Are you a thrifter? Grab my free tips! Click Here!

The Easiest Way To Repair Laminate Countertop Chips

February 16, 2021

This post may contain affiliate links.

I love the look of my laminate countertops and they've held up well over the last 20 years.

However, when I noticed a few chips, I wanted a quick and easy way to fix the damage, fill those spots without resin or epoxy and make it look brand new again.

Here's the full tutorial.

Chips In Laminate kitchen countertop

Way back in 2002, my husband and I found the home of our dreams hiding right across the street.

We'd been looking for something larger in our tiny beach community for over a year.

However, we lived in a generational kind of neighborhood and inventory was always tight.

Houses were often passed down to family members and when they did go up for sale, it was usually a word of mouth transaction.

It's actually how we ended up here. 

We'd always admired the house from the outside. But we had no idea what lurked behind the front door. 

It was the fireplace that drew us in first. That grand feature took our breath away.

There was an arched doorway, a master bathroom, finished basement and a charming covered porch.

It literally had everything on the list. Including a completely inadequate and outdated kitchen.

And no. I'm not being sarcastic.

You see my husband was well acquainted with my love of decor. He was also well aware of my desire to have a light, bright and {almost} white kitchen.

But being the money guy, he was always silently calculating the cost of things in his head. A move was not going to be cheap. New furniture, a larger yard, the inevitable updating. So he warned me.

Do not find a house with a brand new kitchen...even if those cabinets are dark cherry or oak...and tell me that you want to renovate it.

And I understood. It was a logical request.

So, when we walked into the closet of a kitchen in this home and it clearly needed to be gutted, I think I actually cheered a bit.

I got to put in a new one, from scratch.

Cottage Style Kitchen

Everything in the room, including the laminate countertops, was designed by this girl. A dream come true. 

And almost two decades later, my "new" kitchen looks basically the same.

Oh, we've fixed a few chipped cabinets and changed out the faucet.

And yes, we've had to replace some of the bisque appliances. Not an easy task, but that's another story.

Do some routine maintenance, like swapping out a broken soap dispenser or repairing damaged spots on the wood floor.

But overall the kitchen itself, has held up pretty well.

Until recently. Recently, when I noticed several chips in the laminate countertop right near the sink.

Yikes. We'd had stains on the laminate that I was able to remove them...but never this kind of damage.

Chipped Laminate countertop

I tried not to fixate on them. I really did.

I tried to look away or cover them with a dish towel. But they were there, always there, looking at me.

And they had to go.

When I brought it up to Mr. Fix It, he said, It's fine. I barely notice it.

Well that was great, but I noticed it.

I could see it from across the room. And it bothered me. A lot.

It looked terrible, dirty, worn and old.

Plus, I was afraid that water was going to make its way into the chipped areas and cause more damage. More dirty looking worn spots.

And that would simply not do.

I think it took me about three tries to get my husband's attention and he finally started brainstorming.

At first, we considered one of those epoxy/ paint laminate repair kits, but the reviews were terrible.
  • The kits were dried up with they bought them.
  • The materials smelled terrible
  • They didn't always match the countertop well enough
  • They resin popped out after a bit
So that was out.

Then we started thinking about paint. If we used the right one, it would cover the mess and seal the water out.

But what was the right paint?

Supplies For This DIY:


Testors Enamel Paint 
Small Paint Brushes
Q-tips
Toothpick
Razor Blade
Alcohol

How To Repair Laminate Countertop Chips Without Resin or Epoxy

My husband said it needed to be an enamel paint to work and so we researched online and found a brand used for model painting. Testors Hobby and Enamel Model Paint

Testors Model Paint

The reviews were outstanding. People said it covered plastic and metal, sealed out water and lasted for years.

Even better, it was cheap and came in an endless variety of colors.

Definitely worth a shot.

So we bought several shades and waited for it to arrive.

When it finally showed up, I grabbed a two very thin tipped paint brushes -tiny ones designed for precision in tight spots - and got to work.

1. First, we cleaned the area well with alcohol to make sure there wasn't any debris or sticky mess on the countertop that would prevent the paint from adhering well.


Rubbing Alcohol

2. Next, we held the paint jars up to the counter to see what matched. 


Matching Paint jars to countertop color

One of the colors was super close, but needed just a tad of white added to lighten it up.

We made sure to mix it very well, since it did settle in the bottle a bit.

Mixing Paint in a small bottle


3. Then we carefully applied the paint to the chipped spots. 


We went slow, building up the coats one at a time to fill in the areas where the laminate was missing.

To do that, we let each coat dry thoroughly before adding more paint. 

Painting Laminate

I think it took about 4 coats to fill the spaces well.

