How to Restore a Bathroom Vanity Top

Restore your own vanity top.

If you have a vanity top with cracked or peeling paint in desperate need of restoring, you must first determine what material it is made of. If your vanity is constructed from laminate material, it may just be easier to replace it. However, if your vanity is made of another material such as wood, it is easy and rather inexpensive to restore.

Things You'll Need

• Safety Mask
• Gloves
• Medium paint brush
• Varnish remover
• Fine-grain sandpaper
• Mineral Spirits
• Paint Scraper
• Cleaning Rag
• Wood Sealant
• Paint or stain

Instructions

1. Make sure the bathroom is well-ventilated. Open windows or use an exhaust fan to pull fumes up and away from you as the chemicals can be harmful with prolonged exposure. Put on your safety mask and gloves.
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2. Remove old paint or stain on the vanity top. Using the paint brush, apply the varnish remover in long strokes in the direction of the wood grain. Cover completely.

3. Allow varnish remover to penetrate the wood for the specified amount of time in the varnish remover manufacturer's instructions. Then, use the paint scraper to scrape off the old paint or stain, scraping in the direction of the wood grain.

4. Dip a clean rag in mineral spirits and carefully rub over the vanity top, making sure to remove all paint or stain. Allow the vanity to dry.

5. Sand the vanity surface with fine-grain sandpaper until it is completely smooth to the touch and all traces of paint and stain are gone.

6. Wipe the vanity top with a clean rag to remove any debris from sanding. Apply new stain or paint to your vanity with a clean paintbrush. Paint in long, even strokes in the direction of the wood grain, distributing paint evenly across the vanity.

7. Allow paint or stain to dry; then apply wood sealant with a clean paint brush in the direction of the wood grain. Let the sealant dry.

References

• Bathroom Vanity Cabinets: Refinishing Vanity Top