Skimstone Countertop Transformation: Step Three

I’m taking you along with us on our journey to transform our laminate countertops with the Skimstone concrete overlay system.  See STEP ONE HERE and STEP TWO HERE.

The final step in the Skimstone Concrete Overlay process is the liquid sealer topcoat.  Make sure your surface is completely smooth before applying the sealer by sanding with 220 grit sandpaper before hand.  I then wiped down the countertops with a dry rag and a tack cloth.

It looks a lot like skim milk!  The directions say to use a floor finishing pad, but the one we bought from Lowe’s was leaving tiny little hairs behind, so I just used some t-shirt rags.  I poured a little at a time on the countertop and smoothed it around, making sure not to leave any milky white areas that would leave build-up.

You can lightly sand in between coats, but I only sanded areas where there were imperfections (ie dust or lint). 

Each coat dried pretty quickly, and I did 5 coats.

Applying the sealer really brought out the richness and depth of the color.  The flat, dullness went away, as did the ashy grey hue that I was worried about.

It may be hard to tell in the photos, but the sealer gives the countertops a satin finish (not glossy).

The countertops look like they have a lot of texture to them, but they are completely smooth to the touch.

Overall, I am really happy with the way they turned out!  I know they will really look stunning when we get our new backsplash and sink installed and all my accessories are back on the countertops. 

I’ll try to post a few before and afters tomorrow and give my full review, hints & tips next week.

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