We also had q-tips and a toothpick nearby to wipe away any of the excess paint that might've ended up outside of the chipped spots.

Use Razor To Scrape Paint

4. When the paint was dry, I took a razor blade and gently ran it across the corner seam to dust away any paint that blurred that sharp, dark edge. 


The entire process took less than 30 minutes to complete and when we were done, you couldn't even find those nasty chipped spots. Perfect.

Repaired Laminate Countertop

That was a while ago.

We figured that we might have to do this again sometime in the future, especially since the house is busy and the chips were located near the sink.

But nope, not yet. Today, almost two years later, I went to inspect the area, to maybe take another shot of the repair.

But to be honest, I couldn't find it. It's looks just as good as it did on the day we repaired it.

Like I said, it was the perfect fix.

For the perfect kitchen.

Perfectly imperfect. 

Just like I found it all those years ago.

What kind of countertops do you have?

HOW TO REPAIR CHIPPED LAMINATE COUNTERTOP

HERE ARE A FEW MORE SIMPLE FIXES:

Kim Signature


Post a Comment | 51 Comments

Hey~ before you go, let me know what you think!

I love comments and respond to them all.

*Please refer to our privacy policy if you have questions regarding your profile and note that comments with links will not be published.



  1. Superb. This almost makes me want to have laminate countertops. Almost.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Pat! I know laminate isn't usually a popular choice...what I really wanted was mahogany!! This was my consolation prize. Ha!

      Delete
  2. Good for you!!! I think I have the UGLIEST laminate in the world, and the darn stuff will last for the rest of my life, and probably follow me to my grave!! Y'all did a great job!!!
    Blessings from the Texas deep freeze! J

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks J! I know laminate is not everyone’s cup of tea. I picked this over stone or granite, because I wanted the countertops to just fade away. And they totally do. Except when they’re chipped. 😉

      Delete
  3. Kim, great fix. Worked perfectly. Sometimes just the tiniest of things can make a big impression. Your kitchen is one of the prettiest around..Stay well..xxoJudy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Judy!! I just couldn't deal with those chips!! xxoo

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. Thanks Jenny!! Just needed to cover those awful spots up!!

      Delete
  5. Great job. I did something similar in a house in FL that had some chips in the countertops. A couple of them were deep so I filled them first with a bit of spackling and then did the paint. It held up for the 3 years we were there. Amazing what one can do when you set the mind to it. Yours is REALLY perfect! xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh - spackle!! That's an ingenious tip, too. And I bet if you mentioned that to a contractor they would shudder...but it worked!! I feel that way about so many of the DIYs we do. I say if you can cheat your way there, go for it. And thank you, Diana. xo

      Delete
  6. LOL you are a girl after my own heart. I would not be able to sleep with the chips going on!!!! What a great idea and how easy and inexpensive that was for a fix. You go girl with your crafty and DIY self! Have a great week. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kris, it drove me crazy for months. I knew you’d get it!! I think *someone* must have knocked a dish into the counter on the way to washing it and it chipped the countertop. It didn’t bother my husband, but I was fixated on it. When he made me that curved bench for the room and it looked so pretty, I said, that’s it, they need to go. Hope you’re staying safe and warm in this nutty weather!!

      Delete
  7. You and your husband do great teamwork with your house repairs. With the paint color you can’t even tell there’s any chips on the counter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Julie! It was quick and easy and now it’s done! 😉

      Delete
  8. Ha, by the end of the day those little chips would have been holes in my head.

    I wouldn't be able to see anything else.

    Such a great fix. I'm going to Pin this, it may help others.

    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to hear I’m not alone!! They were all I could see… and thanks for sharing!! Stay warm.

      Delete
  9. What a great solution to this very common problem Kim. We sell these bottles over at Michaels too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's awesome, Mary! It's a really nice product. I'm happy to hear that they sell them in the stores. If the stores were open last year when we needed them, it would've made choosing a color a lot easier. We ordered ours from Hobby Lobby online and they were about $1.99 - $2.99 each. Good deal but we did end up with a lot of colors we didn't need.

      Delete
  10. You are brilliant! It really turned out perfect , I would never know there was a chip there.
    We have laminate, so someday we might need this tip!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Mari! I don’t know about brilliant, but definitely impatient…and I was afraid that the epoxy fixes wouldn’t hold up well and be goopy, so this was our cheat.

      Delete
  11. Kim,
    Glad that worked well for you!! It looks great!!
    Thanks so much for stopping by!!
    Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Debbie...quick, easy and inexpensive!! Hugs to you friend!

      Delete
  12. Well done! The fix turned out fantastic! Thank you for the tips and tricks. I live in a, This Old House, so I do appreciate your tips and tricks. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks!! And can't wait to see the new kitchen in your old house, Carla!!

