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I went to a Home Show in Grand Rapids, Michigan recently and
asked your question to three different representatives of
countertop manufacturers. They all said pretty much the same
thing:
1. If your counters
are laminate, also known as Formica, there is nothing
you can do but replace the counters. This is the most common
countertop material in average homes built in the last 40-50
years. If you try to sand out the scratches, you will wear
through the thin plastic coating. This is one reason why
laminate counters are losing popularity... they just don't
last very long. Plus they are prone to chipping and can be
scorched from hot pans.
2. If your counters
are "solid surface" material, the most
well-known of which is Corian, then you're in luck. You're
also in the money, since these counters aren't cheap. I only
know a few people who have Corian counters, and they're all
doctors.
The benefit of solid-surface
materials is that the finish material goes all the way
through... they are much more than just a thin veneer. With
solid-surface counters you can simply sand down the scratches,
starting with a 60 grit sandpaper, then after all the original
scratches are gone you can progress to 100 grit sandpaper,
then 150, 220, and finally 400 grit. This sounds like a
hassle, but what you're doing is polishing the surface.
I hate to be the bearer of
bad news. I'd bet money that you have ordinary
laminate/Formica counters, right? Most of us normal folks do.
I wish there was a simple solution. I suppose you could mix up
a little dab of J-B Weld, which is an excellent two-part epoxy
cement that costs about $4 at Wal-Mart, and apply that to the
cut marks. But... I hope you like gray highlights in your
counter, because that's the only color J-B Weld comes in!
Getting this stuff smooth and flat is very difficult because
it's so thick and gooey.
I have seen some colored
epoxy products at a local hardware store, you might be able to
find something in a beige or cream color. It could take some
phone calls to locate such a product.
You know, this sounds like an
opportunity for some enterprising business person to create
some sort of colored epoxy scratch filler formulated just for
countertops. Hmmm, I'll have to look into that.
Bruce W. Maki, Editor.
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