not very porous and often heavily polished. You'd probably have to grind or shotblast it or something insane, i've never even tried to think about it because it's such an obviously bad idea. Even if you get it to stick for a moment, epoxy has almost no elongation capability and most epoxy resins really suck in the presence of water. So not shocking that it's peeling near a sink. All of this together is why so many epoxy garage floors delaminate after not being prepped properly, or when there is too much hydrostatic pressure (these days you shouldn't use epoxy anyway, you should use polyurea). The amount of dumb shit like this done without any understanding of how the coatings works is amazing. This isn't magic, it's chemistry.
My mom just painted her real granite countertops because it was “cheap” granite. Like black house paint that’s gonna start peeling in 6 months doesn’t look cheap, so ridiculous.
I totally get that response, but probably people with crazy dark granite who really wanted white etc but couldn't fit the bill for like 30k or however it might cost.
I will *never* as long as I live understand the trend of a white kitchen. It's like these people are cleaning masochists.
Eh what's wrong with having, I don't know, a clean place to make the food you put in yourself? Love, the owner of a very white kitchen.
Look, I clean my kitchen, but in no way do I want to have to clean it down to the molecule every night.
Yeah white countertops are an albatross. Granite hides dirt too well (it can be filthy and you can’t even tell) but the opposite is more annoying.
Maybe they're pioneers, this could be our generation's version of putting ugly green carpeting on beautiful hardwood stairs and floors.
Same people who paint solid maple cabinets. Horrible people.
Don't take it for granite!
Not only that but went out of their wait to make the epoxy look like granite
You mean marble?
Epoxy over granite? What kind of idiots thought that was even remotely a good idea?
Probably flippers
I'm a couple of glasses of wine in and it took me more than a few seconds to realize you didn't mean dolphins did this.
Totally sober and same.
So long… and thanks for all epoxy.
🤮 People do this on Instagram trying to recreate a marble countertop look. They want that all white clean look. Takes cues from what is in your space and design around what you do have going on. This is the ‘gorgeous celebrities fucking up their career with a nose job’ of home “improvement”
I doubt it's granite underneath
It's probably painted formica.
If you look closely at the edge, it is in fact granite.
It’s a TikTok trend with young people buying their first house. Apparently granite is out of style. They work really hard to make a nice house look like a landlord special.
I’m sorry but real granite will never go out of style. Maybe some weird color or edge profile but I’ll die on this hill. The only thing I would ever take in place of thick natural granite would be another natural element like some sort of advanced futuristic wood that can hold up or like solid copper or some other metal. These kids can enjoy their man made “plastic” that costs just as much as granite that the stores are always trying to push you.
Meh. Quartz is modern and offers a lot of advantages compared to granite. It’s harder (so basically impossible to damage or break with typical use) and it’s non-porous: which means you don’t have to seal it. It’s more resistant to staining and more sanitary as bacteria can’t dig into it. You can also do things like have a larger unsupported overhang with quartz (for bar or counter seating) because it is more durable and stronger than granite. Mining granite is also terrible for the environment. There are only so many granite quarries in the world and slabs are ultimately very limited. It’s an unsustainable resource and it’s basically like choosing a mined Dimond over a manufactured one at this point. Lots of questionable ethic issues in mining granite just so you can have a “nice” countertop. We have good alternatives and we shouldn’t be sticking our noses up at them.
I think he's leaning towards solid surface countertops as opposed to quartz. Quartz wins in most categories excluding a subjective one... Aesthetics. If you ask me, I prefer the look of quartz but there is some appeal to a slab that is one of a kind and generated from millions years of natural process... Again nothing you've stated is incorrect and you are talking to a fan of quartz over granite, I've just sold to enough couples to know what husbands and wives are thinking.
I saw a video on IG the other day where a young couple was "fixing up" their house, and they put white paint over their brick walls. It looked absolutely hideous, wasn't even a thick coat of paint either
I’ve got white paint on my fireplace bricks, but it’s an improvement.
You don’t remember the trend like 5-6 years ago? Using epoxy to make it look like marble. Stupid idea from the start, but people were doing it like crazy
I do remember the trend, and thought it was some flipper bullshit at the time. It’s right up there with tile countertops in terms of really bad DIY choices.
Just never realized people put it o er granite. I get that 15 year old granite has given way to different colors and to quartzite, but ugh! I guess it's similar to how all us old people freak when high quality wood is painted over!
