Encore Countertop Kit, River Rock

Chose this product over other countertop resurfacing products such as Spreadstone, Giani and Rustoleum after heavy research. This product just seemed to offer a more elegant finish and something closer to a foolproof application. In the end, this proved to be the case. However, as has been mentioned, this is a very labor-intensive and drawn-out process that at times can leave you puzzled and unsure as to proper application and a good understanding of how the system works. The first coat of the sandy/grainy and awkward-to-use "Super Bond" is by far the toughest. Each subsequent coat, however, gets easier to apply and manipulate. I had 44 sq feet of countertop to cover and had plenty of product, even after applying multiple coats of all 3 tinted cement mixtures. Invest in plenty of sandpaper. It wasn't until I decided that keeping the floor clean was impossible that I finally got my application down. Just slap it down heavy and smooth it out in rounded motions... there is going to be a mess to clean up regardless. We decided to remove and replace our kitchen sink, which made application easier. Truthfully, I don't see how you could adequately apply this product w/o removing the sink as 1) the sink will likely be cemented in place and cause damage to the finish if it were ever to be replaced and 2) the resulting edge around the sink would create and present areas where finish chipping could occur. But don't be mistaken as the finished product is very stable and very hard. The edges are solid and while at first I had doubts about weak edges, the finished product alleviated those concerns. The included instruction video DVD was very helpful. I am extremely satisfied with the results and would not hesitate to use this product again.

I purchased this product to redo extremely ugly Formica butcher block countertops after seeing the product on the DIY network and reading reviews. Overall I really like the finished product and would recommend to anyone that doesn't want to invest in new stone/granite countertops. It reminds me of using plaster on your walls with the finish and many layers. I would've rated the product higher if the color was more accurate, I purchased Pearl Gray assuming this would be a lighter colored gray and it's a curb colored concrete tan color. It looks good but not the color I wanted or planned with the cabinets and backsplash so will be changing the tile planned. The other issues were the amounts and packaging. We had to skim lightly on the second coat of the day 1 super bond and we were unable to put the second coat along the edges, this ended up working out as the many other layers in the process filled in any gaps and helped give it an actual stone finish. A couple of the other layers we had excess and just enough and we were unsure if the mixed product was correct based on the measurements because they didn't look like the video but as we worked through the layer it was ok. The super bond comes ready to spread and was so thick we broke a stir stick, it looked nothing like the video but we spread it out and it gets covered up so it worked out, very gritty. I'm not sure if one of the bottles leaked or was old because it had black tape around the lid and one lid was sealed from the product and we had to cut the bottle top off with a razor knife.These sound like bigger problems than they were, as we worked each day's step we could see an improvement and the final product is smooth to the touch and looks a lot better than the ugly original. I am happy with the results with the exception of the color.

This product was great and I am very happy with the overall results. The packaging was excellent. Everything was packaged so it would not spill, and was very clearly marked. The written directions and video were also very clear and easy to follow. The application was a little challenging in some areas. I had a very small vertical area (5" high by 5' long) that was challenging to apply the two bond coats with putty knife or brush so I ended up kind of smearing it on with my hands. I was glad I had made the decision not to use it on my backsplash areas. I was not able to remove my sink so it was difficult to work behind that area as well. Again, I used my fingers. Once I moved on to the color coats those were easy to apply to the vertical area with a brush. For the countertops, all coats were very easy to apply. I am happy with the color (onyx) and with the finished surface. The only part I did not care for was sanding between every coat. That was laborious but worth the effort!

Followed directions perfectly. Prep and application was unremarkable. At first was happy with the results. Beautiful finish that went perfect with our kitchen. I did not use this product for a final fix but a temporary fix until we chose our new counter tops. After a month I noticed how soft this finish is. Just writing with a pencil will leave a mark underneath the paper. Then after 3 months the real problems began. Now it is beginning to bubble up and allow moisture to seem under.I assume most people using this product are looking for a cheap way to fix counter tops. If this is as good as it gets, just save 200$ and put it towards new counter tops.