DIY Countertop Refinishing Before and After with Daich SpreadStone Kit

Daich SpreadStone Mineral Select after panoramic

Daich SpreadStone Mineral Select Countertop Makeover –

Countertop refinishing may seem like a daunting task, but I can assure you ANYONE can update their own ugly laminate countertops with this SpreadStone Mineral Select countertop kit from Daich.

*Daich Coatings provided the two kits needed for this project. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Daich SpreadStone Mineral Select Countertop Kit - before and after

What Can I Do About My Ugly Laminate Countertops?

As many of you who follow our social media know already, I’m on a mission to rid my house of all the dreaded honey oak. It’s everywhere in my house. The trim is honey oak. The cabinets are honey oak. The floors are honey oak.

See all the HONEY OAK!

honey oak kitchen before countertop refinishing project

I liked the honey oak twenty years ago when I selected this home (which is a manufactured/modular home). It was the “in” thing in 1999, but I’m no longer digging the orange glow of honey oak.

I started painting bathroom cabinets over the summer to see what color I wanted to use on the cabinets in the kitchen. I will eventually have a full post on the process of painting cabinets.

I thought my existing countertops would be okay with gray cabinets. The former countertops were a moss green with flecks of gray. I thought that would not clash so much with gray cabinets, but I was wrong.

moss green countertops before Daich countertop refinishing kit in natural white

My kitchen has about 59 square feet of countertop space because of a large island in the center, so replacing all my countertops was not an affordable option. I researched several DIY countertop refinishing kits before deciding Daich Coatings was the best option for my kitchen countertop needs.

My kitchen is a heavy traffic area in a home where seven real people live. After scouring the web, reading about other people’s experiences with Daich products, and watching videos, I knew the SpreadStone kit would be able to hold up under the heat and traffic demands of my kitchen.

The color I chose was Natural White because I wanted something very light since my kitchen does not have good natural lighting. The SpreadStone Mineral Select kit comes in several other great options.

What Do I Need to Refinish Countertops with Daich?

The Daich SpreadStone Kit comes with all the products (base coat, stone coat, and clear coat) as well as everything you need to apply the product (paintbrush and roller, sandpaper, mask, paint tray, etc.). However, there are some additional products that will make the job easier.

You should have painter’s tape, paint stirrers (buy this huge pack of paint stirrers on Amazon), and drop cloths on hand. Dollar Tree has $1 clear plastic drop cloths that work very well. While I was completing this project, I wasn’t so worried about protecting my floors perfectly because I hope to be replacing the flooring within a few months.

I did cover the newly painted upper cabinets with plastic while I was sanding because I did not want to have to wipe all the dust off of them later. My son said all the plastic made our house look like “they found E.T. living here.” Aren’t you impressed with his knowledge of movies from the ’80s?

The Daich countertop kit comes with one sheet of 80 grit sandpaper to scuff up your old countertops a bit and to sand the stone coat. Whether sanding by hand or with a sander, you will likely want more sandpaper than one sheet.

I highly recommend you use an orbital sander. I purchased a cheap orbital sander from Walmart for this project. It was under $20, and it saves a ton of time and effort.

You can refinish your countertops with a Daich Spreadstone Mineral Select Countertop kit without the use of an electric sander, but I think you will be far happier if you use a sander.

How Do I Apply Daich SpreadStone to My Countertops?

I’m not going to rehash every detail of applying the SpreadStone kit to your countertops. The kit comes with a detailed list of instructions. There are also instructions on the Daich website and lots of videos of the process online. I will be posting my own video to our YouTube channel once I make edits. Be sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss this video and others.

The basic process for refinishing your countertops with Daich are as follows:

  • Clean and prep your surfaces. Patch any damaged spots on your laminate. Sand all surfaces with 60-80 grit sandpaper. Tape off edges to protect nearby surfaces. Wipe away dust or debris.
  • Roll on two coats of base coat, waiting the recommended length of time in between coats.
  • Roll on two coats of stone coat, waiting the recommended length of time in between coats.
  • After the stone coat has been left for 24 hours, sand the stone coat to desired smoothness.
  • Sweep up all dust and wipe all surfaces with a damp cloth.
  • Apply two coats of clear coat, waiting the recommended length of time in between coats.
  • Allow clear coat to dry for at least 24 hours.

Important Update: I wanted to mention something because it came up as a question in the comments. After the initial sanding of my old countertops, they felt slicker to the touch. I knew my sander was working because it was making dust, but the counters felt so smooth, I was afraid the stone coating would not adhere. I called the company, and it was the owner who answered. He assured me the stone coating would stick just fine because some people use this over marble even with no issues. He was right!

sanding Daich Mineral Select Countertop stone coat

While I don’t feel the need to cover every minor step of the process when the included instructions are quite thorough, I will go over a couple of tips from my personal experience with this product and share some aspects of the project that were unique to our home.