      Delete
  13. Well...a great idea! You are just too clever! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kristi! You know me, I'm all about easy...

      Delete
  14. Thanks so much for posting this! Now I know how to fix laminate because we have it in our kitchen at the lake....and I love it, BTW....So easy to clean (I use Simple Green) and it doesn't have to be sealed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, Ricki, it's very easy to keep clean and it's tough. It's doesn't stain or require any kind of upkeep. And a kitchen by the lake sounds dreamy!!

      Delete
  15. What a great way to salvage your countertop! Thanks for sharing, you home is lovely!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Cara! I wasn't ready to give up on those chipped spots and the paint worked out really well. I appreciate the comment and hope you'll visit again!

      Delete
  16. Good job, you can’t even tell it was chipped 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rhonda! It was simple to do and 6 months later, it still looks perfect!

      Delete
  17. Wondering if the paint you purchased was acrylic or enamel. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wondering if the paint used was acrylic or enamel. Thank you!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We purchased the enamel paint. Thanks for asking, I have to change that link!! Definitely enamel- acrylic will not work the same.

      Delete
  19. Kim, somehow this is the first time that I realized we have the same kind of laminate counter tops! I thought I was the only person in blogland who still had laminate counters, lol. Mine are a different color than yours, but like you I still love the counters I selected over 20 years ago. I purposely selected the dark green to contrast my white washed custom cabinets. So far, I haven't had any chips, but I'm pinning your brilliant tip...just in case. (I wouldn't have thought of tester's paint.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have to say, I love my countertops! And I didn't realize we were laminate sisters, either! Haha!! I wanted mahogany way back when and when I realized that wasn't going to happen, I went with the laminate. I wanted the countertops to fade away...and they do. The paint worked really well and now, several months later, I can't even find the spots we patched. I hope you never need though!

      Delete
  20. Hello! I have a white countertop that got chipped. Do you think that will work? I believe it's also quartz marble. I feel terrible. it was done by accident from something as innocent as doing the dishes. Out of all the times I've done the dishes this happens. And I'd rather not have the maintence folks come to fix it. I don't know if I'd get charged :( I have pictures I can send too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello! Sorry to hear about your chip, ours was chipped the same way...doing dishes. Our chipped countertop is/ was laminate. I'm not sure it would work on quartz marble. I know there are pro kits out there for repairs, that might work better on your particular material. You might want to ask at the hardware store. Sorry I can't be more help...

      Delete
  21. Just used these acrylic paints to touch up my laminate countertop after damage from some drain cleaner left a few spots discolored and one which ate through the laminate. Now you can't tell at all! Touched up along the seam in the corner while I was at it and it looks like new. Thanks for the idea!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh great!! I'm so glad it worked for you. It's definitely a different kind of fix, but ours still looks great, I can't find the repaired spots they looks so good and it's been about a year and a half...and it's right on the sink edge so it gets wet often. I hope you have the same results!! And thanks for letting me know it helped you out. I appreciate the feedback!!

      Delete
  22. Great tip. Didn't need the life story though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you found the tip helpful. As far as the life story goes, well, this is a personal blog, a place where writing is my true passion and DIY is the just the subject of my storytelling. I share the tips in hopes that they may help someone else out of their own repair jam or inspire a creative home decor craft. Best of luck with your own repair, I hope it works out as well for you as it has for us.

      Delete
  23. Thank you so much for this!! Our local handy guy was replacing my laminate countertop and nicked the edge when sanding off some adhesive, wrecking about 5 house work of otherwise pristine work! I told him I’d find some kind of fix online and had the restore paints ordered before he had the faucet back in. I so appreciate your post! I’ll let you know how it goes.0

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yay!! You'll have to let me know how it goes. Our countertop still looks totally perfect and it's been exposed to water and daily use for a couple of years now. That paint is really tough, just go slow to build the layers and let it cure for a long time. Thanks for letting me know this tip was helpful and yes, keep me posted please!

      Delete
  24. Hi, I know I'm late to the party, but glad to have found this post. (And thank you BTW.) Just want to confirm that you got the 6 pack of camo colors in matte? I appreciate the link but it has been 3 years and the product may have updated. I ask because the colors in your photos don't look the same as the product. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there! Hmmm...I'm looking at the product and I think you may be right, I just looked at one of the old bottles I have and it looks like it's a gloss color. The number on the bottle is 1145-rm11451_0611 GL. White. I know that Testors was sold to Rustoleum recently, so they may have changed some of their colors or packs. I know you can purchase them individually if they no longer have a pack. Hope that helps!

      Delete
  25. I appreciate you checking, thank you!

    ReplyDelete