On Sunday Strider and I tried to catch a tiny nap after church. It wasn't working. The kids were making Ramen noodles for lunch and squabbling over it the whole time. Finally I just got up and came downstairs. I shooed them away and tried to salvage the overcooked noodles so they could eat and I set the pan on my counter next to the sink for about 30 seconds. I held it with one hand while I grabbed bowls to dish it into with the other. Something smelled funny and I picked up the pot. I had burned the counter.
One side of the pot burned the edge while the other burned the interior. I have lived in this house (with the same 80's laminate countertops) since 1997 and I put my hot pans directly on the counter ALL THE TIME. I have never had any discoloration or even the hint of a burn. Until Sunday they looked identical to the day we moved in. My best guess is that our new flat top stove cooks hotter than I am used to, and that it no longer comes off the burner at a temp that's okay to put on this surface.
I am still absolutely in shock and I am totally sad, mad at myself and devastated. Now don't get me wrong, I don't like the counters. Last spring, when we had a little tax money we got estimates on granite and manufactured stone renovations. We choked at the $$$$ prices. There is no way on earth we can replace these. And the laminate wood grain surface means I can't paint it, cover it, or replace just a section.
I can't even bear to go in the kitchen without getting depressed over it and playing the "if only" game. Here is a close up of the worst spot. It's completely bubbled up here and a few pieces have chipped away already. Since it's not just a cosmetic eyesore and the integrity of the finish is compromised anyway I am thinking of sanding the spots. I know it's just particle board underneath, so I guess I'd have to put a lacquer on those areas to protect it. I don't know. At least from across the room people wouldn't be glaringly reminded of my mistake.
Tell me honestly - what would you do? I'll go back to crying and wait for your suggestions.
I'm no help, but I would cover it up with some kind of cutting board? Trying to sand it wouldn't hurt.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry!
I should stop putting my pots on my counter too!
I saw something on the DIY network that they swore you can paint onto ANY counter surface. You just sand down the existing counter top and paint it on. It really looked quite beautiful! I think they said you could get it at Home Depot, I bet if you went in there and asked there would be SOMETHING you could use. Also I saw that you can just sand your counter top way down and make it as rough as you can, cover it with mortar and tile right over the top of it! I haven't been brave enough to try either, so you try it and let me know how it works! haha It can't hurt right? :]
ReplyDeleteTheir website it diynetwork.com. There's got to be SOMETHING on there that you could do! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWhen you were pricing granite were you looking at solid surface? They now have granite overlay, it's 1/4 inch. Way less expensive.
ReplyDeleteI'd try granite transformations where they put a thin layer of granite over the counters... either that or paint. I know you said you wouldn't be able to paint it, but I don't see why not. They make countertop paint with speckles in it too that makes it look very cool!
ReplyDeleteHave you thought about the stuff you use to fix "dings" in pergo/lam. flooring? might work & it's not expensive.
ReplyDeleteWhen we moved to our new house last summer, we had pink countertops and tried painting to get us through until we could replace them. It was HORRIBLE! The paint just kept chipping. I would have rather dealt with the pink.
ReplyDeleteKitchen countertops but your bathroom may need to be updated or renovated. Finding materials for a new bathroom in New York is easy and even fun to do. You should consider lighting and décor along with functionality.
ReplyDeleteI know it isn't as fabulous as granite, but at Sutherlands in SLC they will cut a section of laminate countertop for you to install yourself (or you can pay them to do it...but it isn't too hard). We replaced our nasty yellow and massively dinged countertops last year for just about $200. They had 7-10 colors/styles to choose from. Still a chunk of money, but lots less than granite. Hope you can find a solution that works for you.
ReplyDelete