The Popular Countertop Trend The Property Brothers Want You To Avoid At All Costs

Kitchen remodels can get very expensive very fast, so folks usually look for places where they can cut corners. Some might decide to repaint their kitchen cabinets instead of investing in new ones, while others might wait for a massive appliance sale. But one of the most significant expenses in your kitchen flip is the countertops, so you might be tempted to skip the natural stone option and instead go for something a little more synthetic, such as epoxy. However, the Property Brothers urge you not to go that route. While covering your existing countertops with epoxy or resin might only cost you a couple of hundred dollars to do — which is very attractive for the wallet — the issue is that it never lasts. 

"We're talking about home trends you need to stop doing," Jonathan Scott shared in an Instagram video for Good Housekeeping. "Don't epoxy your countertops. The people who are trying to find a solution to change it out by adding resin or painting it. No! It never lasts. It starts to look even worse once it begins to peel away." His brother, Drew Scott, added: "It's like re-glazing your tub. Just don't do it." Not entirely convinced that epoxy isn't the answer to all of your budgeting woes? Here is a deeper dive into why it might not be worth doing. 

Epoxy or resin-covered countertops became popular over the last couple of years due to TikTok. Amateur home renovators have shared this DIY project with their followers when updating their houses on a budget, touting it as a cheaper alternative to buying new countertops. When you search "epoxy countertops" on the platform, you get thousands of hits, giving you an endless parade of inspiration and how-to knowledge on how to do it in your own home. Rather than buying marble or quartz slabs — which can cost on average $60 and $70 per square foot, respectively — you can just buy a tub of epoxy and paint on faux veins to achieve a similar result. However, these results are meant to be temporary rather than permanent. 

On average, with proper care and maintenance, epoxy countertops can last up to 10 years, which sounds like a lengthy amount of time. However, you have to be careful how you treat them. You can't let spills linger, or they will stain the resin; you can't put hot pots and pans on it without scorching the surface; and you need to avoid harsh cleaners, or you'll fade the surface. Some kits recommend only using one-fifth of an inch of resin, which makes the surface more prone to peeling or cracking. Other times, DIYers don't prep the surface area well enough, which can lead to faster bubbling and peeling, leaving behind a weathered look.

If epoxy isn't recommended for long-lasting solutions, then what affordable alternative can you turn to? After all, if you don't have the budget for granite or quartz, then you might feel like you have no other option but to go the DIY epoxy route. Luckily, there are a couple of alternatives you can try. First, you can try Formica or laminate countertops, which are professionally manufactured resin countertops. They're a little more durable than epoxy countertops, and since you buy them rather than DIY them, you won't get any of the bubbling, peeling, or chipping that can happen if you improperly apply your own resin. On average, they cost as little as $40 per square foot, making them an affordable alternative to stone countertops.

Corian countertops, which are countertops made from a mix of acrylic polymers and natural stone, are another option, giving you the best of both worlds. They also come in different colors and marbling styles, giving you the look of epoxy countertops with more reliable and longer-lasting results. On average, they begin at $26 per square foot. This makes for another budget-friendly choice.