How To Make A Stunning Sturdy Granite Contact Paper Countertop Makeover (2023)

NOTE: One year update at the bottom of this post.please readbefore starting!

Refreshing a cling-paper countertop is a popular way to cover up an old, ugly countertop without breaking the bank. Granite contact paper is typically used because it resembles real granite countertops, and while it looks fantastic when done right, it comes with a variety of inherent problems. Well, we'll show you how to fix almost all of them in one go! And if you're looking for other great cheap repair ideas, check out ourFrugal DIY bedroom makeover ideasit is oursStylish living room ideas on a budget.

We also completely remodeled our master bathroom, including restoring the counter with contact paper.
Check >>>>>>Magisches Dark Sea Bath Makeover

PROBLEMS WITH A CONTACT PAPER COUNTERTOP

1. seams. There's no avoiding seams, and even with pattern matching, they tend to show. With granite paper, you can't match the patterns and more appear. To accept.
2. Water can get into the seams.If you do, they will start to peel.
3. It's easy to damage because it's paper.You can't cut anything in a kitchen or put it hot in it. No curling iron can harm you in the bathroom.
4. The edges are peeling.If your countertop has a straight edge like the one below, the paper will easily peel off where it sits if someone rubs it.
5. Take care.You just need to be careful, it can be damaged by sharp objects or slightly discolored.

These are some pretty important questions considering the amount of work you're putting into putting things together. And it takes good work. But we found a way to make it stronger and more durable. You still can't put extremely hot stuff on it or cut it, but water and flaking shouldn't be an issue, which is the biggest problem in a bathroom.

TO USE: This is best done in bathrooms, mainly because you can't cut or put hot things even with our method. However, if you are really careful when cooking, go for it!

Glossy water-based polyurethane finish.As it is water-based, it does not damage contact paper. Seal the seams and edges to keep water out. Protects the surface and all your hard work. The only kind I found is linked below and is made by Rust-Oleum. Little things have a big impact. It's a little pricey, but we use it for all sorts of things, like my contribution to building aLarge home office desk. Buying it in the two-bedroom package can save you nearly $15.Of course this is optional.You can handle your contact paper very carefully. But if you have kids or just don't want to bother with extra care, then you don't have to use it. But if you have edges like mine on your counter, I would still suggest gluing them together somehow, as they find a way to peel just by leaning against them.

FYI It makes one more thing permanent. You cannot easily remove the paper later. I would have to sand it down a bit to get the shine off.

NOTE: When companies found out that people were using granite backing paper to cover counters, they raised the price of this type, making it a bit more expensive. Buy enough to cover your counter. If you're using a pattern that you can match, you'll need more. My little workbench "hardly" made a roll.

• granite contact paperin anotherpaper of your choice.
• faca X-Akt
• Gartenstock
• Vinil Rakelor something with a very soft edge to press. A credit card works!
• cut with scissorsS
• Rust-Oleum water-based polyurethane high-gloss, wear-resistant finish(This is by far the best deal)normal trimester
• Good qualityBrushor foam brush. If you are working on a larger area, you can use a foam roller.

This job can be done in one day and ready to start the next day, but you need to start early.so that you can apply all layers of varnish.

how long did it take me
(I've never done this before.)

Vanity panel for small bathrooms:2 hours
clean coat:1 day due to the 2 hour drying time between each of the three coats.

If you decide not to varnish, grab one of our free reminders to print and/or frame and place on your counter. Their printed photos are at the end of the post. Different sizes!

1. Scrub and wipe the countertop thoroughly and wipe with a clean, dry cloth. You want to make sure nothing is left over so the contact paper doesn't stick to the surface.
2. When someone helps, it goes much faster and the paper is easier to handle.
3. This project requires patience. If you rush it, you'll ruin it.

This is what our bathroom looked like before we repainted the walls. The house must have been rented because at some point they painted over the wallpaper. Sad but true. At the time we were looking for a quick fix, so we sanded it down a bit, plugged the holes and applied a fresh coat of paint. Eventually we will redo the entire bathroom the 'right' way and also replace the vanity, but for now we were looking for a quick and cheap facelift.

Here the walls were painted. But the gauge still needed some work. It looked like a previous owner had painted the countertops as well. It wasn't a bad job, but they turned everything over, including the metal part of the splash guard.

I considered what to do and finally decided I would paint the metal parts metallic silver.I chose the Martha Stewart metallic silver because it looks so close to the real thing.

I glued everything together with masking tape.

I probably didn't have to do the interiors as they would have been painted anyway, but I was thorough.