These are just a few things I learned:

  • Don’t be alarmed if the base coat barely covers at all on the first coat. It’s not meant to cover completely. It’s like a primer.
  • Also, don’t be alarmed if the base coat is not the color you want for your countertops. The base coat was a very yellowy beige on my countertop. That made me a little worried. Just remember, it’s only meant to be a primer. It’s not the final color.
  • You should also plan ahead for feeding yourself and your family during the time you will be completing this process. We did our countertops in two sections, so we could use half the kitchen while completing the work on the other half.
  • When covering the second section of countertops, we were without a stove and a sink in our kitchen for nearly 48 hours. We have an additional small kitchen in our basement (because my daughter and her husband who were married in high school live there), so we were not completely without a kitchen at any point, but you need to plan ahead for the time you will not be able to use your counters.
  • In hindsight, doing this project a few days before Christmas might not have been the most opportune time, but I’m extremely glad to have it finished going into the new year. And I LOVE IT! It was definitely worth any kitchen inconvenience.

Applying Daich SpreadStone to Countertop Trim

If the trim on your countertops is in good shape, you will just apply directly to your trim. You can repair any damaged spots according to the instructions included in the kit.

Our trim had so much damage that we decided to remove all the trim entirely rather than patching the damaged places. This product can be applied directly to unfinished wood, so I knew it would work.

We’ve had ongoing issues with the trim in this kitchen. The laminate trim was always just slightly larger than the surface it covered, so that extra bit of overhanging laminate would get caught on people’s clothing and tear away. This caused bits of the trim, especially on the island, to break off while the house was very new.

I was afraid this would continue to happen if I covered the existing trim, so we just removed it all. You can remove it fairly easily if you heat it with an iron. I used a piece of parchment paper between the iron and the surface.

After removing the trim, I cleaned the glue away with rubbing alcohol and sandpaper. I filled the small gap between the boards with Bondo and sanded that a bit once dry.

I used the sander to round out the sharp corner between my trim and my countertops before applying any product. I learned this from other YouTubers who said the stone coat is easier to work with if your corners are not so sharp because it becomes difficult to sand a very sharp corner without removing too much of the coating.

I love the way the product worked on my trim. I can already tell it’s drastically more sturdy than our prior trim situation. There’s no longer overhanging laminate to get caught and rip away.

DIY countertop refinishing after photo of kitchen sink

Should I Remove My Sink While Refinishing My Countertops?

Removing your sink is really a matter of personal preference. I wanted the most professional look I could achieve, and I believe removing the sink gives you better results because you aren’t messing with taping around the sink and trying to get a smooth edge with that.

Even though it’s a bit of extra hassle to remove your sink, I believe you will be more satisfied with your overall longterm results if you take the extra trouble to remove your sink, but that’s just my personal opinion.

How Many People Does This Countertop Refinishing Project Require?

ONE! I am a female of average height (though much shorter than my daughters) and probably slightly below average physical strength. I completed the entire application of this Daich SpreadStone Mineral Select kit on my own!

My husband did remove the sink for me, but I could have taken care of that too after watching a couple of YouTube videos.

All of the steps required for this Daich countertop kit are very simple. They do not require any special skills or prior knowledge. If I can do it, you can definitely do it!

Daich SpreadStone Mineral Select Countertop Refinishing Final Results

We absolutely love these countertop resurfacing before and after final results. I think the photographs really speak for themselves.

Daich SpreadStone Mineral Select Countertop Refinishing - panoramic

Though we originally believed we would need to update the flooring to match the cabinets and countertops as soon as possible, we are now reconsidering that. These countertops have somehow made us like the floors.

I think it’s all the different colored flecks in the stone coating. Because there are coppers and tans along with the grays, whites, and blacks, it somehow ties in the flooring with the rest of the kitchen, and the honey oak floor is actually growing on us again.

We also love the way the flecks of copper complement the weathered, rusty patches on the galvanized barn metal we used to cover three sides of the island and the backsplash behind the stove.

Daich countertop refinishing kit - after clear coat close up photo

We may still update the flooring in a few months, but I’m thrilled that it looks better than expected during the interim.

The Daich countertops clean up very well. We made a huge mess while making gingerbread houses, and all the green and red icing wiped right off the countertops. I also love that the variations in the flecks of color seem to camouflage the crumbs that are always hanging out around the toaster.

making gingerbread houses on newly refinished Daich Natural White SpreadStone countertops

I used my Instant Pot the other day without any issues, and I had my crockpot sitting on the counter for 3 days while I was making bone broth, and the prolonged heat had zero effect on the new countertops.

We are extremely happy with our “new” kitchen!

Please don’t hesitate to comment below with any questions that I might not have answered about this entire process. Stay tuned for our post on painting the cabinets!

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By InsomnoMom

Mom of Four. Faith, Family, Frugality, Fun, Freedom, & Food. Follow us @ TheHouseThatNeverSlumbers.com where the fun never rests!

27 comments

  1. Hi there. I love how your cabinets look. How are they in terms of stains since they are light? I have white cabinets and very dated dark granite. The granite is an eye sore, but it doesn’t stain. Do these clean up well in terms of stains? My kids aren’t always careful. Thanks for any info.

