How to Protect Your Counters During Kitchen and Bath Renovation - Pt 2

[Continued from Part 1]

Wipe Up Spills Quickly

You've heard this one before. To take good care of a stone countertop, (really, any countertop) then wipe up spills quickly. Why? This is because sealant isn't perfect. Not only can some substances eat away at your countertop sealant, but some stains can eventually seep through if allowed to sit long enough. Most things will not stain a sealed countertop, but leave a coffee ring long enough and it will become permanent.

When it comes to the materials, you'll be using for your renovation like paint and finish, always, always, always wipe up spills as soon as they happen. For something thick or potentially damaging, dab inward so that soaking up the spill and wiping it away does not spread the size of the spill over your countertop surface. Use a damp, lightly soapy cloth and finish with counter-safe scrubbing powder like borax or Barkeeper's Friend. Even glossy wall paint can be fully wiped off if you move fast enough.

Tape Over a Plastic Sheet Before Painting

That said, all this worry about drips can be avoided with a single plastic sheet and a little bit of tape. Plastic sheeting is essential for many renovation projects. It can be used as a drop cloth over any surface or hung from the ceiling to help control dust during major construction changes. To protect your counters, lay a drop cloth over the surface. You can fold or cut it to fit. Then tape the drop cloth down and make sure it curves all the way around the underside of the countertop lip.

Use another line of painter's tape underneath the lip so that you can paint the lower cabinets without risking paint on the underside of your slab. Then secure the top set of tape to the backsplash to provide a secure pull over the surface. Tape the seams of the bottom layer to the counter. If you overlay pieces to wrap your entire countertop, tape the seams together as you go.

This will keep your countertops safe when painting upper cabinets and when you use the counter to hold your buckets of paint, finish, and chemical cleaners.

Cover Countertops in Sheet Styrofoam or Corrugated Cardboard

You can also use other kinds of padded and protective materials to guard your countertop while you DIY the rest of your kitchen renovation. Some brands actually sell corrugated cardboard pieces designed to fit over countertops for the renovation project. Or you can make your own from boxes that once held renovation supplies or simply layer unfolded Amazon boxes over the top and tape them in place. We've also seen sheet styrofoam - the soft kind that comes in rolls - used effectively to protect new countertops during a kitchen build.

Beautiful Kitchen and Bath Renovations

Most DIY renovations involve paint and screwdrivers as your primary tools. Some of the most breathtaking kitchen transformations we've seen have started with installing a new farmhouse sink into the existing lustrous natural stone slab. If you have a beautiful countertop that will soon become the centerpiece of your kitchen or bathroom renovation, these tips will help you keep your stone (and your newly installed farmhouse sink) in beautiful condition while you finish the rest of your renovation project steps.

Renovating Your Kitchen and Bath with Edesia

If you are planning a beautiful kitchen or bathroom renovation, you can trust Edesia Kitchen & Bath to bring your vision to life and protect the features you already love. After all, kitchen and bath transformations are what we do best. Explore our online gallery for inspiration and contact us to start building your renovation plans.