Do-it-Yourself: Formica Painting

Clear off the kitchen countertop and remove nearby furniture or wall decor. Open the windows in the room for ventilation and turn on the ceiling fan if you have one.

Wipe a damp rag over the Formica for a quick pre-wash. Mix approximately 3/4 of a cup of bleach with 1 gallon of warm water. Dampen a rag in the bleach mix and wipe the countertop. Wait 5 minutes for the bleach to penetrate the surface and break down grease.

Sand the Formica in even sections using 120-grit sandpaper. Start sanding one side of the counter, working towards the other side. Sand firmly enough to partly remove the Formica color and expose the material underneath.

Grip a tack cloth in the palm of your hand and wipe the Formica to remove the sanding dust. Use a duster brush to remove sanding dust from countertop corners.

Apply blue painter's tape to the walls and backsplash directly next to the Formica. Tape around the edges of the sink and stove. Unfold canvas drop cloths and cover the floors below the Formica.

Insert a paint brush into a container of primer and prime the Formica countertop edges meeting the backsplash, sink and stove.

Dunk a 4-inch foam roller into a paint tray of primer. Starting on one end of the counter, roll the primer onto the Formica, leaving a thin layer. Allow the primer to completely dry.

Inspect the primed Formica for dried air bubbles. If necessary, sand the surface again to remove tiny bubbles and debris leftover from the foam roller.

Mix epoxy paint resin and hardener in a bucket, according to the manufacturer's directions. Epoxy paints are extremely durable and suitable for painting Formica kitchen countertops.

Dab the end of a paint brush into the epoxy paint and paint around sink and wall edges.

Dip a clean 4-inch foam roller into the bucket of epoxy and paint the Formica. Apply the epoxy in even roller sections, working in one direction. Allow the epoxy to dry and apply a second coat if necessary.