Why You Should NOT Do Epoxy Resin Countertops [Do THIS Instead]
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 19 авг 2020
- Here is why I will never again do an epoxy resin counter...
In this video, I'll talk about:
- How to apply epoxy resin (1:37)
- The troubles with epoxy resin (bugs, stippling, unevenness) (8:00)
- What I did to fix my epoxy resin pour (Polycrylic saves the day!) (15:00)
9 mistakes to avoid video: • AVOID THESE 9 EPOXY PO...
#EpoxyResin #Epoxy #Polycrylic
Four words: Stone Coat Countertops Tutorials. First, I saw RUclipsrs do it the way you would use normal resin for an art project. THEN, I watched Stone Coat Countertops videos that showed the CORRECT way to install an epoxy countertop. I am so glad that I found their videos before I attempted to take on this project.
You said it !!!..... she watched the wrong masters. She didn't prime the wood with epoxy before painting.... she didn't tape the edges to let the overflow drip down the edges. Don't know why she painted that way.... she gotta watch the stone cold way like you said!!!!
@@paulwong8046 I just came to comments to say why did she use paint.
@@sirchad9443 ...she watched the wrong tutorials...lol
and how she got almost million views? did she buy it?
and this video is the reason youtube hides dislikes now... so "youtubers" like her could cheat...
YESSSSS!!! I love them!
MUY buena calidad, el texto imagenes. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO Un manuel muy completo y trabajado. Resulta muy práctico. Para principiantes y profesionales. Lo recomiendo
I have been remodeling homes for over 30 years now. One thing that I can tell you, is that we all fail, all the time. And through our failures, we learn what DOESN"T work. I fix a lot of stuff that is screwed up by another person's failure, or simply because of normal wear and tear. Sometimes I just stand there and scratch my head wondering what I'm going to do to make it right. But when I'm in that situation, the first things that come to mind are: I know for sure this or that won't work because I've tried it before and it failed. So over time, we learn through trial and error what definitely won't work. And that leads us on a path to explore other options. That's how we learn the most important lesson: MATERIAL & METHODS. But through our failures, come great success.
Failing sucks.... No doubt .... But , one learns just as much ...or More , failing . Now saying that , somebody that does the same thing day in and day out , wouldn't agree , as they rarely come up against anything different than they ( or other's in the same field ) do the same thing day after day ...( take drywall mudders etc .)
But for those of us ( I too , have been doing home renos for about 30 years ), there is usually something different/way of doing things on most every jobsite .
There is a lot of " custom " work being asked for , or things that that homeower changes after you've already done half that particular thing , and one is often faced with how to keep going forward vs tearing the new things out and starting over .
And having the experience to how to do that , make you a good reno guy , but having the experience/knowledge to know what " won't " work ( not wasting any more time etc ) , makes you a great Reno guy .
In rocket companies it's commonly cslled failing upwards
@@hankkingsley9183 We say fail often, fail fast.
We needed the voice of wisdom, many thanks
@@renoguy25 Very well said. I know exactly where you're coming from.
Refreshing to see someone share fails so honestly. I struggle with my failures and it's nice to actually see that I am not alone.
I found this video quite refreshing tbh, I haven't seen many people post their fails and try to find the reasons for it. Chiefly because they dont wish to appear inexperienced or look silly. I like people that are honest and prepared to put themselves and their reputation on the line in the hope that others won't make the same mistakes. I like people that keep it real, for this reason and a bunch of others I have subscribed.
Agree. Doing art is all trial and errors. Have to learn from it, but little Tip coming from a professional artist,... also do test 1st. on something small and keep doing it until you get it the way you want it to look. It will save you $$$ in the long run. Make sure to do as much research that you can do before you try it. We all fail sometimes and learn from it. Hopeful it works sometimes and we remember to write it down, how we did it. :)
I agree it was great she posted her fail but unfortunately she blamed the product for her failure when that is not exactly true. She did not do the proper research into the epoxy she used to see how it would perform in this situation. And to believe a stick lighter instead of a torch is inexcusable when she claims she is an experienced DiYer.
I have poured both of my bathrooms and my kitchen. I just did a 200 sq ft pour for a customer and have another scheduled this month.
You Must Use A Quality Product!! I use DiamondCoat epoxy and I guarantee it does not stain. My bathrooms have been poured over a year and they still look brand new. I dont baby them either.
To say not to use epoxy and say it stains is extremely unethical and unprofessional if you dont have the proof to back it up. Epoxy is a fabulous product and works as its supposed to when used correctly.
@@rondakelly2125 great post! Her epic failure is hers and hers alone - not the product!
@@rondakelly2125 I would love to see your bathroom counters if possible! I want to do both of mine but I am hesitant! I need some encouragement that it could turn out as wanted. How long have you been doing these? Thanks in advance!
Agree
We learned more from this “fail” than if you had covered up your mistake and let is believe everything turned out perfectly. I have more respect for you as a result. Thank you and keep on trying new stuff. We learn a lot, good or bad.
The red stains after sanding is the blood from the bugs that were embedded in the epoxy. The white shiny spots are the white paint you put over the bugs in the epoxy that you sanded down. The reason your countertops stained is because you have to seal the sanded epoxy with another thinner coat of epoxy, because the sanded epoxy is porous after you sanded it.
lol that is as straight forward as you can be.
I feel bad for people that make videos about everything and put them on RUclips. Sometimes it’s best to keep to yourself your mistakes
Haha omg! What bug would leave thar much blood and not all bugs even have blood..especially red blood! And it would be brown in readon. What a crazy suggestion...lol not in anyway way is that bugs blood... haha omg!
Hahaha! I don’t know why but this comment made me laugh so hard!!😂😂😂
Thank you for sharing your fails with us, it absolutely helps to know what to donor not do🌹
@@marikiemarie7622 Minnesota's state bird is the mosquito.
@@opluence Kentucky's is the house fly.
11:22 if you don't want a glossy finish, then you should apply a matte topcoat. Sanding and then applying a top coat will also eliminate any dust or foreign particles in the epoxy. It'll also help stop staining.
Actually, Matte finishes are NOT as strong as Glossy ones are and are more likely to fail.
Many of the other people have said pretty much what I would like to say to you. One thing that I didn’t see in a few comments that I took the time to read is that you should have built up a barrier along the sides of the countertop using wide painters’ tape. Go around the entire edge at least twice, making sure it gets a little stiff and making sure you have good adherence, especially at the corners. Then when you do your pour, you’re initially NOT letting the epoxy run off the sides; you’re “forcing” the epoxy to build up in thickness on the top, which would have allowed the self-leveling of the epoxy to actually work, to overcome any inconsistencies in the plywood substrate. Then, once that starts to get a little thick you can carefully remove the tape to allow what is truly excess to start coming down the sides. You can help that along with either a paint stick or a plastic squeegee or something to make sure that you’ll get total and even coverage on the sides without losing the thickness and smoothness on the top. I thought the tape on the underside of the counter was an interesting solution to try to help avoid the bubbles on the bottom that many end up getting and then need to sand away. It’s an interesting solution, but I did also see one of the other commenters mention that you can end up pulling the epoxy off the sides when pulling the tape. If you really wanted to try that I would suggest not placing the tape all way to the edge of the underside-leave about 1/8" of the underside exposed. When pulling the tape, pull downward so as not to put stress on the epoxy. However, another way to avoid having that problem on the underside would be to consistently watch the curing and to periodically scrape any epoxy from the underside as it is setting up, until you no longer have any buildup forming. Then you will have a nicely sealed edge and no sanding of the underside. As far as the sanding for honing, I don’t know what kind of epoxy you used and perhaps it was a lesser quality so that, in fact, you did kind of “open up the pores” which allowed for staining to happen. I believe that it is Stone Coat that has the Ultimate Top Coat product that you use after your flood coat that will give you the finish you were looking for without compromising the integrity of the surface and you would not have to do it by sanding. Good luck with your next attempt.
