Epoxy Countertop
When I planned to finish the bathroom in my basement, I knew I didn’t want to spend a fortune considering this bathroom would rarely get used.
The vanity I wanted was $1200. There was no way I could justify that. So my solution was to put my DIY skills to use and build one myself.
Follow along with me, and I will show you how I did this epoxy countertop for less than $100.
Materials needed
1” MDF 4x8 sheet
4L ecopoxy
ecopoxy black pigment
ecopoxy pigment -sandstone color
ecopoxy white pigment
stain blocking primer
foam roller
heat gun
3 paint sticks
Cut the MDF to size.
I cut my MDF to size. My countertop was going to be 5’ long x 21”deep. I cut two pieces this size and double stacked them and glued them together.
you do not need to double stack yours If you don’t want to. I did because I wanted to create the look of a thicker countertop.
I glued mine together and clamped them and allowed it to dry overnight.
Prime your MDF
I primed with two coats of Zinsser BIN stain blocking primer. Priming helps to seal the MDF and by priming you will get less air bubbles coming through when you do the actual epoxy flood coat.
Also, be sure your MDF sits level on your work surface, so when you pour your epoxy it doesn’t all run off one side.
Elevate your Countertop to allow the epoxy to run off and coat the sides. I used some 2x4 cut offs under mine.
Mix Epoxy
For the size of my countertop, I needed just under 4L of epoxy. I used Ecopoxy. I poured 2L Of resin and 2L Of hardener into a plastic pail and mixed it up.
Be sure to measure exactly the same amount of part A (resin) and part B (Hardner) or your epoxy won’t cure properly.
Mix it together before adding pigment, so you can ensure it’s properly mixed. It will become crystal clear when it’s mixed fully.
Be sure to scrape the edges and bottom of the container while mixing. With my volume of epoxy, it took me about 7 minutes to mix.
Once it’s crystal clear, I added a few drops of white into it, and mixed thoughly.
For the lines on my counter I chose to use black and a sand color, I poured a small amount of epoxy into so small plastic dishes, and Mixed some pigment into them.
pour flood coat
pour the white epoxy over the primed MDF. I also pour some resin in the small dishes that I put the coloured pigment in.
When your pour out the epoxy do not scrape the sides of the container to try get out every last drop. No matter how good you mix, there will always be some that stuck to the side that was not mixed and if you scrap the container you may end up with spots on your final piece that don’t fully cure.
Use your foam roller to spread out the epoxy. Once you have it all spread out, go over the entire piece with your heat gun to pop any air bubbles
Add the details
Once your flood coat is on, let it sit for about 5-10 min before adding the detail, this will allow the epoxy to cure slightly and that way all your detailing you add won’t run off as much.
The white epoxy will run off the edges. I simply dipped my stir stick into the white and color pigments and then moved it along over the countertop creating lines. Make sure when you do this you start and end off of the piece. Periodically use your heat gun to pop bubbles along the way.
Once you are happy with how it looks, check back on it for the next while and If you see any air bubbles come through pop them with your heat gun. I also scraped off the drips on the bottom as it cured.
There really is no wrong way to do this. However it ends up looking will be beautiful.
Leave this untouched for 24 hours to allow it to cure fully.
Admire your new countertop
I absolutely love how this counter top turn out. This is the second one I have done and I can’t wait to do another.
if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. I Will try my best to answer them. If you enjoyed this post, please be sure to leave a kind comment in the comments section.
Also, be sure to follow along with me on INSTAGRAM, where you can also find a time lapse video of the complete process in my highlights reel.
Cannot wait for our next DIY together
xo
Amber