How to repair chips on a countertop with your own hands

Any furniture does not last forever, and countertops are no exception, no matter how reliable the materials from which they are made are. Sooner or later, chips and other damage appear on them. But the good news is that you can fix this problem yourself without going to a specialist.

Countertop restoration

The materials and tools that we need for this depend on the material with which we will work.

Wood or chipboard

If the tabletop is made of wood or chipboard, then a special touch-up felt-tip pen, furniture stroke or tint wax will do to eliminate scratches and cracks. It is first melted and only then applied, after which they wait for cooling and drying.

Important! When restoring a wooden surface, the main thing is to choose the right shade of the material.

To restore the surface, you will need:

• hairdryer;
• waterproof sealant;
• homogeneous thick mixture of sawdust and PVA glue;
• putty knife.

Using a retouching felt-tip pen

• First, warm up the damaged area with a hairdryer.

Reference. If there are loose pieces, they should be removed.

• Seal the place of the chip with a sealant and leave it for 15 minutes.
• During this time, you need to make a mixture of sawdust and glue (5 minutes) and let it brew (10 minutes).
• Place the resulting mass on top of the sealant and tamp it tightly, removing excess with a spatula.
• After that, saturate a microfiber cloth with a felt-tip pen of a suitable color and process the hardened composition with it, going beyond its edges.
• The result can be fixed with varnish. It will be especially good if you use a tint, it will additionally eliminate abrasions. In addition, it will be a salvation in the event that it is not possible to pick up a felt-tip pen that perfectly matches the surface in color.

With wax

• First, the place of the chip is grinded with a chisel or sandpaper so as to level it as much as possible.
• After that, the melted wax is applied to the place of the missing fragment.

Important! At the same time, leave a small margin, since further everything unnecessary is cut and sanded (for example, with the help of a chisel and felt).

With film

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to return the previous look of the table top and make the added fragment "merge" with it. Therefore, the last option can be a special polymer film that imitates a wood texture.

Plastic

Minor chips, scratches and cracks on the plastic surface are most often repaired ordinary glue "Moment". The fallen off piece is attached back with the same glue.

However, it happens that when it falls, it is damaged so that it loses its original appearance. In this case, it can be crumbled, mixed with adhesive and attached to the damaged area by analogy with wooden surfaces.

Fake diamond

To seal cracks in stone countertops, use polyester resins. For this, the surface is cleaned and degreased, and then filled with this material.

Then it remains to wait for hardening. After a day, you can continue to use the countertop for its intended purpose.

If you need to restore a missing part, buy PVA glue, a repair acrylic compound suitable for the material, abrasives of various grain sizes and felt.

• The damaged area is sanded and sanded.
• A reducing mixture is prepared.
• Having closed the place of the chip, it is left to dry completely (for about 20 hours).
• After that, they are again sanded and polished with felt.

Glass

But if chips, scratches or cracks appear on the glass surface of the countertop, then this is the only case when you cannot do it on your own.

Important! Such damage can only be repaired by a specialist.

It will be so difficult and expensive that it will be more profitable to buy a new countertop.

Prevention of the appearance of chips

In order for the tabletop to retain its presentable appearance as long as possible and you do not have to restore it, it is important to maintain its integrity during use.

• Be sure to have in your arsenal special coasters and pads for dishes. This will save the surface from sudden changes in temperature and dirt that can eat in. And from frequent wiping, ugly scuffs can form.
• Don't forget to use care products behind the material from which the tabletop is made. For example, wooden surfaces are treated with silicone and moisture resistant sealants. Immediately after purchase, it is advisable to cover their ends with plastic strips and varnish. This will extend the life of the countertop.
• Place the surface away from possible shock loads, such as an entrance door or refrigerator door.

As you can see, almost every type of damage has its own restoration technique, which can be done by hand. This will save your finances and will not require a lot of work. The main thing is to choose the right materials and act as carefully as possible.