Does Rust-Oleum Countertop Paint Actually Hold Up? What We Know Based On Reviews

Whenever you renovate a kitchen space, countertops are often one of the largest bills you have to deal with. If you replace the countertops, you'll be spending, on average, between $34 to $97 per square foot, depending on the material. When the average counter project is at least 40 square feet with 25 feet of edges, that's quite a bit of dough — even more if you're looking at the top three most durable countertops. 

Unless, of course, you'd rather go with something like the Rust-Oleum Countertop Transformations Kit, which, for under $200, gives you 50 square feet or 20 linear feet of coverage. This paint kit from Rust-Oleum allows you to mimic the look of natural stone without shelling out the big bucks for the real thing. Painted countertops are a budget-friendly way to get the look of granite countertops for way less.

While kits like the one from Rust-Oleum might seem ideal for folks wanting to update their kitchen on a budget, though, do the results hold up? Nearly 600 customers have reviewed the kit on Amazon, and here's what they're saying.

It is telling that nearly 75% of purchasers on Amazon rate a home improvement product so positively. But even if the Rust-Oleum paint kit looks awesome when it's first done, that doesn't mean it is going to last in a bathroom or kitchen setting.

Thankfully, it seems that several reviewers say it is well worth the purchase. Back in 2018, Dustin M. Chevalier wrote that it was their second time using the kit and, after five years, it was going strong. Meanwhile, fellow purchaser JRope wrote of their love of the kit as well. "My husband has put this on two different counters and each time they come out flawless," they wrote. "Turns an unattractive counter top into a gorgeous surface. Definitely try this before completely scrapping good working counters. Fairly easy to apply. Holds up well. 4 years of daily use and still good to go." 

The vast majority of reviewers used the kit in the kitchen. Only 16 specifically mentioned a bathroom in their review, while 90 talked about using the kit in their kitchen. It would certainly make sense if you're a fan of the color to use leftover paint from the kitchen to give a mini overhaul of bathroom counters, too. 

Although a lot of reviewers love the Rust-Oleum kit and say it holds up well, others had a harder time with the project. Reviewer Lamija Smajlagic wrote that even after trying to fix the paint kit they now need to just replace the counters altogether. They wrote that the chips are hard to disperse evenly, but a bigger issue is what happens when the counters get wet. "The biggest disappointment is that my countertops cannot get wet at all or they turn white until they dry," Smajlagic wrote. 

User Mad Max also warned any future buyers of the kit that, since it is paint, you need to be careful when cleaning the counters. Once you coat your counters in this paint refinish, you can't use abrasive or harsh cleaning products on it or risk removing the color. They wrote to treat the finished product as you would a car because it can be easily scratched. You may want to use a chemical-free cleaning product if you choose to use the kit.

 While some have had great success with the kit's durability over time, others haven't had as much luck. It is a far cheaper alternative to replacing or even refinishing countertops, though — that much is sure. If you're looking for an easy fix or don't mind doing the project again every handful of years, this seems to be a worthwhile choice.