What do I need to do to apply new sealer on my kitchen countertops?

TLDR: Do I HAVE to strip the old sealer off my concrete counters before applying a new sealer? Thanks in advance We moved into our home about 4 years ago with the impression that the kitchen counters were simple laminate. Turns out they were concrete with a laminate “contact paper” applied over the top of them. We peeled all the contact paper off (because it looked like trash) and have more or less used the counters happily since. But the concrete job looks DIY and poorly done. Tons of pock marks and pin holes. Trying to roll out a pie crust or sugar cookies generates a hilariously uneven surface, and there’s constantly flour trapped in the pinholes that we vacuum out every so often (we bake lots of bread). The previous owners applied some kind of stain/sealer, but it’s one that stains incredibly easily if anything acidic lingers on the counter for longer than even a moment. We cook a lot, so the counters have lots of tiny dot-stains from rogue lemon juice, tomatoes, etc… any time we wipe the counter down, if we apply a little bit of pressure along with (pretty benign) cleaner, we start to pull some of the dark stain/sealer up on the cleaning rag. It feels like it is finally time to re-seal. I found a food-safe water-based sealer that seems to mostly check our boxes for non-toxicity and seems well reviewed for durability (Ghostshield 660 for reference). But I cannot for the life of me find an answer to this question: do I HAVE to fully strip the previous sealer from the counter before applying a new sealer? I’m reading so much conflicting information. I really don’t want to strip the sealer, as we don’t hate the color that the counters are stained currently and I’m worried that if I strip the current surface it will take the stain with it. There’s also the factor of mess/special equipment. I see tons of conflicting information on whether or not i should strip chemically or if I have to get special sanders to sand it down. It’s inside our kitchen and we have toddlers, and I don’t want to create a huge unnecessary mess. I know I can wet sand by hand but all of our kitchen counters would take a long time, and I also have fence post holes to dig, the garden to tend, dinner to make, etc….. I see some sources say that solvent-based can be applied over solvent-based with only a thorough cleaning between sealers (and likewise for water-based sealers) and then I see other sources say no, you can’t do that. I even see some sources say that solvent-based sealers can be applied over water-based sealers, but most sources say not to do that. I don’t yet know if the old sealer is solvent-based or water-based. The new product I bought is water-based but I’d happily burn some money on a solvent-based product if it meant I didn’t have to strip the old sealer. Thank you!! submitted by /u/Rough-Front-1578 [link] [comments]

Mar 17, 2025 - 21:05

TLDR: Do I HAVE to strip the old sealer off my concrete counters before applying a new sealer?

Thanks in advance

We moved into our home about 4 years ago with the impression that the kitchen counters were simple laminate. Turns out they were concrete with a laminate “contact paper” applied over the top of them.

We peeled all the contact paper off (because it looked like trash) and have more or less used the counters happily since. But the concrete job looks DIY and poorly done. Tons of pock marks and pin holes. Trying to roll out a pie crust or sugar cookies generates a hilariously uneven surface, and there’s constantly flour trapped in the pinholes that we vacuum out every so often (we bake lots of bread). The previous owners applied some kind of stain/sealer, but it’s one that stains incredibly easily if anything acidic lingers on the counter for longer than even a moment. We cook a lot, so the counters have lots of tiny dot-stains from rogue lemon juice, tomatoes, etc… any time we wipe the counter down, if we apply a little bit of pressure along with (pretty benign) cleaner, we start to pull some of the dark stain/sealer up on the cleaning rag.

It feels like it is finally time to re-seal. I found a food-safe water-based sealer that seems to mostly check our boxes for non-toxicity and seems well reviewed for durability (Ghostshield 660 for reference).

But I cannot for the life of me find an answer to this question: do I HAVE to fully strip the previous sealer from the counter before applying a new sealer?

I’m reading so much conflicting information. I really don’t want to strip the sealer, as we don’t hate the color that the counters are stained currently and I’m worried that if I strip the current surface it will take the stain with it. There’s also the factor of mess/special equipment. I see tons of conflicting information on whether or not i should strip chemically or if I have to get special sanders to sand it down. It’s inside our kitchen and we have toddlers, and I don’t want to create a huge unnecessary mess. I know I can wet sand by hand but all of our kitchen counters would take a long time, and I also have fence post holes to dig, the garden to tend, dinner to make, etc…..

I see some sources say that solvent-based can be applied over solvent-based with only a thorough cleaning between sealers (and likewise for water-based sealers) and then I see other sources say no, you can’t do that. I even see some sources say that solvent-based sealers can be applied over water-based sealers, but most sources say not to do that.

I don’t yet know if the old sealer is solvent-based or water-based. The new product I bought is water-based but I’d happily burn some money on a solvent-based product if it meant I didn’t have to strip the old sealer.

Thank you!!

submitted by /u/Rough-Front-1578
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