How to Sand a Kitchen Worktop

The kitchen is the most visited room in the house, so it’s natural to want it to look great at all times. Anyone who has a kitchen will understand how difficult it can be to find the time to keep it clean and tidy. But, if you want your kitchen to look good, you will have to put in some effort as often as possible. This means that every now and then you need to embark on a kitchen worktop refinishing project.

Kitchen tops are an integral part of the design of your kitchen. Since they are being cleaned on a regular basis it is important to also keep them clean. This can be done in a number of ways including cleaning with bleach solutions or by using nonabrasive granite cleaners. However, most people choose the sanding method to clean and maintain their kitchen worktops.

If you’ve just got a new kitchen fitted and a few spots are driving you nuts, give this a quick read to find out how to sand a kitchen worktop. There’s not long to go until that dream kitchen is finally finished. But before you start scraping, knocking down, or otherwise removing all that lovely brand-new paint from your worktops, there’s something you should know – sanding down your kitchen worktops can cause damage that will be expensive to sort out.

Sand the worktop with the coarsest grade of sandpaper

• First of all, remove the sink and taps. You may well have to cut the worktop around these items to get them out. If this is the case, do it with a jigsaw.

• Cover up any decorative wood or laminate that you don’t want sanding by using masking tape.

• Sand the worktop with the coarsest grade of sandpaper (usually 40 grit) first. This will remove any varnish or old finish. Make sure you use a large enough piece of sandpaper so that you can work on one area for longer before changing it for a fresh one. Sand the surface in a circular motion until there are no shiny patches left.

• Sweep away any dust and then sand again, but this time with finer paper (80 grit). Continue until the surface is smooth and even.

• Use 270 grit to remove any scratches and imperfections and finally, sand lightly with 320 grit paper to create an ultra-smooth surface.

Sand the worktop again with medium-grade sandpaper

• Purchase the right type of sandpaper for your worktop. If you are using soft sandpaper that is too fine, it will not sand the worktop properly. If you are using hard sandpaper that is too coarse, it will damage the surface of the worktop. Check with the manufacturer to see what type of sandpaper they recommend and purchase it from your local hardware store.

• By using a power sander is faster and easier than sanding by hand. You can rent or borrow a sander from a hardware store or borrow one from a friend if you don’t have one at home. The power sander does most of the work for you, but you still have to make sure that you do not damage the worktop.

• Start by using very coarse-grit sandpaper to remove any varnish or paint on the worktop. Attach this coarse-grit paper to your power sander and run it over the entire surface of the worktop until all varnish or paint has been removed from its surface.

• Use medium-grade sandpaper next to smooth out any rough areas that remain after removing the varnish and paint with a coarse-grit sandpaper. Attach this medium-grade paper to

Check your progress regularly as you go

Begin sanding the worktop with a 50 grit (medium grade) sanding pad. Move the pad in smooth, even strokes over the surface and make sure you cover all areas.As you move over the surface, keep checking your progress. The aim is to achieve a smooth finish with no lumps or bumps but not to remove so much of the old finish that it becomes uneven. If you do take off too much varnish or laminate, all is not lost as you can just go back and sand again with a finer grade paper.

Repaint or re-stain the wood if you have used a water-based paint or dye

• Apply a primer and paint or stain your worktop as you normally would. If you’re painting use a water-based paint, which is easier to sand than oil-based paint.
• Clean the surface with a damp cloth to remove any dirt and dust. Dry thoroughly before applying the next coat of paint.
• Prime the surface with a water-based primer if using an oil-based paint. Allow it to dry completely before painting on the final coat of paint or stain.
• Sand the worktop with fine-grit sandpaper. Be sure to cover all of the stained areas.
• If you have used an oil-based stain, you will need to sand the worktop until it is bleached bare.
• You must sand the worktop until it is bleached bare if you have used an oil-based stain. The surface of the wood should be smooth before going on to the next step.
• If you have used water-based paint or dye, simply repaint or re-stain the wood. Sanding is necessary only if you are trying to remove an oil-based stain and cannot repaint it.

Take care to sand evenly and rub down surfaces thoroughly before applying another layer of paint or varnish

With all of this in mind, there are a few tips and tricks that you should adhere to, if you want to make sure you’re doing a great job. In fact, we’ve got more than a few. Read this article carefully for the dos and don’ts of kitchen worktop sanding.

The end result is that you have a surface that looks like it has been professionally refinished and will last for years to come. I hope this has been helpful. If you have any questions, please post a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.