Fixing or Repairing the Finish on Formica Counter Tops

When we moved to our home about 20 years ago, the first thing I wanted to replace was our counter tops. There was a "chip" on the corner and the wood was showing under the Formica.

Many thing come up when you buy a new home and we put our resources into other things and the counter stayed. 

I used some paint and matched the counter top colors. Twenty years later, we still have those counter tops and the other day, I got my apron caught on the corner and it pulled another chunk of Formica laminate off the counter.
 
I was sad about it and not having the resources at the moment to replace it and since I had the paint out from fixing the wall yesterday, I decided to do the first coat on painting that area and fill in some cracking on the joints and cover a burn area where one of the girls had an issue with the stove top catching fire and I pulled off the element and it burned a place on the counter near the stove. 
 
I used the paint and rubbed my finger back and forth over the cracks and chips and filled the holes with the paint. 

Then wash the extra paint off and seal it with fingernail polish. 

There were a few small dots and I filled them in as well and using clear fingernail polish, I seal the color in.

The burned area is a bit more tricky. It first needs a base coat of the darker color. Allow it to dry and then get the lighter color or just add some white to the base color until it is light enough that the lighter color matches.
 
Do a "sponge" technique to match the burned area to the counter.  

Of course, it won't be perfect but it will be better than a dark burned area. 

I wish that I did have funds for a new counter but if I did, in reality, you and I both know that I would use it on something for the girls anyway.

I still need to finish putting the lighter color of paint on but I had lots going on today and ended up working on pruning the back tree until 11 p.m. tonight. I probably have 1/3 of it done, at least 1/3 of what I can do on my own. At some point, I am going to have to have someone with a bucket truck come and "top" the tree as it is probably as tall as two and a half of the extension ladders high. 


Hopefully, I can get it done tomorrow or at least by the weekend as I still have to get the windows washed and the garden beds and shrubs done before winter.