What's best for sealing painted countertops?

bscott1238

Hello! I recently painted my countertops, and I'm having a little trouble. The guy at Home Depot said to use Polycrylic, which I did, but given what I now know (that Polycrylic is water-based and therefore not waterproof), it seems that was a bad recommendation! Now, when water gets on the countertops, it turns the polycrylic white again until it re-drys. What would be the best sealant for me to use that's not outrageously expensive? I thought about bar top resin, but that stuff's really expensive. Should I just try regular oil-based polyurethane or maybe the Helmsman poly that's made for indoor or outdoors? I don't eat my food directly off of the countertop or ever place raw foods on my countertop (I have a nice big butcher block cutting board for that), so I'm mainly just concerned about durability. I know it won't last forever, so if this is something I need to do every couple of years, I'm fine with that. See the attachment to see my countertop. Aside from this problem, I think they turned out great.

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chrisn

spar varnish, maybe?

slickshift

...
Yeah it's amazing how many times those statements appear together
(No offense to any of our friends in orange who actually give good advise, but you must realize you are a rare find at the Big Orange)

Truth is, bar top resin is really your best bet for your app.

Check your local Paint Store and see what they have available
Check the sq. ft. coverage of the products, it may not be cheap, but it may not be as bad as you think
You also should get much better advise at your local Real Paint Store