I painted two coats of silver paint all over the trim and let it dry between coats.

It got much better in my opinion.

Now it was time to start on the bench. I grabbed my roll of granite tracing paper.

The pieces will need some measurement, but for larger areas, just unfold and that's it. Again, your surface must be spotless and free of soaps, etc. so that the paper sticks well.

The trick is to make sure there are no bubbles and also when you roll it out. Use a credit card or something similar to make things easier as you go.

When you reach the sink, gently press the area around the sink. Because our sink had a lot of curves, we could only go so far and then we had to start cutting small slits that would allow us to push the paper closer to the sink. Cut a large hole for the sink, making sure you have enough paper to work with on all sides.

Watch me cut the paper and move on. Eventually, you may run out of paper and need to sew. I didn't because my gauge was too short. If you need to make a seam, you can decide in advance where it will fall for godless purposes.

Once I had my paper on the counter, I went back and did the detailed work on the rest of the sink. I make small cuts with my X-acto knife, halfway down and NOT FAR, just enough to allow me to slide the paper around the edge of the sink and curve it as shown.

Again, you don't want bubbles. This may require some lifting and repositioning. It takes patience and time. Slow down.

You want your paper folded next to your sink.

More cuts to allow for the curve. Again, don't go too deep.

extra cut.

Go to the other side.

The vanguard.

The paper wasn't deep enough to go to the back where I thought I'd rather have my seam than a vertical seam in the sink. I decided this would show a lot less.

I cut a piece of paper slightly larger than the area and moved it around to see where the pattern is "best". Keep in mind that granite may not match exactly.

Then I put it in place and rubbed it.

My piece would eventually need a seam. I decided that just behind the veneer was perfect.

Once in place, I carefully cut it with my penknife.

I cut and added the pieces for the backsplash and trimmed and joined where needed.

Now I was ready to cut the sink. I cut it a little high at first.

So I went back and cut where I wanted. You'll notice that my sink has a brown area where it was sealed years ago. I intend to reseal it, so that's fine.

I bought a DAP waterproof acrylic latex silicone tube.

I drew a bead around my sink.

As it is water based, I wet my fingerluz.

So I smoothed it out. Don't use too much water or you will dilute it too much.

If you get it wrong, you can quickly wipe it off with a damp cloth and add more.

Be sure to wipe off any excess material with a damp paper towel.

I now have a prettier border for my sink.

Now I have to cut the pieces to get to the edge of my counter.I cut them bigger and added them.

Corners like these are tricky and problem areas unless the contact paper is sealed with something, as they tend to lift up when you lean against them.

Then I cut the sides.

More clipping.

As an extra precaution, I applied some clear glue to the corners.

Now comes the piece that will make your new countertop durable. The clear conclusion.

I applied a light coat of this everywhere on the counter where I placed the paper.

Make sure you brush it evenly. Allow to dry for 2 hours or until no adhesion. I then added another layer, dried as before, and added another. After the last coat is applied, allow it to cure and harden for 24 hours!

You now have a beautiful new countertop that will last you a long time.

Here are some close-ups to show the details.

The stitching is noticeable, but due to how the human eye works, most people won't see them unless you point them out!

Observe-osone year updatebelow for a problem with parting lines and possible solutions.

You can use this humorous poem to put on your counter or stick it on your mirror if you don't use varnish. Or even with him!

Here's a more standard reminder. Both are a free download at the top of this post.

March 3, 2018
It's been a year since I covered my countertop and I wanted to give it an update. In general, the lining held up perfectly, even on the sides where it had separate stripes. The only problem is that my only seam, which I placed in the back where it would be least visible, is mostly split and slightly raised in a small stitch. It's almost like it's shrunk... although the shorter piece to the left of the sink still looks good. I'm not sure why this happened but I would suggest where you have seams you might need to use some sort of glue and paint a strip where the seams meet...before putting the paper down. But it's just a suggestion and I haven't tried it yet.

The seams look more or less like the design on the self-adhesive paper, but when you pull them apart, they get worse... and dirt gets in because there's no lining where they're pulled apart. When I first noticed this I should have added a stripe from the sheer coat I wore. That might have helped. Anyway... I'm still pretty happy with it. I will ask about this on some forums.If you have any suggestions, please send them to me!

From a distance it doesn't look so bad.

Another section. You can see on the right that it's a little way off.

This is the worst place and it's CLOSE UP which obviously makes it even better. But I wanted you to see. Maybe I didn't press it down or I didn't cover it well enough in the seam.

But as you can see it's still good overall and I'm really happy with it.

Countertop finished in contact paper!