You are correct, Stone Coat Countertops is the company that sells the Ultimate Top Coat.
A brush to spread the epoxy on the edges is a great way to get an even consistent coverage on the edges.
Success comes with lots of failures and learning from them. kudos to you for taking it on
Keep doing what your doing you have a healthy attitude and approach.
I’m a professional contractor and tackled just about everything for the last 33 years
And I’m still learning cheers Dave
What a great attitude! Thank you David
Well written. Although mistakes are very discouraging, we often learn more from mistakes than from successful projects.
It's aggravating to say the least, to do-over-twice, and often a waste of resources (if the material cannot be re-purposed), but obtaining successful results after a major Boo-Boo is deeply satisfying as well.
I've certainly had my share of "Ohhh-Noooo" moments !!
As long as we keep trying to improve, it's all worth it.
Hv u done a lot of epoxy on countertops ?
@@estheriyilw6890 no Esther. I usually do regular counter tops. That is what all my clients opt for.
@@Schrimpieman Agree!!
Love your video and your honesty. We are about to go down this path for kitchen countertops. The concerns you raised, along with the comments recommending Stone Coat Countertop videos have informed me for moving forward. It is not easy to talk about our failures, but I am sure you have saved many people time, money and frustration by sharing your experience.
Oh no! I'm sorry that this happened to you and that it was such a struggle. For those that come here and are worried about now doing your counter tops in resin, here are a few helpful things to do.
If you are going to be using resin for counters, tables, walls, etc. Anything functional within your home, always make sure that the material you are working on is is flat. Even if it is self leveling, this can cause some big issues for you later on. Also make sure you use a primer before putting down epoxy. Even if you have painted the surface before hand a good primer is always a good step.
Pouring in doors is preferable due to dust and bugs, just make sure you have good ventilation and are using the proper mask and gloves at all times with working with epoxy.
Whwn it comes down to what seems to be the biggest downfall of this poor, the stains and durability, I personally have never heard of just sanding down epoxy and leaving it. The reason for this is even though we use our torches to get out bubbles that are seen in the resin, you are still going to have time buts of air within the epoxy. So when you sand this, you are opening those little pockets up to anything that goes on the surface. Now of course you can do the technique still and then coat it. Again with something that won't be so shiny but the easier and more efficient way to make it even would be to use a product meant for this. Stone Coat Countertops actually makes a product that is specifically meant to be a top coat that creates a semi-gloss or satin finish but yet be super durable. You don't have to sand it once it is dry either. It goes on easy and drys quickly and still give you that "natural look instead of the very glossy look you normally get with epoxy.
One last tip, always make sure you are using the right kind of 3poxy for counters or tables. So many don't stand up to heat or are not food safe and that isn't what you want at all.
These projects can go very well and be gorgeous and last for a long time. As much as it is said that anyone can do it, I still suggest working with epoxy on other small things before doing something of this size and experience level.
Plywood is the improper substrate for epoxy resin counter pour. MDF is recommended. The nature of plywood is that it contains air within the layers ( it breathes) where as HIGH DENSITY FIBERBOARD does not.
The proper term is Epoxy Resin System. The goal is a chemical reaction. In order for that reaction to be predictable the components must work together. I suspect the primer used was not "part" of the recommendation system and was incompatible for this purpose.
To prevent the accumulation of dirt, dust, hair and bugs during the curing process it is recommended to "tent" the project. There are portable painting booth tents that can be modified for this purpose.
Unevenly coated edges are the result of improperly prepared substrate. Epoxy is self leveling, however the chemical structure cause ERS to build or pool at 90° edges. The raw edges of the substrate are highly porous and must be sealed with a Bondo type material, sanded smooth and slightly rounded at the 90° corner with a sander.
A " tape dam" needs to be create under the edges to "hold" the epoxy on the vertical edge longer. This "tape dam" extends out away from the substrate as well as under it. Edges are coated last as the ERS begins to setup allowing for better adhesion and coverage.
The torching is necessary because of the fast high heat, not carbon dioxide to release air bubbles. The heat allows ERS to thin, releasing the air. When this is understood, then it explains why other method do not work such as heat guns and lighters are not applicable.
The honed finish is accomplished through speciality products as well as some sanding. There most likely was not enough material on your board due to improper preparation, so the material was sanded through much like sanding through veneer. MDF would have eliminated the unevenness of of the substrate as well.
There are a level of complaints of staining on ERS counter, especially lighter colors.
First, it is not recommended to prep food directly on ERS. It has been documented that heat can also discolor ERS. In this case though, as there was never a "system" created then the fact that it didn't perform well is to be expected.
This experience really demonstrates the need for lots of research when undertaking such a project.
The problem is two fold. People watch a few RUclips videos and think "easy". They do not do research or if they do, they modify the process without understanding how ERS works; its chemical nature.
Epoxy Resin Systems are a chemical reaction.
In order for that reaction to be predictable (desirable) exactness must be adhered to. Measuring accurately, timing, compatibility with all components, proper tools, all matter.
Because the process was not done correctly, the end product was not an epoxy resin product and cannot be evaluated as such.
Thanks for that info, very interesting
MDF is NOT high density fiberboard. M means MEDIUM. Plywood can be used but there is prep work to make it work. Some grades and thicknesses would require too much prep. If you cut food on a true butcherblock surface that's ok... but cutting boards are made to protect other surfaces, knives and foods. Some are more suitable for certain applications than others. Those surfaces vary in how to clean properly but will save your countertops.
Sanding the counter takes away any stain resistance , there’s a topcoat that has a matte finish. Also remember epoxy isn’t just a diy easy to do, you need to special order epoxy online that is good quality. There’s also topcoats that have more durability for people who need it. Everything you did was basically wrong but it’s what’s expected for first time. Alsways practice on a small sample or something first.
To get the matt finish it is my understanding that there is a matt top coat.
Ditto... too much inexperience applied to a big first project.
I appreciate reviews that remove all the "everything is always perfect" illusion, and just tells it like it actually was for you.
I agree with your comment 100%. However, her not perfect experience was her own fault. She made so many glaring mistakes. The biggest mistakes she made was the title of her video and her horrible advice.
Omg- THANK YOU x1000 !!! I get so sick of watching tutorial videos that are edited to make projects look super easy and fun but in reality are extremely difficult. I'm glad not everyone is fake! I've watched 20 videos on this subject and not one other video mentioned potential staining, the thought of which makes me cringe. You are my hero of the day bc you saved me!
