| I was sick and tired of that white tile bathroom | | | | surface. |
| counter top with it's deep green grout. It was | | | | After filling them once again, this time when it dried, |
| outdated and ugly. | | | | the surface was finally flat. (Small price to pay for a |
| I wanted to give it a new surface without removing | | | | big lesson learned). And this is why WE do the test |
| any tiles, creating a lovely sand stone finish right over | | | | projects so you don't have to go through dilemmas |
| the existing tile. After a bit of internet research, I | | | | such as this. |
| found the products and information needed to do | | | | Once the surface was completely dry, I used my |
| just that. | | | | handy electric hand sander to smooth the surface. |
| Janice Faulkner of "Faux Effects" gave me easy | | | | The product was very easy to sand which pleased |
| instructions when I contacted her and asked her how | | | | the tar out of me! Natural looking pits and skips |
| to create a hard, limestone finish over the top of my | | | | remained in the surface. |
| existing (disgusting is more the word) tile counter top | | | | After sanding, I vacuumed up the debris, gently |
| in my main bath. | | | | wiped the surface and then mixed up a light colored |
| Here are the steps: | | | | neutral brown glazed and dabbed it over the surface |
| I cleaned the counter top well and then wiped it with | | | | with a brush, immediately blotting the section with a |
| pure white vinegar to give it a bit of extra "tooth". | | | | dry terry towel. |
| I taped off the wall, molding and sink with blue | | | | Wanting additional "depth", I reapplied the color to |
| painters tape. | | | | just certain areas for more variation. Again, blotting |
| I primed the surface with "Prime Etch" from Faux | | | | as I went. |
| Effects. I let it dry overnight. A high quality primer | | | | I let the color dry then applied two coats of "Aqua |
| would work just as well. | | | | Guard" Satin Sealer from Faux Effects. |
| Using a gloved hand, I smoothed on "Aqua Stone" | | | | My bath counter now looks like REAL Sandstone and |
| from Faux Effects. | | | | I couldn't be happier with the final results of the |
| Leaving the surface rather "bumpy", I let it sit for a | | | | project. |
| few moments and then used a plastic scraper to | | | | The ugly tiles are gone, I didn't have to chip them |
| smooth the surface. The action of smoothing left | | | | out, clean up the mess, lay down new tiles and grout |
| natural pits and "skips" that made the surface appear | | | | them, I simply applied a product and finished it the |
| to be real stone. | | | | way I wanted to in order to give my bath the look I |
| I let it dry. The next morning, I noticed that I could | | | | was after. |
| still see the grout lines. So I filled them again with | | | | Now that I have done it myself, there's a particular |
| Aqua Stone, again smoothing as before and let it dry. | | | | Formica counter top in our home in Idaho that I had |
| Once again, the grout lines showed through making | | | | planned to completely replace. I no longer will. I'll do a |
| me realize that it would have been better if I had | | | | beautiful stone finish instead thanks to the wonderful |
| filled the grout lines FIRST, letting them dry then | | | | products at Faux Effects and to Janice Faulkner for |
| applying a single coat of Aqua Stone over the entire | | | | her assistance with this make-over. |