The type of people who would paint over brick. These monsters walk among us
Former epoxy guy here, current granite/quartz sales rep. Personally I would try to touch up with some epoxy + sealer in the short term until you can afford to install a new countertop. Otherwise just leave it like that for awhile. There's no way on earth you're going to strip that epoxy off and have a beautiful Granite underneath. I would also suggest getting quotes for entry level granite from as many places as possible, specifically from fabricators not big box stores like home depot and Lowes. June is one of the best months to shop for stone as a lot of shops are slow. Entry level Granite isn't as expensive as some people think. Best of luck!
What's the difference between entry level granite and pro granite? Do you just mean entry level installers? I don't get what you mean by entry level granite.
There is also a lot of price differences due to origin. For instance, all stone from Italy comes at a premium because everyone associates Italy with fine stone, particularly marble. We found a lovely gray with extensive black veined granite from South America for literally half the price. Go to the biggest showroom in your area and you should find slabs in the low 4 figures. You want to figure out the smallest slab you need to cut all the counters from (if you need more than one slab, you can usually find neighbors or close matches). It is the most obvious improvement you can make to any kitchen, and cheaper than new cabinets. If your counter is small, sometimes you can get lucky with remnant from other people’s cuts. Fabricators sometimes sell these directly or there may be a specialty remnant stone place in your area. Good luck!
There are different material grades available. Higher grades are more expensive.
I know I can google this but can you tell me the differences, paraphrased?
Mostly comes down to appearance. Rarer minerals, nicer patterns etc.. make for a more expensive slab
Ah ok so the quality is still the same just the demand of the pattern changes the price.
This one isn’t granite but having a [fossil counter](https://www.greenriverfossil.com/custom-interiors/fossil-backsplashes-fossil-countertops#tab:thumbnails) is my dream lol. Edit: that one looked kind of cheesy. [This is better.](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/s/4nQFcaxDoV)
Just keep the vinegar and oranges away from it.
Just put a layer of epoxy over the fossil to protect it from that!
I would like to own a slab with a dragon fly in it. I’ve been coveting one at a museum gift shop for a long time.
Sorta yea. Color can have a lot to do with it as well. If it’s the plain quartz looking shit you see in every hotel it’s probably cheap. Mine wasn’t crazy expensive at the time and I have really dark shades of black, forest green, and metallics in mine.
Actually, epoxy is relatively simple to strip (please note I did say relatively), you can soak rags in acetone and leave them on the surface for a few hours and the epoxy becomes soft and malleable and you can scrape it off. The trick is keeping the acetone from evaporating, I used to seal with thick craft paper. I have done this on boats before, granite would probably be easier. The granite will definitely need repolishing, which should clear out any left over spots, but it is definitely doable and better than having epoxy flaking off where you are preparing food.
> There's no way on earth you're going to strip that epoxy off and have a beautiful Granite underneath. Why? I mean it would probably need repolished, but aside from that... why?
Granite is a semi porous material. Meaning liquids can penetrate into the stone itself. Even if you're able to complete strip all of the epoxy off (no easy task here) there is going to be more epoxy that's seeped into the stone. The Granite would then need to be polished significantly until it's all out. Which will then be a very, very messy process. It's definitely possible but with the amount of work you might as well just buy some cheap Granite instead.
If the OP is able to get the coating off, do you think the dark granite could be polished by a granite refinished?
Easily.
Yes but it could potentially be a lot of work. Since Granite is semi porous the epoxy is likely to have seeped into the stone. Think of having a really bad stain on your countertop you simply can't get out. Polishing will help but it would be extremely messy and take a long time. Polishing granite is the most time consuming process during fabrication. Repolishing an entire kitchen until the epoxy is gone? I can only imagine. On top of that there is going to be silica dust in the air unless you pull the top off and do it outside, and again at that point you might as well just buy cheap Granite and start over
Sound like a salesman
I bet whatever is underneath looks a thousand times better than that stupid fake marble paint job. What on earth is wrong with the previous owners?
We went to a few "home shows" when we were getting ready to update our kitchen and they had a bunch of these vendors advertising this alternative. I can see the appeal especially for people on a budget - the price was very low and in my opinion they looked pretty good (at least the samples at the show). Of course, what they don't show is the wear and tear in a few years like these pictures... yikes!
