It’s time to take out the trash, and what better place to start than your kitchen sink? If you want a fresh new look for your kitchen, resurfacing your old sink is the perfect DIY project.
Not only will it make a significant impact on the appearance of your kitchen, but it can also be an inexpensive fix that requires very little work. In this blog post, we will discuss how to refinish a kitchen sink in step by step process. Read our recently published buying guide on the list of top outdoor kitchen sinks & reviews on utility sinks.
Table Of Contents
Steps On How To Refinish A Kitchen Sink
Step One: Cleaning
Before you can refinish the kitchen sink, it is essential to clean off any dirt or debris on the surface. This will make a cleaner workspace and give your sink new life with less effort.
Clean the entire area of grime by using soap and water in combination with cleaning cloths or sponges. Use a stiff bristle brush for any tough stains.
Step Two: Removing the Current Finish, Sanding, and Painting
Once you have completed all the preparatory steps, it is now time to refinish a kitchen sink! The first step in this process is to remove any paint or finish that may still be on the surface of your sink.
This will require sandpaper and other scraping tools. To make the new paint stick, it is essential that the surface on which you are applying your paint or finish be completely clean and free of any dirt or dust for a smooth application with no bumps!
Step Three: Make The Sink Surface Smooth
To ensure that the new paint or finish you are putting on your sink will adequately adhere, it is essential to use sandpaper and other scraping tools. This will require heavy hand pressure for best results.
Make sure you have cleaned the surface of your sink with soap and water before you start to use the sandpaper.
Step Four: Apply Bonding Agent
Once you have sanded and cleaned the surface of your sink, it is time to apply a bonding agent. This will help ensure that any new paint or finish applied to your kitchen sink is in good contact with the old material and won’t peel away easily.
To apply a bonding agent to the sink, first, pour a small amount on the area you want to refinish. Spread it around evenly with your hands in an even coat and let it dry for at least five minutes.
Then use sandpaper or steel wool to rough up the area you have just applied the bonding agent. This will give paint and other finishes an excellent surface to adhere to.
Step Five: Apply Primer & Paint
One of the best ways to get a smooth finish on your sink is to apply primer before you paint. This will make it easier for any bumps and ridges in the material to be filled out evenly with color.
You can use latex spray or brush-on primers for this step, depending on what type of surface you are working on. This is a two-part process. The first step in this project is to remove any paint or finish that may still be on your kitchen sink through sandpapering and scraping.
After the old material has been removed, it is time to apply primers to the surface. Primers such as latex spray and brush-on primers are an inexpensive way of smoothing out bumps and ridges in your sink so that paint will adhere evenly for a professional finish.
Finally, it is time to apply the paint! After applying sandpaper or steel wool over an area that has been primed with a bonding agent, you can now use a variety of brushes and paints for your final finish.
It will be necessary to carefully brush on two coats of paint to get full coverage. You may also like to add some gloss to your paint for an extra shiny and professional finish.
Tip: when applying a bonding agent, make sure that you use a small amount before overloading the area with the product. Let it dry five minutes before sanding or scraping again because this will help give your new paint or finish some good surface to adhere to!
Step Six: Re-sand It Smooth
Be sure to sand the surface of your sink with heavy pressure again. This will ensure that any bumps or ridges in the paint are smoothed out, and there is a more even finish.
You can also use an electric sander for this step, but make sure you wear goggles, so you don’t get dust particles in your eyes.
Step Seven: Thin Acrylic Topcoat
Be sure to apply a thin acrylic topcoat of paint on the surface. This will help protect your sink from future spills and make it easier to clean up messes. Make sure you allow this layer time to dry before using your new kitchen sink.
The acrylic spray primer works best for this step. A thin acrylic topcoat is a coat of paint that helps protect your sink from future spills and makes it easier to clean up messes. It can be applied with an acrylic spray primer.
Step Eight: Enjoy Your Refinished Kitchen Sink
Now that you have finished refinishing a kitchen sink step back and admire all the hard work you put into this project. You can now enjoy using it in style with looks to match any home decor or design scheme.
If not properly maintained, the new paint or finish you put on your sink will chip and peel over time. Make sure to use a sealant for best results!
Things To Consider While Resurfacing A Kitchen Sink
- The size of the sink.
- If it is a double sink, you will need to consider how long the process might take because it will be more complex and time-consuming than if you are only working on one sink.
- How deep your kitchen countertop sits below the lip of the cabinet under or around your sink area to determine how much space you will need on the countertop.
- The type of sink surfacing material available for purchase at your local hardware store or home improvement center can be ceramic, porcelain enamel, polymer composite, or stainless steel.
- What color that particular surface coating is and whether it matches any other items in your kitchen.
- The type of finish you want the sink to have, which can be gloss or matte, is smooth or textured.
- If you are using a painted surface, it will need to be sanded down so that there is no paint on the countertop area around the sink before proceeding with the refinishing process.
- Suppose you are using a stainless steel or polymer composite surface. In that case, it is necessary to clean off any greasy residue before beginning to resurface your sink because these materials do not require sanding down beforehand.
- The type of abrasive that will be needed for your project which can range from power cloth, steel wool, or sandpaper.
- The type of protective gloves that will be needed to protect your hands and arms while working on the resurfacing project can range from latex, nitrile, or dishwashing rubber gloves.
- If you have small children in the home, it is recommended that you put up a plastic tarp around your work area to make sure that any debris or dust is contained.
- It may be necessary to use a shop vacuum cleaner before beginning to remove all of the dirt and grime on your sink surface, which will help when applying the resurfacing material.
- If there is an old coating already applied on the top of your sink that needs to be removed, then it will require the use of a chemical solvent to break down the old coating and make it easier for you while resurfacing.
- The length of time needed to complete the project can range from two hours or more depending on how ample our working space is and what type of material you are using.