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Yall I have royally screwed up! I was trying to clean the grout on my counter top and messed up the sealant. I don't even know where to start to fix this. I used a hydrogen peroxide and baking soda paste. On that note, what would be some affordable counter top options that have a vintage feel? With our family of 6, this current counter top is near impossible to keep clean. Our house is an 1890 manager's mill home.
Author: Christina Griswold
All Comments:
Blaine Mcclenaghan Ouch I’m sorry this happened, the white is leftover residue from the baking powder with a bit of scrubbing it should come off.They do have things that can help if you would like to keep your current countertop but just clean it up.Rock doctor “which i use at work due to all our old buildings” will clean the tile and grout and give it a cleaner look “$10”Then you should seal it after which will help cleaning, and will protect the grout from turning colors, that’s a by choice kinda thing but I use miracle sealants and I do it yearly.
Nick Thresher Mighty indigo is a cleaning product by VanHearron that cleans tile and grout like no other. If u can get you or hands on it give it a shot
Jaime Gray Find a stone and grout sealer
Jenn Miller I feel you on the impossible to keep grout clean with people using a kitchen.Therefore, marble. Marble has a timeless, vintage feel and was used extensively during the late victorian era. Marble costs less than granite and way less than quartzite or any of the trendy trend stones.Does your home have the original wood decking under the tiles? That might be an option too to just get scraping off that title. @Christopher Hewett has his kitchen done original wood tops.
Leslie Ann Lenderman @Jenn Miller how is marble compared to granite regarding durability? Like chipping & staining? I’d love to have marble if it held up toSome abuse lol
Jessica Markham @Leslie Ann Lenderman marble is extremely porous and stains easily if it is not sealed. Quartz is the way to go these days. There are many companies that even make quartz look like marble. I used to be a kitchen and bath designer.
Christina Griswold Author @Jenn Miller unfortunately i doubt there is any original wood. The kitchen was an add on and they put in custom built oak cabinets. I will definitely check out marble!
Joshua Valentine I have marble countertops, I do not recommend. I would go with quarts that looks like marble. My countertops are already in bad shape and I installed them in 2017.
Jenn Miller Of course you have to have it sealed, who sold you this stuff and are you sure it's actually marble? Mine were installed in 2016. I apply the sealant once a year and don't have a problem. My last house came with old white marble cararra in the pantry. It was dented a fair bit but there was a cleaner my husband used to buff them out, they were perfect. I didn't seal those every year and they were FINE.
Christopher Terkos Butcher block is great but does need regular oiling. You can always seal it with a poly but I like the look and feel of natural
Christopher Hewett AdminGroup expert in Old & Historic Homes @Christopher Terkos that's why I like Waterlox ...natural look, but also sealed, and food grade approved once cured.
Christopher Terkos @Christopher good to know!
Christopher Hewett AdminGroup expert in Old & Historic Homes. @Christopher Terkos I have some pics further down this thread...
Lyndsey Pyrke-Fairchild We did a black walnut strip counter, sealed with waterlox. I absolutely love it. When it gets too beat up, we'll just refinish.
Christopher Hewett AdminGroup expert in Old & Historic Homes @Lyndsey Pyrke-Fairchild yes!
Connie Cawthon Counter tops in older homes were marble and butcher block. Have you checked out the new Formica laminate? OMG they are beautiful. My countertops are Formica from the 50s and are practically indestructible. I don’t like the look and am going to update with new Formica.
Christina Griswold Author @Connie Cawthon I love Formica that is definitely an option!!
Amber Wallace I love our original Formica countertops from the 60s. The edges we're hand sanded to give it a beveled look. So much care went into installing them and they are still in excellent shape after all these years
Christopher Hewett AdminGroup expert in Old & Historic Homes. Wood are easier to maintain, but also a little more delicate...but can be refinished many times if needed. Ours still look new, but we ate careful with them. We had them "distressed" from the start so minor dings and Mark's would blend in and add to the character
Christina Griswold Author @Christopher Hewett anyway i could pull that off without painting the cabinets? Because i love your counter top
Christopher Hewett AdminGroup expert in Old & Historic Homes @ChristinaGriswold looks doable. Hardest part may be all the removal of drawers and appliances to locate all the counter screws/fasteners.
Christopher Hewett AdminGroup expert in Old & Historic HomesChristina Griswold make sure all sides are properly sealed and pill out the dishwasher and line that area with a vapor barrier - underside of countertop ( I used a thin aluminum sheet)
Christina Griswold Author @Christopher Hewett I didn't even know you were suppose to do that... i thought thats was for under the house
Christopher Hewett AdminGroup expert in Old & Historic Homes. The high heat and humidity is bad for wood, and especially exposed wood...I hit on all of this with the staining, refinishing, and installation in our kitchen blog series...
Christopher Hewett AdminGroup expert in Old & Historic HomesGlass protection around the messy coffee machine - steam, water, coffee grounds, etc...
Christopher Hewett AdminGroup expert in Old & Historic Homes @Christina Griswold we used Waterlox to seal, 6 coats. Maintenance requires just brushing on another "refresh" coat...no poly chipping, peeling, sanding, stripping
Christina Griswold Author @Christopher Hewett I absolutely love this!!!
Christopher Hewett AdminGroup expert in Old & Historic Homes @Christina Griswold aw thanks...the wood is black walnut...other species look much more blonde with just Waterlox...
Rhonda Johnson You didn't screw up. You just deep cleaned it. You can reseal it. A solid surface would be great tho. I replaced the awful old formica with Fantasy Brown marble countertops. It is a harder marble than most and has alot of qualities of quartzite. I hate granite. Everyone has it & never was very appealing to me.I totally love this Fantasy Brown!!As far as cost goes, it all depends on which product you use, the quality & the place you buy it from and who the middle man is. I looked at & priced alot of different stones at different places & looked at different installers. You can basically pick the product and the installer independently. The couple of places that I thought would be cheaper actually ended up not being. So it definitely pays off by doing your research, literally!Don't let a stone seller tell you that marble can't be used in a kitchen. That was one of thee dumbest things I heard out of a so-called professional's mouth!! Tell that to millions of old Italians!!If you love to bake, you can't go wrong with marble! I hate that glossy look - that is not nature. I went with a leather finish. Also will help hide any imperfections.
Leslie Ann Lenderman @Rhonda Johnson love it!
Rhonda Johnson @Leslie Ann Lenderman thank you.
Christina Griswold AuthorExcellent points and gorgeous!! I am not a fan of granite either.
Rhonda Johnson
Linda Pershall Tile suppliers sell sealer you can reapply. By accident discovered 100% acetone [nail polish remover] cleans grout easily.
Kevin Leeser And you can drop. Coffee mug on a wooden countertop with a 87% better chance of it NOT exploding.
Elizabeth Worsham Have heard if a company that makes tops that fit right over the original. Will inquire to find the company name.
Jen Longson Butcher block is awesome!