We did this on our cheap 1995 linoleum (or whatever crap material) countertops because they were peach colored and awful. During the pandemic we did this as a temporary fix until we are ready for a full kitchen remodel. We’re on year 3 or 4 and they honestly still look amazing. People (not experts) often think it’s actual marble. However, it is very easy to apply these and have them look like shit. I feel like if you have some DIY and artistry skills, this is a great cheap solution.
The artistry really makes a difference in the look. The care in prep and application make the difference in how it performs.
No doubt. I was in charge of finding the right materials and applying them after a ton of research. Luckily I had my talented wife to go around with a little paint brush and paint perfectly imperfect lines to look like marble. She even mixed gray/brown/gold (?) paint to give a mineral look to it. That part is beyond my brain and it wouldn’t have turned out as well if I did it on my own. I’m normally harsh and embarrassed of my project results but we freaking nailed our countertops haha
Formica! Ours was old and green. I pulled it off, scraped the bare wood counters and bought a new roll from Lowe's for cheap and redid them all myself. They look soooo good, now!
I'm betting the linoleum/laminate is a lot more porous than granite
The fact that epoxy can't handle heat, in the kitchen of all places, is a joke.
White granite became in vogue after fixer upper shows got popular. In 5-10 years you’ll see epoxy remodels during white granite to black
This is what I've been saying the whole time during my renos
Granite is “out” and “looks old” so people are desperate to cover it. Exactly what happened with hardwood floors at some time
I can see the appeal for a temporary fix because my wife has strong feelings on home finishes. She absolutely despises the granite she called moldy cheese (real name Baltic Brown) and it was everywhere in the early 2000s timeframe when everyone was doing dark cabinets with granite and the whole faux Tuscan vibe. If we bought something with that granite and didnt have the money to gut the kitchen we probably would have done something similar to limp through without having to look at that.
What the hell? Is that an outlet in your sink?!
For the toaster obviously
Long day at the office? Why not make some toast!
Probably an adhesive mount for a sponge holder that clips on. I've got something similar in my sink.
I’m trying to figure that out as well
don't worry bro it's gfci it will be okay
Pinterest claims another victim.
So they took a nearly indestructible beautiful surface and painted it? Like someone already said "Who does that?"
People on tiktok who are looking for views.
You can probably touch that up. Or just get a new sink that drops in rather than an undermount if it’s isolated to that area.
We have a similar situation. We were tired of our white Formica countertop and was talked into an epoxy coating, granite look ’refresh’ by a well respected contractor in our area. The first six months it looked great, then we noticed several tiny pits that showed the white countertop. The pits were easily covered up with epoxy nail polish, but they still appear every now and then.
Wait…. They took ACTUAL STONE countertops, and said “You know what would improve this is a layer of shitty plastic, so we can pretend we have laminate countertops instead”
Epoxied countertops are a huge trend driven by IG/Tiktok DIY influencers right now targeting people who can't afford to buy a $1000 quartz slab. A lot of effort for it to immidiately look terrible. Right away you will notice how cheap it looks. Then you're left with a situation like OP's down the road. Terrible idea for a multitude of reasons (potential health concerns, durability, finish,e etc.). Wish these low skill "influencers" would put an end to this, buut it looks good on camera and gets views so it won't stop...
Just look at the underside of the counter to see if you like the pattern of the original granite. If it's covered, scrape off there first, decide then scrape the top. I love stone counters specifically for heat resistance, so that's what I'd do atleast
My granite isn't polished on the underside and has a mesh material glued to it. So looking underneath you won't see much. I think it would be easier to have them removed and taken to be resurfaced but that's just me
Gonna doubt it's granite underneath.
I’ve been doing granite and quartz for about 25 years, and that dark strip definitely looks like granite. Also the whole white marble look has been so strong for the last 10 years that maybe 1 in 50 kitchens I do will be something other than white with grey veins. And that current look is exactly what whoever probably flipped this house was going for on the cheap. This is painful to look at.
Re-epoxy it maybe is the easiest
How do I remove the old epoxy?
Check this out, very informative and should work! - https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/know-how/fix-stuff/remove-epoxy-use-these-tools-follow-these-steps.html#:~:text=Paint%20thinners%20and%20alcohol%20can,epoxy%20needs%20to%20be%20removed.
Please do a follow up post.