Sorry, but title should read "How NOT to work with epoxy".
Exactly. I thought it was some new news about why I should NOT do a resin countertop. Instead, it's just a woman who didn't do it right and is sharing some tips, kindof.
there is nothing wrong with epoxy resin. I recommend Legarri. Ive used it many times awesome.
click baity with 2 commercials at the beggining
Exactly. I'm not a DIY'er at all. I want to be, but I have next to no experience in DIY. I watched stonecoat countertops videos on how to do epoxy. I epoxy'd my dining room table, and it came out FANTASTIC! It's funny... if you don't go into something new saying "i can do this, no problem." but instead watch videos FIRST, and LISTEN TO THE INSTRUCTIONS. And use the appropriate tools. And THEN you'll be fine. PREP PREP PREP is all I heard that you DIDN'T do.
Agree 👍🏼
I appreciate the honesty...you clearly are a very secure person to have admit this snd tell us all. Not many people admit anything bad
To make sure that the surface is completely covered, use a 1/8" x 1/8" trowel to move the epoxy all over the top, making sure not to leave any dry spots. That makes the layer really thin so you don't waste so much epoxy.
What's going on there? Is the trowel opening the fibers or something else? I'm getting the stippling too, and I knew I should be able to just coat as thin as paint, but it kept beading up, so I flooded it, and when it leveled out, it just kept going and left spots bare again.
While typing this, lol, I'm thinking.. maybe I used too much right off the bat, and it actually was covered, and the beads are the extra epoxy not finding a place to soak in, or running off sides, cz it's level. I actually thought that about 70-80 mins in, and panicked and scraped it all off, but the whole thing is still a very rough ceiling stucco type finish. argghh
Any obvious things you see happening there?
peace
@@blackopal3138 was it possible there was any oil in those areas?
I used beyond paint on my countertops, then montana marble spray for a faux marble look. Then I finished it with several layers of the top coat from beyond paint to protect it. Looks pretty good and I'm happy with it. Way cheaper than new counters and much easier than epoxy.
When sanding you created small areas where staining agents can get trapped.
In terms of sanding, anything over 320grit requires wet sanding. If you want to avoid stains, you need to go to at least 1500 grit. And you need to seal it afterwards with either a wax or a specialized product.
I did my kitchen counters, island top and bathroom, I “honed” (sanded) the kitchen and LOVE the way they turned out! I learned from Stonecoat and did many small practice boards before ever attempting the counters. They recommend using MDF not ply board and route ring the edges in order for the epoxy to flow easily to cover the edges. Also good quality epoxy is a MUST, I use Stonecoat and have never been disappointed in the product. Poor results have been my own mistakes. Follow the manufacturer recommendations, every detail matters. Stonecoat recommends waiting about 2 weeks (I believe) before honing (sanding) your project, and actually makes the counters more durable but now they offer a new product called Ultimate Top Coat that gives your project more of a natural stone or satin finish and provides an extra layer of protection saving a ton of time sanding for the same look. Thanks for the video laying out your experience I think it is helpful for some but don’t care for the title as many mistakes were made. I highly ENCOURAGE you and anyone else to check out Stonecoat countertops videos, order their product, follow their recommendations and try a small project and report back to us!!! Thanks for sharing 😊
What epoxy did you use? Did you but the Stonecoat one?
I used stonecoat on my marble table. Turned out great.
I am using Stonecoat today actually to finish my kitchen! a bit nervous but have everything done now the two final coats.... this is making me nervous. She should name it differently. thanks for this post.
Christina, have you had any issues with staining?
I’m jumping in late to the party, but want to add that the quality of the epoxy is really important. I used Stone Coat Countertops countertop epoxy kit and it is fabulous. Mike has many many tutorials that made the project effortless. Yeah, I made a few mistakes tin the first bathroom that I learned from for the second bathroom. Both bathroom counters still look terrific after three years. I’m going to do my kitchen counters next using a dirty pour and I’m very excited.
how are the bathroom vanity tops holding up? i assume you did the Stone-Coat Countertops over a cultured marble vanity top with sink? with a built-in back-splash and optional original cultured marble side-splash (cultured marble that was probably original yellow-ish from the late 90's? anyway, just curious as to how things turned out and look now (in Sept. 2023)?
I feel like wet sanding and clay baring, would have been super helpful. It sounds like the sanding heated the resin up and opened up a lot of the pores from the first coat. I have seen sealant mentioned in other comments, that was an important step that appears to have been left out. Hopefully the poly acrylic will seal the resin and you won't have to worry about it
My epoxy counter tops I did 2 yrs ago still look amazing I would do it again.. I did Stone Coat Countertops
Hiya. I'm considering doing my worktops. Did you have any problems with the edges? I've noticed some looking a little rough in videos I've seen
@@pearlreay6778 hi every 15 minutes or so I scraped my edges with a paint stick for the first 2 hrs after that I didn't see drips on edges
@@walkbyfaithtinadavis7820 hey thanks for the reply and the advice
Walk By Faith Tina Davis I thought her taping of the underside was a good idea. Do you see any problem with that?
@@kerrycox6565 it's more work but it is a good idea
In regards to the uneven edges, you can epoxy all of the edges with your brush before your pour begins to fall over. Being wet breaks that surface tension that's usually created when the epoxy hits the dry surface. It flows down SO quick and leaves smooth flawless edges :)
I do the same. Actually I will tape a dam around the top then wait about 90 minutes. I'll pull the trape and wet the edges. Then play candy crush for a couple hours and babysit the drips over the edges.
Nice!
Bill thayer why do u wait 90min? Waiting for epoxy to set up a little?
Thank you for this video. This was not a failure. This was an educational course. It becomes a failure if you stop trying to find out what went wrong and why. And yes, an education can be expensive.
You did address some reservations I have concerning epoxy resin countertops. I learned much of my kitchen habits while working in small town restaurants and hotel kitchens at a very young age. As a result, I’m not always as careful as I need to be in order to keep countertops in pristine condition. I consider a kitchen to be a food shop. While I certainly want my kitchen to be attractive and welcoming, I need it to be functional and designed to withstand the abuse that food preparation can dole out.
Stainless steel is ideal but well beyond my financial limitations. All that said, I don’t understand why laminate countertops (i.e. Formica & Wlisonart) have been shoved aside. They’ve stood the test of time and if anyone hasn’t explored the current colors and patterns available, then looking at them cost nothing.
what about vanities with sinks for bathrooms. Mine is 55"x22", not small by any standard. The cheapest I can find this is around 700 to 800 bucks. that's just the vanity top w/sink, no faucet or anything.
Built and did my first epoxy counter tops with my son last week, and following all manufacturers instructions and some research on youtube, had results that exceeded my expectations! I can't wait do my next pour.
If you sand your resin and don’t do anything to seal it afterwards, you will get stains.
is what i was thinking
@@MommaBearsCorner me too
Agreed
What an absolute bimbo. It goes to show you how simple some people are. Honestly
@@mitchellsmith411 Bimbo? Simple? She's clearly a well versed, experienced diyer who learned a lesson and is sharing her insight. What a whiny little jerk you must be. Geez.
