10 Countertop Cover Options to Try at Home

Tile

Tile is great for covering all kinds of surfaces—walls, floors, and showers—and it has long been used to cover countertops, as well.

Glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles are the most stain- and heat-resistant. They come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors. Natural stone tile also works well, but must be sealed periodically to protect against stains.

Tile can be installed directly on top of the old counters as long as they are flat and stable enough to prevent the new tile from cracking. If your counters can accommodate a little extra thickness, it's best to start with a layer of 1/4-inch cement board and lay the tile over that.

Tile is highly durable and easy to clean. However, the grout joints are prone to staining and collecting grime. To minimize stains and deep-set dirt, seal the grout immediately after installing the tile and re-apply the sealer every few years.

Resurfacing Kit

Countertop resurfacing kits use epoxy-like paint and decorative stone chips to create the look of natural stone. Most kits are designed to replace old laminate counter surfaces.

Refinishing kits come with most of the items needed to cover a standard-size countertop, including the front edge and, if desired, a 4-inch backsplash.

The process is straightforward and non-technical but involves hard work, sanding, and careful attention to detail. One downside of countertop resurfacing kits is their price, which often ranges from $250 to $350.

Laminate

Laminate countertops that have square edges can be covered with a second layer of laminate. Laminate is sold in sheets up to 5 feet wide and 12 feet long.

To apply laminate to a countertop, cut the sheets slightly oversized and glue them down with contact cement. Trim the edges flush to the old counter with a router or laminate trimmer.

If your countertops have a raised and rounded edge, often called a waterfall edge, you can't cover them with new laminate because it's impossible to get the new material to conform to the edge contours.

Skim Coat Concrete

Many homeowners love the look of concrete slab countertops but aren't up for the highly labor-intensive installation of a cast-in-place slab. But you can get the same look and feel of solid concrete by coating your old countertop with thin coats of cement-based floor leveler or flooring underlayment.

After roughing up the old counter surface with sandpaper to ensure proper adhesion, apply multiple thin coats of cement leveler using a trowel or a drywall knife. The final coat of cement needs a food-grade sealer (and wax, if desired) for a shiny finish that cleans easily and resists stains.

A faux-concrete cover isn't exceptionally durable and may be prone to scratches and stains. But it's an easy, inexpensive option for those who love the concrete look.

Countertop Film

Countertop film is a thicker, tougher version of contact paper or shelf paper. It's more like a cross between vinyl flooring and shelf paper, and it has a self-adhesive backing for sticking directly to the old counter surface.

Installing countertop film is much like applying contact paper. Lay out the film, trim it to rough size, and align it to the countertop's edges. Apply the film incrementally, using a squeegee tool to work out the air bubbles.

Countertop film is a short-term solution but can be an effective quick cover-up.

Wood Overlay

If you've always wanted butcher block or are drawn to the beauty of a real wood countertop, now's your chance to have it. You can cover your old counters with wide planks of solid hardwood or even hardwood or bamboo plywood.

Solid hardwood is more durable and repairable than plywood. Bamboo offers the best of both worlds. This material has a thicker top layer than plywood (for durability and repairs), and it comes in 4-by-8-foot sheets, just like regular plywood.

This custom makeover requires woodworking skills and tools. After installation, the wood must be thoroughly sealed or oiled for moisture resistance.

Spray Paint

Spray-painting your countertop is not only fast, but it produces a smooth finish that brush or roller painting cannot match. Spray painting works well for laminate countertops and other surfaces that can be scuffed down with sandpaper. Spray paint can last years on low-impact surfaces such as bathroom counters.

Paint your countertop much like painting plastic. Lightly sand the countertop with fine-grit sandpaper. Clean off the dust. Then, spray on at least three or four coats, allowing each coat to fully cure before the final coat.

Modular Granite

Modular granite, sometimes called granite or stone overlay, is a system of small, thin slabs designed to cover old countertops. Instead of standard 12-inch-square stone tiles, modular pieces cover the countertop's entire front-to-back distance (counter edge to backsplash).

Modular granite pieces are about 16 to 18 inches wide, meaning fewer joints between pieces than with ceramic tile. Special pieces are made for inside and outside corners, as well as optional edge pieces.

A significant downside of modular granite is its availability. Since modular granite isn't a thriving industry, finding a supplier may be difficult.

Contact Paper

Contact paper is typically used as a quick cover-up on shelves. But it can be repurposed as a quick, highly inexpensive countertop cover.

Contact paper costs from $0.50 to $1 per square feet. Hundreds of colors, styles, and patterns are available, and most aren't meant to duplicate countertop materials. So, while you may find marble, concrete, or granite, you can just as easily find solid colors, florals, and linen textures.

Peel-and-stick

Peel-and-stick countertops are like contact paper: inexpensive, easy to apply, but temporary.

To install, clean the countertop well, stick the material to the surface, and cut off the excess with a razor blade.

One advantage of peel-and-stick over contact paper is that it's designed to mimic countertop materials. So, you'll find marble, granite, gold, soapstone, concrete, and other popular materials in peel-and-stick format.

Twelve linear feet of peel-and-stick (24 inches deep) costs around $70 to $80.