    1. The cabinets haven’t been bad on stains. I really wanted white, but I was afraid to go with that because my kids and the dog are messy. You do have to be careful with the cabinets for the first 30 days because the Heirloom Traditions Paint isn’t fully cured until 30 days, so it can’t be washed. Once it’s cured, you can wipe them with warm water and Dawn, and they clean up well. The stone coating on the countertops has been fine other than a few small places that I missed with the clear coat. The raw stone will definitely stain if not coated. In hindsight, I should have used another round of clear coat to avoid that. I had plenty of clear coat left to do another coat, but I didn’t want to take the time after being without my kitchen for a few days. I should have taken the extra time.

  2. Hi! We just used Spreadstone to re-finish the stained concrete vanity top in our master bath. Love the way it turned out, but sometimes water rings are forming on it and I worry that I’m going to ruin the finish by cleaning it wrong. What’s safe to use to clean the finished counters? Are disinfectant wipes ok? A vinegar based cleaner? All-purpose spray cleaner?

    1. I’m very sensitive to chemical cleaners, so I basically clean everything in my house with warm water and Dawn or straight vinegar. Have you tried a magic eraser on the rings? So far, I’ve been able to get any spots I thought were stained to clean up with a magic eraser. Another trick that works for me is cleaning with a used dryer sheet. I save all the dryer sheets in a bag in my laundry room and use them to wipe down counters and sinks/showers. They have just the right amount of abrasiveness.

  3. Hi! I am looking at doing this in my kitchen and am wondering about how much product to get. The kit covers 35 square feet and I measured mine at 36. I don’t want to buy a whole second kit for 1 square foot. Do you think there is more product than advertised just to be safe? Thanks!

    1. I can’t really say for sure, but I suspect you will be fine with one kit. I measured my countertops before starting, and they are 59 square feet. I had two kits. I still have one unopened can of the base coat and an unopened can of the clear coat. The only product that I opened all the cans of was the actual stone coating, and I have just shy of 1/2 a can of the stone coating left. The stone coating is very thick, so you use the most of it. I applied it very generously on both coats. Some people may use more than I did, but some may use less, depending on how heavy handed they are with the product. The FAQ on the Daich website says a kit will cover 30-40 square feet, but they suggest people plan on 30 square feet just to be safe. With my personal experience, I believe there was enough to cover closer to 40 square feet. Let me know how it turns out. I would love to see pics.

    2. Hi there. We to are looking to redo counters once we are finished with our cabinets. Does the top coat create a super smooth surface?

      1. The topcoat does not make it super smooth. It’s definitely not smooth like glass. The countertop stone coating has just a tiny bit of texture after the topcoat is applied. It feels similar to an orange peel. At first, I was concerned that would make it difficult to clean, but my fears were unfounded. It cleans right up with a washcloth.

  4. Your countertops look great! How do you like the texture of the refinished countertop? I’ve read from others that it is slightly textured, not totally smooth. I’m wondering if it will effect rolling out cookie or pie dough, pizza crust, etc. HAS THAT BEEN AN ISSUE AT ALL?

    1. Thank you. The counters have a little bit of texture. They’re not smooth like glass but not rough like you would expect of stone either. The stone coating is not porous once it has the clear coat on it. Maybe the surface feels a little like an orange peel. I did have some trouble when I made gingerbread, and I ended up switching to a rolling cart we have with a butcher block top, but I had to add more flour even on that surface to get my dough to work, so I’m not sure if it was actually my new counter surface or just that I had my dough too sticky at first. It’s been fine for making pizza crust.

      1. iF YOU WANT IT SMOOTH LIKE GLASS AND THAT LOOKS LIKE REAL GRANITE YOU NEED TO USE PROFESSIONAL GRADE PRODUCTS AND SAND DOWN VERY WELL BEFORE YOU APPLY THE CLEAR COAT. CHECK THIS PICTURE OUT: (link deleted)

  5. I’m so glad that I found your website! I have been thinking of doing this in our kitchen but wasn’t sure if it would really be as great as claimed. Your results look amazing though so i’m inspired. 😉

    1. Thank you so much! It’s really not difficult at all. I’m planning to refinish the countertops in my basement kitchenette with a Daich stone coating kit eventually as well. I just have to finish painting all the trim in my upstairs to match the kitchen first.

      1. My formica counterTops are not scuffing, sanding is making them smoother!! Is it necessary to scuff it? Please help!!

        1. That’s exactly what happened to mine. The counters felt slicker after sanding, but I could see dust, so I knew it was actually sanding them. I called the company and spoke with the owner. He assured me it would be okay because people use this over marble, and it still adheres well. The stone coating worked fine. They are still holding up perfectly for me.

  6. It looks awesome. I’ve been thinking about doing something like this. I want to start with two bathrooms and practice there first.

    1. Thank you! I started with two bathrooms as well before refinishing the kitchen. It was definitely the best plan because I learned a lot from practicing, and it helped me decided on a color for the kitchen.

    1. The updated countertops have made a huge difference in the look of my whole kitchen (which is basically open to the entire rest of the house). I really want to refinish the countertops in my master bathroom next, but I might take a break to overhaul my mostly-unused coat closet with pantry shelving first because I don’t want to put my crockpots and stuff back in the kitchen now that it looks so clean and uncluttered for the first time ever.

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