I understand why some peeps are bashing in these comments. I cringed more than once while watching but in the end I have to give you some big credit for sticking with it and eventually even going back and redoing the whole thing with Poly. I never get Poly to not look shiny even if I use matte or satin or whatever. It always looks plastic so I hope yours came out to your liking.
In the end I applaud you for making the video and going through all the work you did.
These people talking about StoneCoat videos ... that guy makes it look easy and fun.
Your video is more realistic.
I have watched many Stone Coat Countertop videos. Always watching how they handle "mistakes". And, yes, they do Grade AA work everytime.
That said, this young DIYer did a great job of pointing out her mistakes and how she handled them!
My single advice: Do a test piece first and figure out what YOUR mistakes are.
What’s so nice about your experience is that it brought a large number of people together to discuss, share and learn from one another!
I’ve been deliberating doing my kitchen countertops for over a year now, watching videos and googling information. This one video and comments has finally helped me reach a decision…or at least complete my checklist. Lol.
Definitely going with Stone Coat products! I’ve been binge watching their particular videos recently and had been impressed. So comments here definitely have made me comfortable with that decision!!
Thank you for posting your experience and to everyone for your comments!!💗
Yikes. I love hearing DIY fails to learn from but it sounds like you just ignored all the rules and are blaming the epoxy. Unsealed countertops will obviously stain.
Plus isn't MDF the preferred base for these projects and NOT - in her words- the cheapest piece of plywood she could find?
@@sallydavidson4471 cheap plywood is fine if one knows what they are doing. I'm guessing she watched a bunch of DIY how-to videos instead of the professionals. I'm not a pro, but have done a few epoxy tables and floors. I would have started this out with a thin seal coat. A thin layer of epoxy that gets spread around with a squeegee. This seals the surface protecting against air bubbles and reactions with anything on the substrate.durring future coats. Wood can absorb a lot more resin than I would have thought. That resin displaces air that in turn comes to the surface in the form of bubbles. I haven't read into the comments, but am sure there are many pros telling us exactly what went wrong.
@@RHammer9 Do you sand after that first sealing layer and the pour?
Dont blame the epoxy, you should know if you are a DIY person, you dont sand with out sealing it. You removed the finish by sanding. Kind of common sense
@@heesanoice7637 I do. Even if I'm in a recoat window I still find a bunch of imperfections I like to remove. I prefer hand sanding to the orbital sander.
Sounds like you needed to research your project more before starting. I did several very small pours before trying something as big as what you did, in order to see what the outcome would be. I also went into it expecting that I would make lots of stupid mistakes. I had sticky problems, color uncertainties, and even a fire on my tabletop (after misting it with alcohol to get the design I wanted, then torching). And, anytime I had questions, I called the company I bought by materials from and they were glad to help. They also constantly produce more tutorials. I even watch stuff from other companies who do it differently just to know whats going on in the business. I learned that if you do it in the cold, you dont get good results - the hard way. With every little pour that doesnt result in something beautiful, I learned one more thing to avoid next time. For me, epoxy season starts in late March and there are a thousand things I cant wait to try. Hang in there!
I'm sorry you had so much trouble. I did all 3 of my bathroom vanity Formica tops using StoneCoat Counter products and videos. They all came out beautiful. The videos addressed all the problems you had: leveling, temperature, sanding, paint dry time, and bubbles. I am very pleased with my projects. (One other thing for mixing the product they sell an adapter for your drill to mix the product for 2 minutes. Please check out their videos. The project is well wort it.
but she said the stains will happen no matter what, what has your experience been with the stains?
Thank you for such an honest video. It's so refreshing to find someone who has problems with DIY's, especially from an exprienced DIYer. I have never been brave enough to try using epoxy and I won't now because even though I'm sure I would have a terrible result (Murphy's Law with me, lol), the fact that it absorbs stains is not good either. What a bummer after all your hard work, to find that it holds stains. I found your video to be a breath of fresh air, so thank you so much. ☺
Wow. I'm not a youtuber with DIY videos - yet my very first project with epoxy was for walnut countertops in our kitchen remodel. I read and followed directions - perfect results (total elapsed time 48 hours, allowing for two coats to cure). My take is that this isn't very hard, not as hard as this video implies.
Much better to do wood than white stuff
Refreshing to hear someone on RUclips that admits they don't know EVERYTHING! I've done several epoxy surface projects and have made almost every mistake myself.
The problem is that she dove into it with lots of assumptions based on other things that she has worked with before and didn't listen to the advice of someone who does just because it didn't seem right to her. So even though she admitted that she failed, there's a lot she purported to know about it and she certainly didn't.
Melissa! Thank you for your video. I'm a 71-yr-old DIYer who purchased an "as-is" mobile home (first home I've ever owned). I've been watching Stonecoat since their beginning and while their newer videos make it look so easy, I think their earlier videos covered a lot more of the basics. I've also wondered whether their hype of their own product was just hype, or truly made a difference. After reading through all of the comments (except the insulting one that you've apparently, and rightfully, deleted), it seems as though Stonecoat does have a superior product. I appreciate that you include your "fails". As one viewer posted, these aren't fails simply because they didn't work. You learned and were able to pass along your experience to the rest of us. I started watching you some time ago on FB and I have never been disappointed. Thank you for sharing all you do!
I recommend always putting a top coat on epoxy pours ( kinda like you now have done ) we use a Water Based polyurethane that comes in Satin and that gives you another layer of protection and removes the gloss. Epoxies and polyuretanes work best when applied in a controlled atmosphere (low dust, moderate temp and low humidity). I do like your tip on the tape around the bottom edge. Epoxies definitely have learning curve, but can also be alot of fun creating a unique one of kind look. The Stone Coat countertop guys are amazing.
I have done resin for several years. A ton of different things effect your pours. Its best to start small and after you learn the process go large.
I love working with resin and the results are amazing. I'm sorry you had a bad experience.
This video was probably more helpful than any video that I've watched where the pros did it flawlessly. They all tell you what to do, but they don't tell you what NOT to do. Thank you so much for this perfectly honest video.
Go to Stone Coat Countertops to learn how to do it the correct way. The reason the pros tell you how to do it is so you do it right the first time. She did a lot of things wrong including using the wrong materials. If you're going to do your countertops don't do like her and watch several different tutorials just stick with one RUclipsr. The people that post videos on what they have finished was after doing small scale tests first. Get the right materials, test small scale first and follow the steps correctly the first time around. She lacked the know how and experience.
@@shaydshani It confusing to me how regular joes watch professional videos and still don't follow their exact same process then proceed to watch not to do. If they follow everything the pros do then there should not be any issue at all.
@@khoaly7146 Right! "Oh I watched so many videos on how to do this." 🙄 How did you do it so wrong?
@@khoaly7146
I can answer that ( I think)
Pros learned from experience of what to do should problems arise. So that experience taught them set up is critical.
Something unexperienced tend to overlook and their projects railroads out of control.
That said the pros would never get to where they’re at if they didn’t pick themselves up shrug off the failures and keep on trucking.
Nothing ventured nothing gained.