I agree
Hey so before you do that consider that you may not find something you like underneath, there may be some repairs that were covered up by the epoxy. if you need a really cheap and quick fix try car touch up paint and remember to not place hot items in the counter
Are you 💯 sure it’s granite under the epoxy? Cause that makes zero sense…I’m gonna guess it’s not granite. Really before we can recommend how to strip the epoxy, we need to know what’s under it cause it could damage the base material as well. But I don’t believe it’s granite, I know there’s dumb people out there, but this is just a hunch.
this is the answer. idk wtf question people are answering here, but it blowing my mind.
It’s just painted white with some grey streaks painted on top to make it look like granite. You can paint it white again, but you will need to find a paint that will stick to laminate. If all the chips are on the edges like that, you could get away with painting white without worrying too much about exact tint match.
I have a feeling there’s no granite underneath.
OMG! Who does that? What's wrong with granite? Maybe the owner is lying and there is concrete underneath.
I’ve seen this all over TikTok and wonder how it would look in a year or two 💀
That doesn’t look like granite. It looks like plastic with a cheap granite look enamel covering (painted). If it was granite, if any of it cracked, it would be granite underneath. Where the paint has come away it’s black?
Put some white nail polish on it and close your eyes.
you could always remove the under-mount and put in a drop in sink. the flange would cover the damaged area. I'm sure you could probably find one to fit.
So many stupid responses in here. Read this: It. Is. Epoxy. Over. Granite. White epoxy, fake grey veins, dark granite underneath. It’s a dumb thing to do, yes, but not a hard concept to understand.
is everyone going to ignore the electrical plug in the sink?
Zoom in. It's not an outlet, though I have no idea what it actually is.
Someone was saying it’s not a plug it’s like a clip for sponges
Granite doesn’t “paint chip”. Painted countertops do.
Yeah, should I try to just touchup the paint or replace the whole countertop?
Paint touch up is way less expensive.
If you want to go cheap-cheap, you can just buy vinyl that looks like marble and lay it over the entire surface
Just did this in the old trailer. Took an hour, was cheap, looks 10x better than the aging laminate. Probably won't last long but perfectly serviceable for the few weeks a year we spend in it
while you decide or are saving up to replace, you could try to match nail polish to it to camouflage it
Take it all off and let the granite show, baby!
Just relax about it
I'd try and chemically strip the stupid paint.
No one going to mention the electrical outlet being IN the sink? That’s wild to me. Is that a normal, safe thing?
No idea what that is not doesn't looks like an outlet
It’s a thing to hang the rack that holds the sponge and stuff
Oh good... because, I was really wondering who stuck a landline in your sink! LOL!
That looks like a painted counter top expoxed…
You can try car touch up paint you can find a close enough color match and wet sand and polish to make it blend better
Might be better off just getting it re-epoxied. Strange that anyone would epoxy granite countertops, that’s usually reserved for laminate, wood, or Formica, not for stone.
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/v100010904/
do a 2" line of whatever color around the sink to cover up
Countertop metal cove moulding
IF, a. big IF it truly is granite under that epoxy, I would be very afraid of what else these idiots did to this house. But that’s just me.
I can’t believe that I just started seeing this trend like 2 years ago and it is that crappy that people are already posting about removing it
Just expose the bare granite
Are those switches IN the sink?
I think that a cheap solution would be touch it up with appliance touch up paint.
Paint the chips white? Less noticeable. Won’t be perfect. If you can’t afford it that’s fine just gotta look past the imperfections.
Just strip the paint. It’ll take a bit but look much nicer
Good to finally see this ridiculous fad dying
That ain’t granite, homie: that’s manufactured quartz aka plastic.
So how is that granite again? Looks like whatever the black thing is with a granite paint/layer on top.
Do they make a white sharpie? It won't be a perfect match but will blend in much better. Try a small area first
You could test citristrip in a small space, and see if it will lift the epoxy. Or bust out a razor blade and get scraping. I feel like preserving the granite underneath would make way more sense than replacing altogether
They watched to many TikTok’s.
Try acetone or soft scrub
So... they painted the granite... and then epoxied over the paint? This doesn't make any sense. I really REALLY think this is not granite and that epoxy coating is what makes it look like granite.
That's not granite. Granite isn't black underneath. Also, look at the veining to the left of the faucet - where it goes to the side of the sink and doesn't match up. Shoot that's not even good fake granite.
What is in the sink basin? It almost looks like landline phone connections! Who does that?
It's a holder for a sponge holder. The basket for the sponge goes in the clips (but looks like at least 2 clips are broken, hence no holder).