Skimstone Countertop Transformation: Step One

I’m taking you along with us on our journey to transform our laminate countertops with the Skimstone concrete overlay system.  After calculating the amount of product we would need on the Skimstone website, we ordered everything from DiscountPaint.net (search for Skimstone). The materials arrived just in time to get two full weekend work days in.

We prepped the area by cleaning the countertops thoroughly and covering the cabinets and floor below.  The backsplash area above the countertops wasn’t a problem since it is being replaced as well.  The first step in the application process is to apply the bonding primer.  There is no mixing of materials required in this step, you simply gently stir the product and dump a small amount on the countertop and use a trowel to smooth it on.  The bonding primer is a highly textured sandy consistency.  Here are the countertops after one coat of bonding primer:

We have rounded edges, so it was a little difficult to apply there.  The instructions recommend using a plastic bag held taught and rolled over the edges, but I ended up smoothing most of it on with foam brush. We let this coat dry for a few hours and then sanded with 220 grit sandpaper.  That was LOUD!  Then we began to apply the second coat of bonding primer.  You can also see that we floated the sheetrock with a layer of joint compound in preparation for the new tile backsplash.  I’ll add a coat of primer before installation.

At this point we were getting a little worried because we were running low on the primer…I added a little bit of water to increase the amount and was able to stretch it out enough to cover all the countertops.  

We were unsure here about the coverage, because the second coat wasn’t quite as complete as the first.  A mini-panic attack and desperate run to Lowe’s may have been involved (FYI, they do not carry a product similar to the bonding primer).

But I convinced hubby that as long as every surface had at least some bonding primer on it, we would be okay.  So we proceeded to do another sanding and used a small scraper to knock off any rough or high areas.   You want to get it as smooth and even as possible, because any uneven areas will show through when you apply the Skimstone layer.

Coming up next, the colored Skimstone layers!  Stay tuned!

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