Hope that helped someone.
I appreciate your honesty. I recently did an epoxy pour and I can honestly say as an experienced DIYer this was one of the most stressful things I have ever done. I too experienced these holes where the epoxy spread away. I have done this twice and it is still not there. I need to do this again on my kitchen worktops, but I feel scared and terribly defeated, it is so much out of my control. I tile, Imhave replaced glass in windows lay linoleum, carpets decorate tonged and groove work. I do not tackle electrical or plumbing. I am so disheartened.
Thank you.🤗👏
With the flood pours I have watched - that were informative and had great end results - they did three useful things:
1. They taped a flood barrier to stop the epoxy from flowing over the edge (using ordinary painters tape doubled up) , until the epoxy was in stickier state, then removed the flood barrier when the epoxy was not flowing quickly, but still flowing.
2. Once the flood barrier was removed, they used gloved hands to spread epoxy on the edges, to get the coverage on the sides more even.
3. They never let the drips or bubbles form. The used a scraper or stick to remove the drips and create a hard edge and this means not leaving the pour to go unattended for too long a period. Coming and removing the drips/bubbles before it hardens.
And if you had done a little more research and tried it out on a smaller project, then you would have built up the necessary experience to tackle the larger projects.
I do like your tips:
- Make sure the base paint is cured before doing the pour.
- Do indoors
- Add the tape to the underside
These were great tips! Also I have seen epoxy pours where they added added color to the epoxy - which means you make the marble effect by pouring white colored epoxy and then adding in some grey/black to get the marble veins. And some even added small drops of gold into it and then used a stirring stick to create gold veins. by adding color to the epoxy it makes the base coat less important. And you are creating the marble effect with the epoxy and I think it might look more marble, than your hand painted marble effect. I would encourage you to trying using colored epoxy and try it on a coffee table and use MDF instead of plywood next time.
Sounds like you haven't watched the tutorials from stone coat, leggari or countertopepoxy. Those 3 companies have excellent training videos for kitchen countertops and they also sell very high quality and kitchen appropriate epoxy that would have worked really well in your project.
It would be interesting if she gave the epoxy resin another shot. This time using kitchen appropriate epoxies from these companies you mention. Her experience is valuable despite being a fail but would be even more valuable see how much of a difference was made after using these company's products.
@@mkvision I agree
Ya, but stains???
@@orvillewilkerson5432 will not stain if you use a epoxy top coat sealer, especially if you have to sand the project. What you pour and what you deal with is different.
The stippling on wood is usually caused by the oils in the wood. One should clean the piece with mineral spirits or alchool before the pour.
Awesome. Thanks for the info. Any idea if mineral spirits will eat the bondo?
Thanks for this video! It is very helpful. I have done epoxy coatings on several parts for the boat, including countertops with mixed results. There is an enormous difference between different brands of epoxy. For outdoors, you definitely want something with UV blockers or do a clear-coat with UV blocker, otherwise the surface will be trash in 6 months. For ultra-light weight substrate, I would recommend Nidacore honeycomb core panels with 3oz surfboard cloth laminated to both sides with the same resin as your flood coat. Panels that need extra strength can get more layers on the bottom or use just one layer of 1708 biaxial cloth on the bottom instead of the surf cloth. This will make a super-lightweight and rigid panel where most of the final weight will be your epoxy flood coat.
Hi, I enjoyed watching your experience with the resin. This is so helpful. I do have some helpful tips that might it's too late for you because you already polyacrylic the surface. The reason this absorbed all the stains is in fact, as you mentioned, you made it pourous with the sanding. There is this product I discovered a couple of years ago that could help for pretty much every project you do. Odies Oil, is a food safe, all natural mix of oil and hard waxes that fully cures to a hard and waterproof surface. The stuff is expensive but a tiny bit goes a long way, so it's actually a good deal. I think I had a 8 oz container for a couple of years. It's originally intended as a wood finish but it will bond with anything, including concrete, resin, plastic, anything you can think of. The trick that took me a while to learn, was that we tend to use way too much and its waterproofing capacity fails. If you use it right, by just using what you need and buffing it properly to not leave any excess, it becomes fully waterproof/durable and stunning on wood. After a year or so, you can revamp the finish by applying a new coat, just like you would paste wax. I've been using this product now ever since I discovered it and finally learnt how to use it. I absolutely love it. I think that finish would've definitely have kept all those stains from sticking to the surface. I'd love to see you using it in one of your projects in the future. I think the failure definitely came from leaving the pourus surface unprotected. Another successful coat that I made from scratch that is amazing and love it just as much, also fully waterproof is, and seeing your channel I know you'll love. I mixed 4 parts of pure D-limonele, 1 part bees wax, 1 part carnauba wax, 2 parts 100% tung oil (do not buy tung oil finish, only pure tung oil). This full list of products are all food safe so you can put it on a salad bowl or a cutting board. Anyways, I mix all these items in a double boiler, make sure that you put the D-limonele, which is an orange or citrus oil after you turn off the heat and the waxy oily stuff is homogeneously mixed. This citrus oil is essentially citrus turpentine or spirits, so it's volatile and flammable, so there is not need to cook it with the rest. Add it to control the ratio, thus the type of hardness/viscosity you want for your final product. The more you add the more liquidy and less hard it will be, depending on your final intent of use. You can do a harder paste wax to an oily thinner product, by adding more or less D-limonele, . Once applied, this DIY paste wax also needs to be buffed and i't s an amazing long lasting finish. Anyways, now who is ranting? Hope this is helpful and I'd love to see you do any of these. Your channel is awesome and I've already leaned so much. I don't think I ever comment on youtube before but this one just inspired me to share, cause I think you'd really love it. Thanks for sharing and good luck young lady.
Epoxy resin is awsome. Experience comes from working with the stuff hands on not a video. It looks easy in videos. Dont let your first experience with epoxy discourage you.
Just watch Stone Coat Countertops. All the tutorials you need.
I agree! This video covers so many mistakes that wouldn't have been made if the epoxy was performed like on their videos!
Thanks for doing this video. I was thinking of trying this on my horrible old counters in a 1910 house I bought and trying to make a few little touch ups. You given me a lot to think about. 👍
Your video helps me just as much as the “pro” videos b/c they never tell you what can go wrong! I am trying to save a good bit of money trying to update our kitchen before we sell an the epoxy is tempting my wallet lol. Thanks so much for your video, it helps more than you know! 😊
Stone Coat Countertops. Check em out!
the video might be more helpful if it had been titled, "How and why I Screwed Up the Epoxy Resin Countertops". Instead, she follows the old adage, "It's a poor workman that blames his tools".
