Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

My stomach sank when I discovered how much it was going to cost to update or replace the 44 year old dated looking laminate in my small Kitchen. The window sill, countertops & miniature bar looked very dated. It was chipped, stained, burnt etc. Then by accident I discovered the Gianni Granite kit when I was looking for items to update my kitchen & bath with. I was excited at the possibilities & potential to save a lot of money while savaging my laminate countertops. I called customer service & shared my concerns & apprehension about doing this. The application process she shared with me is the one she successfully uses & typically recommends. This process allows you more time to fine tune & fix the way it looks as you're proceeding step-by-step. 1st clean your countertop then fill in any small holes, scratches, chips with "Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Filler Stainable for interior/exterior" as it's water resistant-which is critical for countertops. Apply with small putty blade/knife then let it dry. Just follow directions for drying time. Then lightly sand with 150 grit sandpaper until it smoothly blends with countertop. Note: I even fill in the gaps around the chrome or silver base of laminate backsplash to create a smooth seamless look by using my fingers to smooth the wood filler around it while applying. After it dry's then lightly sand to blend & smooth it. After cleaning , get a fan ready to help speed up drying time with either a table, step ladder or stool to place fan on. Get a paint pan then apply aluminum foil inside of it to speed up the cleaning process by simply disposing it when done. You'll start out by applying the black acrylic primer paint which is water based. You'll use the enclosed NAP & roller which comes with the kit. I recommend going to Walmart & going to the section where they have packaged assortments of various size small round artists painter brushes. Why? This will make painting or dabbing the corners far easier to paint then using the seafoam sponges for dabbing paint. Paint the corners 1st with the enclosed foam brush, then roll the black acrylic primer paint. Make sure it looks smooth & solid black. After you're done with painting the black primer then start the fans on a low speed to completely dry your countertops. It typically takes about 20 minutes to dry touch when using fans. No, I did not wait 24 hours or longer than 20 minutes. Remember, you'll be applying the paint in steps & not all at once to avoid any possible muddy looking effects. Now get out two paper plates , shake the brown paint can (Sandstone?) then pour a small amount of paint into a small plastic bowl with a lid for later use or touch-up. Now tear the sponge into sections as described in video. Then dab sponge into paint bowl then blot off on one of the paper plates, then start lightly applying to black countertop. Just lightly dab the complete counter top. Then use the small rounded artist paint brushes you bought elsewhere to dab the corners/seams with the brown paint. You may even lightly stroke the black corners completely with the brown paint. If you feel satisfied then immediately start the fans to completely dry the paint on low speed. Wait about 20 minutes or until paint dry's to touch. Note: About using the White paint. Use very little or none at all as the paint is designed to simply highlight the countertop! You should use the same or apply equal amounts of the Brown & Gold color with very little white or no white paint. Additionally, you can simply save the white paint & use it in combination with Martha Stewarts Acrylic Pearlescent white paint sold at Michael's to redo your bathroom countertop in White Diamond which looks absolutely stunning! However, you need to water/thin the paint down with up to 7% water. Now apply the Inca Gold just like you did with the brown, & dab &/or stroke the corners/seams with the small round artists paint brush. After you're done, turn on the fans again at low speed. Wait 20 minutes or so until try to touch. However, you may need to repeat the process for the brown & Inca Gold paint, if it does not look natural to you or from someone else's opinion you trust. Be patient & don't worry! You'll know when it looks natural or good to you. You may even need a break from it to get a different perspective- like I did. Once you have obtained the desired look, you'll then will be ready to apply two coats of topcoat to give your countertop a nice gloss look which also will protect it. This is the key to making it a long-lasting durable finish! You want to make sure you completely paint your countertop with two coats of topcoat. Apply one coat then when done with 1st coat turn on fan at low speed setting until dry to touch. Then repeat the process. You need to avoid putting any hot or heavy items on the countertop for at least 14 days to let the finish harden. This is also one of the tricks to a long-lasting finish. It's been about 6 months & there have been no problems with peeling or discoloration. Best of all, spills wipe up easily with a sponge--without leaving any stains behind. I'm really impressed with this unique system as it literally saved me thousands of dollars & produced visible results way beyond my expectations. I hope this review helped you. [...] Thanks & Good Luck!