How to Faux Paint Granite

Faux granite is a popular finish that you can create to blend with the colors in your rooms. The process to faux finish granite is straightforward and uses basic painting equipment or inexpensive and easy to obtain tools. However, it can get more than a little messy, so try to do it outside or put down lots of drop cloths. You'll love the end results.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Whisk brooms
• Polyurethane
• Paint stir sticks
• Lots of drop cloths
• Safety glasses
• Tack cloth
• Latex primer
• Base coat and accent latex paint (satin finish)
• Sandpaper (180 - 220 grit)

1. Determine where you want to have a faux granite look. Table tops, counters, lamps or even mantle tops are all good choices.

2. Choose your colors. Faux granite is achieved by putting thousands of tiny paint specks onto a base color--usually black or gray. Highlight colors are often blues, grays, greens or light pastels. Make sure your base color ties in with your room colors.

3. Prepare the surface for painting by sanding with fine grade sandpaper (180 - 220 grit), then clean with a tack rag.

4. Using a latex primer, roll or paint your surface and leave it to dry overnight.

5. Apply your base color and let it dry. Two coats of base color will ensure the surface has good full coverage.

6. Dip just the tips of the bristles of a whiskbroom into your accent color and using a stick flick accent paint onto your surface. Draw the stick towards you to help control where the paint spatters.

7. Cover the surface with paint spatters, but not so much that the base disappears.

8. Use a different whisk and repeat the dipping and flicking process to apply your second accent color.

9. Don't put on too much accent color at one time. Remember, you can always add more to adjust the final appearance.

10. Allow the granite-looking surface to dry overnight and then protect it with 2 or 3 coats of polyurethane.

Tips & Warnings

• Flicking the whiskbroom bristles will likely have paint flying everywhere. Wear old clothes with long sleeves to keep paint off you. It's best to work outside if you can or at least in any area that you have protected with lots of drop cloths. You'll be amazed how far some paint flecks can travel.
• Even with the polyurethane surface your faux granite surface may be too rough to write on. A piece of glass cut to fit will allow your granite surface to show, but be smooth enough for writing.
• All the supplies necessary to make your faux granite surface are available at your home store.
• Make sure you wear eye protection when sanding and particularly when applying the accent colors.