I appreciate you putting this video together. This is a clear case of simple mistakes you can make when you resin. I make tumblers and do epoxy molds on a daily basis. We all experience trial and error as first time epoxy users. A countertop is a huge project for having never used to product before. I know several others have commented on all the things you did wrong and I, too, have to add my 2 cents. Those little spots that didn’t take to the epoxy, that happens in tumblers all the time. Any natural reason can cause this, like unevenness, humidity, etc., but to me it seems like you didn’t have enough epoxy to cover your table. Also, some of that unevenness was likely due to the wood not having a seal coat in it. Wood is porous, and it soaks epoxy into it. Any time you’re using a pour out surface you should paint a thin layer on first, then, after it’s cured, do your first real coat. Very well could have contributed to your empty spots, or, what we tumbler makers call “fish eyes”. If you’ve watched any professional apply epoxy, they move it around, just like an artist doing a dirty pour. You have to give the epoxy it’s path. Also, what many beginners don’t understand about epoxy is that it does shrink some as it cures. Also, typically Part A of the mixture is thicker than part B. It’s not like water, so you should always mix more than you think you will need. Finally, the sanding. I cringed at this part. You almost always wet sand epoxy and definitely with countertops. Most experts put 2 or more layers of polish on after the final sand. You put pores and grooves into your epoxy when you sand it, so, of course it’s going to build up stains. It’s basically an open surface until it’s sealed by another layer of epoxy or the polish.
If it makes you feel any better, I’ve awakened to find small gnats or mosquitoes embedded in my tumblers that I’ve left to cure overnight INSIDE. Happens to everyone. It’s a total nightmare to epoxy in the summer, especially in the south. As I said, I’m glad you detailed your entire experience as this is a great way for beginners to learn what worked for you and what didn’t. I won’t say what failed because you learned some things and from the experience. Also, it gives more experienced people the ability to help out and everyone can learn. Epoxy is NOT an easy material to work with. It is trial and error for sure, and for many of us a lot of errors! I still wake up to a cup that looks insane and go, what did I do wrong?? I really hope you try it again and that it works out better for you. Good luck!!
Should have watched Stonecoat Countertops videos.
You can watch as many as you want but when you acually do it is when you realize tgey are just trying to sell a product and can show you what they want and take multiple takes to make it seem easy it is not.
I watched this video with the expectation that she was going to talk me out of doing the Stone Coat....but NOPE....I'm doing it!! This seems like an excellent product for a DIYer.
@@dal8963 this is not the case at all. I have personally done 3 counter tops in my home with stone coat counter tops and it couldnt have been any easier than what they show on their channel. You cant mess it up, you have a very long work time to make it the way you want. This girl just doesnt have a clue what she is doing and she is using a cheap product. You will never know until you try it! Not to mention stone coat counter tops have plenty of live videos that they dont edit to show you how easy it is to do.
@@dal8963 DIY doesn't mean easy. DIY means do it yourself as in here's the steps you can take to do it yourself. Where y'all got DIY=Easy from? I don't know but that's not what it means.
1340livinlarge .....do it. Watch Stonecoat. I did my guest bathroom. Double sink. Looks fantastic. Use their (Stonecoat) formula and instructions. It was scary, but I was determined. I used a heat gun, for the bubbles. As they say “you got this!”
Thank you. I am going to experiment with a few techniques on some masonite boards before attempting this on a large surface. You've pointed out some things I should test other than just appearance, like durability and staining.
Go to Stone Coat Countertops. They have tutorials, live sessions and they answer questions if you call about your project or the products. I've had excellent results and intend to do more.
The best way to put curbs around your pouring space is to pull your sheeting flat and then put a 2X4 almost as long as the side of your table on TOP of the edge, Spot tape the sheet and wood together on the outside edge and roll that over once. Tape the corners so they point up or end square.
Good pro tip about the scooping from the bottom.
Garages are made to breathe. And most basements also shed dust from movement above.
There are low and no gloss acrylic products, but they're not labeled for countertops. A few folks use Minwax as a thin sealant anyway. BUT you have to let it cure 48 hours without anything hot on it.. (Great. Now I have to look up and old Minwax using neighbor.)
Yes, sanding a surface to a dull finish basically makes it porous. That's why matte paint gets dirty much easier than semi-gloss. It's like the difference between glass and concrete.
Especially what is funny to me is that she is like "they sand resin too so it's fine!" But not how they sand it etc lol like they sand and POLISH it
They don't just sand and leave it
I think she may have overheated the surface with the sander and it started melting. That could be why it was taking the color of the sand pads.
Literally was about to say the same thing. She could have used a clear coat sealer after the sand to give it the look it sounds like she was looking for. Even after using the epoxy, but also looks like she went to 800 grit which would have chipped it. So epoxy > sand to about 400 > clear coat sealer would have made this perfect!
Its also why your teeth 🦷 feel rough if you can’t find your toothbrush 🪥. I guess that’s backwards but you get it?
Other mistake she made was to go through so many grades of sanding every sanding you are removing material. She should have done a soothing then gone to a final look say 320 then a wet 800/1000.
A cutting board would help. Id never cut anything on a countertop no matter what its made of.
Thank you!
Right on.. After spending good money on any kind of countertop, you want to keep it good as long as possible.. Dollarama sells cutting boards in all kinds of fun colours..
I was thinking the same thing! Growing up, I wasn't allowed to cut on the counter without a cutting board. However, perhaps people who have the luxury of marble countertops don't normally use a cutting board bc it's not necessary with marble.
we had those fancy granite counter tops and were still told to use a cutting board!
You can cut on a properly done epoxy counter with no problems. People just dont know how to follow directions.
A wide foam brush is great for applying a very thick, even coat. The "stippling" or "giant orange peel" is chemical rejection by oil, adhesive, wax, silicone, or maybe just fine sanding dust. Good prep by wiping with a tack cloth then acetone helps a lot, but is no guarantee. Epoxy scratches so easily I no longer use it pure for finishing surfaces. I did recently make a small plywood protector board for my workbench. I used a 30% mix of 1200 grit aluminum oxide powder in the epoxy and applied it with a fine short napped paint roller. It turned out so beautiful and finely textured I hate to hammer and cut on it!
We did all of our kitchen counters and backsplashes with epoxy and it turned out great. I would recommend it if you want beautiful, durable countertops.
Great tips!!! Thank you!! I loooove DIY Fails cuz it's more real... I'm sure many of the DIY projects on RUclips are edited to make it more instructive but we the viewing audience miss out on the common mistakes and important tips.. More DIY fails and tips please... love them 👍👍👍
I really liked Eunie Min’s comment that’s good encouragement to keep going,we need to see this.We can also learn from other’s mistakes and find out why we shouldn’t do it (that way)🧐🥺🤔😯.
i have had my epoxy countertops i did myself like 6 years ago and they have held up amazingly, everyone always compliments them. I have put hot pots on them no problem, and yes ive even cut food and no issues yes u can get some scratching but that's on me for not using cutting board. If you didn't want the glossy finish i wouldn't have used epoxy in the first place
you can still use epoxy and not get a glossy finish, actually. You just need to apply a topcoat. Stone Coat Countertops has a topcoat that makes the whole thing much more scratch, heat and water resistant. It actually makes it look more like stone too, since the piece will look more matte.
I am about to try coating my countertops with a epoxy. I’m scared to do so after watching her video. What did you use and how did you apply and steps to do yours go. I want to try but I’m leaning towards polycrylic after watching her video.
I hope that by now you have checked out Stone Coat countertops, they are amazing and easy to follow along. The very first thing I did in epoxy was my kitchen countertop.....then my bathroom, simply by following their videos. I now do epoxy artwork to hang on walls and other fun things. Don't give up, learn how to do it and have fun with it!!
