How to Get a Matt or Satin Finish on Epoxy Resin Countertops

Do you want to give your kitchen a new lease of life with resin countertops but you're not sure about the super glossy surfaces. In this Instructable we show you how you can easily achieve a modern matte finish or subtle satin sheen with little extra cost.

If you're starting from the beginning and need to install the resin countertop first see our DIY Resin Countertops Using Clear Epoxy Coating Resin and Pigments Instructable then follow these simple steps to give your worktop either a matt or satin finish!

We hope you enjoy this Instructable and would love to hear your thoughts and any questions you have in the comments below.

The Products and Materials used in the project:

Polishing Compound

1500 Grit Abrasive Paper

DA Sander if you have one with 1500 grit paper

Microfibre Cloth

If you need to create your resin countertop before changing the surface to matt or satin you will need to create your resin countertop first - the kits we used can be found here.

The steps described below, and shown in the accompanying video tutorial, cover all the general information needed to produce alternative finishes to your resin countertop.

To demonstrate how to achieve a stylish matt or subtle satin finish we use the white marble style countertop we created in our Complete Epoxy Resin Countertop Tutorial.

Please note: the natural surface finish when using a coating resin is a super glossy, glass like finish.

To achieve a matt finish simply follow steps 1-5 in the next section of this Instructable, or to attain a satin finish follow both the matt finish and satin finish instructional steps.

To achieve a sophisticated matt finish on your countertop or other resin surface follow these simple steps:

1. Abrade the surface using 1500 grit abrasive paper
2. If you have access to a DA Sander this will make the process much faster although you can do it by hand
3. If using a DA Sander, keep it moving to avoid overheating areas and only apply light pressure
4. Clean and wipe the surface and inspect to make sure the shine has been completely removed
5. Take care on rolled edges to avoid breaking through the surface and visually check to ensure no glossy spots remain, giving it a final clean

You will now have a contemporary matt finish on your countertop or other project!

Satin Finish

If you would prefer to achieve a subtle satin finish on your countertop or other resin surface simply follow these steps:

1. Follow steps 1-5 from the Matt Finish instructions above
2. Thoroughly clean the surface after sanding and if you need to protect any built in appliances on your worktop use a barrier tape or masking tape before carrying out the next step
3. Apply a small amount of polishing compound to the countertop surface using a microfibre /soft cloth
4. Work the compound into the worktop in a circular motion
5. Don't over work the compound (this will avoid bringing the surface to a high shine), then wipe away any excess polishing compound and visually check no spots have been left matt

You will now have a stunning satin finish surface on your countertop or other project!

It really is that simple to achieve these two alternative surface finishes to your resin countertops, the technique can also be applied to other resin surface on tables, bartops and floors and if any marks or damage occur through wear and tear you can see how easy it is to fix!

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments or if you try the technique we'd love to see and hear how you get on.

Thanks for reading our Instructable :-)