I am more of an artist than a home improver. But what I've learned from the little epoxy I have used is that it is EXTREMELY temper-mental. If something can go wrong, lol, it usually does. Experienced people know how to correct these issues as they go along. I too respect your honesty. There are no mistakes! Even when things go wrong, you learn from them. There is a lot many video's don't tell you about the kind of epoxy, the kind of paint you can use with it, fiberglass, etc. Thanks so much for your video!!!
I appreciate your video. Your honesty is admirable. As an epoxy professional, I have to say that most of your problems are from the particular epoxy that you used. I have so many counter tops out there all over Arizona. None of them have absorbed stains. Some have been sanded and some have not. Some of your other problems are simply due to a lack of experience. These are all easy problems to overcome. I would be happy to coach you through them so that you can have far better results if you would like to try again.
What would be the best epoxy to use in your experience?
Jimmy, what epoxy would you recommend?
@@salonbenders I like Stone Coat. I’ve been using their epoxy for some years now, and had great results with it.
I did an epoxy counter for the first time with a rock edge. Turned out amazing. I would recommend using a different kind of epoxy. Stonecoat has an amazing product to work with.
Girl that aint the epoxy resin's fault lol this was alllll user error. You should really try again. If you want a matte finish there are pleeeenty of top coat options
Yup, Stone Coat or Leggari top coat. You have to research your products before investing.
@@lornadee3904 I was cringing at everything she was saying lol like whyyyyyy would you do that and think it was okay....why would you sand it for a matte finish and expect it not to stain
Agreed👍
Great video! More people should do this type of video. Most people don't want to admit to making mistakes much less to a complete fail, but we all do them occasionally and explaining those can often save others. I'm no pro, but I've done a dozen or so resin counters, desk tops, etc. My first pour I had some places that resisted the epoxy, stippling you called it. I still don't know what caused it but it has never happened since. It took me till my third pour think to tape the bottom the the counter, after havinng fussed for hours and hours over the drips from the second pour. Don't give up, resin isn't any different than any other skill, experience leads to confidence and those two things and the right tools are the key to a consistent, quality finished product. You've gained some valuable experience, you've gained knowledge and insight, thanks for sharing, now you just need to gain some confidence.
You haven't convinced me to not do an epoxy counter. But you have convinced me that I need to do it right. Thanks for listing all of your fails.
Epoxy is self leveling to a point, but it is also thick, so there is a lot of surface tension. I do a lot of molding with epoxy fibreglass and there is no way I would wait for it to flow out on its own. I would pour like you did, then take a plastic squeegy and spread it. Then it can self level once it has covered the surface. As for the bubbles, they are introduced when you mix it. The only thing required to get them out is heat. It has nothing to do with co2. Heat does 2 things, it makes the epoxy MUCH less viscous and it expands the air in the bubble. So an electric heat gun will also work. Every 10 deg F shortens the cure time by half. I would suggest doing a small test piece or a small project first to get the technique before you spend $200 or more. Don’t sand until epoxy cures. That is not 24 hrs. More like a week. It might be dry to the touch but the polymer hasn’t fully cross linked yet, which means the long chains of molecules have not linked up. I would wet sand to keep the heat down and by hand, not with a sander.
have you tried cutting the epoxy with denatured alcohol. You can get the epoxy water thin but experiment first.
The title is a bit misleading. No disrespect, but it doesn't sound like the epoxy resin was the issue. It sounds like the one applying it didn't research thoroughly, or used a cheap product.
@Geri Stone Coat.
It will stain scratch and yellow even when applied flawlessly.
By cheap product you mean all Epoxy!!!
Total boat resin
Thank you so much! I was ready to do my counter tops kitchen. How can a I paint it? What donyou recommend for granite. I havr the dated santa Cecilia granite.
Great video, thank you for sharing your experience. The your stippling problem looks like fisheye, which is a common problem for those of us who geek out on refinishing furniture. It happens when a surface still has some grease on it, or, worse, silicone spray furniture polish. The grease or silicone repel the finish (whether varnish, polyurethane, or even acrylic latex), sometimes leaving a bubble. If you put your bare hand down on the painted wood before you poured the resin, oils from your hand may be the reason for the flaws. Perhaps there is something greasy on the plywood that you could not see--some shopper before you put greasy mitts on that sheet, or dropped a burger on it. Just an idea. If I am correct, the only way I know to avoid fisheye is to prime with shellac or shellac based primer.
I’m 61 yrs old. I’ve done countertops, artwork, casting. I learned from watching Stone Coat Countertops videos. They have had in person training. Artist Till Death & RK3 Designs offer training and always answer questions during their RUclips “Lives”It’s not hard, you just have to practice first on sample boards till you understand how it works. I wish you would watch some of these people. When you try again, you’ll have a positive outcome. Don’t uses cheap epoxy. Stone Coat is my go to for many, many reasons.
2 things to note not all epoxys are going to do that. Make sure the epoxy isnt the cheapest stuff . Watch stone coat counter top videos they know there stuff . To get that matte look they got a product you apply . Hope this changes your mind about epoxy ...
@Omar Baqir I have not seen any posts that said she was dumb because she is a woman. however, I did see many that questioned the fact that she blatantly ignored many techniques, then blamed the materials. "I used cheap plywood." "I'll use a lighter instead of a torch" "I will sand it instead."
That has nothing to do with her gender and a lot to do with NOT researching the process properly.
Hi, I was curious how to poly has held up against staining and scratches so far. I have an epoxy countertop that I am thinking of top coating with poly for more durability.
i have a laminate worktop with some scratches ,could i do the poly acrylic to improve this ?
RE: residue while sanding. No matter how high the grit is, there’s a build up of heat produced by the ROS. Heat softens the epoxy resin which, in turn, absorbs the shedding from the abrasives. There’s your answer.
If she didn't use the cheap resin and paid attention to actual professionals who know what they are doing instead of poo pooing the advice of someone who knows what she's doing she wouldn't have had any of the issues mentioned!
So what's the solution to that?
@@greenleeja why are you poo pooing the advice she just gave us then? This video is super helpful
@@stealthwarrior5768 lol, thanks for the laugh!
Epoxy is awesome to work with. But we all make terrible and costly mistakes. The reason we see alot of video online with amazing work is because even if they fail the first or second time they didn't give up. Practice is the best teacher we can have.
I am in process of epoxying my bathroom countertops and I have watched several videos, it seems like you did miss a few crucial steps in your prep work, also not all the epoxy material have the same quality. Thank you for sharing your experience and Good luck with your projects!
Thanks for the video. Can I get your thoughts on using this with a bull nose counter when you stressed the level placement?
I actually laughed out loud the whole video. I’ve never seen anything where everything was done wrong. I must say I enjoyed the video.
I’m about to do my pour and I was like let me find some more videos before I start. I know more than she does and I haven’t even started. Lol.
I didn't know there was epoxy involved.....totally in love
Thank you for your honestly and taking the time to explain how things that can go wrong. I’m thinking of trying Stone Coat epoxy. I worry about DIY projects, since some projects should be left for the experts to prevent things from getting more expensive.
You’re awesome!
StoneCoat is amazing, I've been using it for several years and am currently working on a river table countertop with it. I strongly suggest watching Mike's videos on How To and then start with small, simple projects before tackling anything like a countertop. You Got This!
I am trying to do my bathroom reno. With the polycrylic do you sand it after every coat? To make it less glossy?
Thank you for pointing out problems I wouldn't have imagined. If I do go forward with my first epoxy project, I will make sure it's a small area that can easily be removed or resurfaced.
All you did was go into detail that you didn't know what you were doing when you did this. This video should help nobody or deter someone from doing this. Do your research, get the right product, and do it right. You'll never have a problem. Also, they make a matte finish top coat to eliminate the high gloss. Shouldn't have to sand.
Hey! This WAS a help. It pointed out a few things that other DIYers would likely try to cut corners with and it shows that you just can't.
So epoxy can be sanded, but it will become hot and gummy. What you are describing is gummy epoxy mixing with the red oxide from the sandpaper. You MUST sand in stages. Go over a section and wait for it to cool back down. You touched on many of the mistakes you made, but here's a couple of things you should know. You have to make certain that every part of the countertop has wet resin as step 0 (brush works better than hands). This breaks the surface tension and allows the free flow of resin via gravity. You should have taped the sides of the table to create a dam and prevent over spill for coat 1 (flood coat). You have to use a resin with a long open time. Don't use the cheap ones. The heat you are referring to doesn't come from the friction from stirring of the resin, it's a byproduct of the chemical reaction of part A to part B.
Here is the biggest mistake you made. Your first try with epoxy was with the real counter. You have to try this kind of method out first. At least on a 2'x2' square. If you attempt this again you'll be better.
Thanks for posting this. I think people will learn more from watching this than a perfectly done countertop.
Please how did you solve that stippling problem? did you sand before pouring another resin on it? I did my counter top and I applied the resin just 10 hours after painting so I got lots of that stippling/ pitholes.
Lots of good comments below. I distribute and train contractors on epoxy floors, not so much on countertops. Just a couple of suggestions are, first use a lower viscosity for countertop pours and one that has some UV resistance. There are products made specifically for countertops where you can do a one-eighth inch pour. Additionally, using an "Aliphatic Urethane Topcoat" will give you a great deal of protection against staining. This is the type of topcoat we use for airplane hangars. I appreciate the time you took to put this video. out.
Idk what the other comments say but a satin polyurethane topcoat would've created your desired finish and also provided much fewer stain/chemical reaction mistakes as well as a more UV resistant and durable finish for a longer lasting piece. Maybe you still can add this to get more of what you were going for. I think you did a great job nonetheless. :)
Nice video. Thanks for the honesty. You might have missed some steps. For eg there different types of epoxy, the one you used is clearly as slow settle one, these tend to take longer to dry and if being used on an un even surface will tend to leave dry spots because of surface tension especially on large surfaces. You should have used a fast settle epoxy or tape the edges wait for an hour or two and remove the tape. Also I wouldn't recommend sanding epoxy if you are not planning to add a finish coat on it, sanding opens pores. Polyurethane finishes are the best and can be in gloss, satin or matte.
Anyway just my two cents.
Keep it up, bless you.
Cheers.
Maybe the reason your edges weren't covered, is you need to tape around the edges so when your epoxy levels off, it doesn't fall off the edges, and it stays contained. After 10 minutes or so, remove the tape and the epoxy will cover the edges.
I always use a trowel, covers and spreads easier.
Great video.
First of all thank you for sharing your experience. As any level of diyer would tell you though don't blame the materials you blame the handler. I honestly came across your video while looking for ocean countertop ideas for my bathroom. I've watched plenty of videos by Leggari and Stone Coat Countertops to know that you started your whole project off wrong. Please some of the people commenting below aren't trying to be mean but they're telling you where you went wrong. I haven't watched any of your other videos but I hope you check out those two channels and learn the correct way then give it another go because it can be awesome when you finally get it right.
Your stains are most likely from you sanding the top, cutting open the coating with sandpaper letting in everything, there is a reason they sell satin epoxy coatings.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
The fact that you ran out of epoxy when I've seen numerous videos that specifically state to get more than you think you need is one of the first indicators that this would be an epic fail. Additionally, Using the "cheapest piece of plywood" you could find, not being prepared with a blow torch, putting a coat of resin on inside your house with kids present!?!?! Where was your protective respirator? We all make mistakes but it sounds like you viewed a couple of amateur videos and decided to wing it! You definitely got what you paid for! I think it initially looked pretty good even though it won't stand up to the test of time!
I haven't watched the video Sally, was a man not present either?
Did you do seal coat and top coat resin before and after flood coat? Did u use alcohol spray to get air bubbles out?
Wow, that was a lot of work you did only for the finish result to be less than what you had hoped for. I for one appreciate your honesty with the results. So many people on YT try to make everything sound like it’s quick and easy and you end up with great results. One such project is painting kitchen cabinets. I watched many videos before I painted mine and most of them say something along the lines of “transform your kitchen in a weekend by painting your cabinets”. I can tell you right now that was not the case. I spent moths working on my cabinets to get them to look like they came from the factory that way. I used allegedly the best paint. It cost a small fortune and took many many hours getting them to look halfway decent. Anyway, I applaud you for your efforts and honest feedback 👍👍.
Did you by chance practice beforehand? That is REALLY important that you do that! I've done mine and other people's. You should totally practice before so you have some kind of idea how to use it before you actually pour countertop's.
Its hard work and if done correctly its good. Mine did great! I used stonecoat brand.
Is it yellow yet? If not, it will be. Hopefully you did a dark enough color that it isn't noticeable. I've used stonecoat too and if you do a medium to light color it will look good initially, but after a few months to a year, it yellows badly.
Dad's account mine yellowed too. So I contacted stone coat and they sent me a new formulated version that does not yellow. I’ll let you know how it turns out
@@madashell2 No yellow at all after 4 months. Clear as it was day one. I kept the sun off it for 30 days as it cured.
@@madashell2 how many applications did you do and did you use Art Coat resin or their platinum resin? The same as their countertop resin but takes whites and keeps them more true to color. Sounds like you should have done a little bit more research. Epoxy Resin is a HUGE deal & should be practiced beforehand. I've done more than 15 applications of Stonecoat countertop epoxy resin and hands down wouldn't pick a different resin. I even have my art in an art gallery in Minneapolis Minnesota and absolutely LOVE Stonecoat Countertop Epoxy Resin, wouldn't use anything else.
@@cassiealesagapeinspiredcre853 are suggesting only to use the art epoxy or the platinum one? I spoke to a representative about the yellowing and they gave me that same epoxy but with a different white under coat formula ....they said it won’t yellow
I found a tutorial for epoxy finishes years ago because I didn’t want the glossy, plastic look on my dining table. It was an epoxy pour that I lightly sanded with 180 then top coated with satin polyethylene. It has survived three kids for several years with no real attempt to preserve the finish. There is plenty of dings and dents but the finish is completely intact and looks great.
Thankyou..how did the poly acrylic turn out please ??