This article explores different ways to personalize your own countertops with resin.

SUMMARY

WHAT IS RESIN	OUR RESIN SERVICE	USES FOR RESIN	ACCENTS
Epoxy resin is mixed with a hardener to create a crystal clear, highly durable surface as strong as 50 coats of varnish.	At KeenART Media, we offer resin-coating surfaces for countertops, tables, chair seats, and more.	Resin is a great coating for kitchen, bathroom, and restaurant surfaces, in addition to countless other applications.	Three dimensional objects like stones and shells, or two dimensional items such as photographs can be displayed beneath the resin.

Depending on the reactants, epoxy resins can have a wide range of properties, from fast to slow curing, opaque or clear color, water-proof or just water-resistant, and flexible or rigid. As such, resin is used in for many different applications.

In addition to artistic uses, epoxy resins can be used for many different purposes including adhesives, electronics, aerospace products, and home appliances and furniture.

Resin Thickness

On flat, rigid surfaces such as countertops, resin is applied in layers approximately 1/16" thick. Depending on the desired result and depth of the surface (uniform, or with varying levels - bumpy), mutiple layers may be required.

Caring for Resin

Once cured or hardened, resin is extremely easy to care for. It's very difficult to scratch or chip, so you don't have to worry about the cloth. It's largely resistant to heat, so you can scrub away dried on messes with hot water, and it won't be damaged by alcohol or acids. To learn more about resin in general, check out our Epoxy Resin Coating article.

Available to our customers in the Greater Vancouver Area: if you can detach it and bring it, we can put resin on it!

Pricing:

A custom price will be determined for your project, based on the size of the item, the number of resin layers required, and whether or not you supply the items to be placed below the resin.

A base rate of $60/hour will apply. Extra large panels, multiple layers, and decorative items may be subject to an additional fee.

Please contact us for more information on this exciting new service!

Read on to find out more about how resin can be used to beautify the surfaces of your home or business.

Once it has hardened, the resin is extremely durable. It resists melting if heat is applied, is difficult to scratch - it's as hard as fifty layers of varnish. It's also UV-resistant. Not only does it remain crystal clear, it adds a high shine and an almost three-dimensional effect that saturates the colors below it.

As long as the surface can be laid flat for coating, there are not many limits to what can be resined:

• Bathroom countertops
• Kitchen countertops
• Dining tables
• Wood or plastic chair seats
• Coffee and end tables
• Desk tops
• Kitchen islands
• So much more!

• Granite
• Concrete
• Tile
• Stone mosaic
• Copper
• Wood
• Painted
• Glass
• Metal
• Marble

But simply pouring resin onto your existing surface isn't the only way to use it. Since the resin creates a seal once hardened, you can place almost anything on the surface before you pour on the resin. Check out these great ideas, below.

Resin is non-toxic and easy to clean

Whether you completely replace the surface with something new and unique, or just add updated touches to your existing surface, your imagination is really the only limit to what you can create:

• THREE DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS
  • Crushed glass. Any color, any size. The glass can be scattered on the surface or laid out in a mosaic-style pattern. Paint the surface any color before laying the glass, for a bold, refractive tabletop. The resin will only enhance the reflective qualities of the material.

  • Bottle caps. A great option for your basement bar, or the bartop in a lounge or restaurant. The caps can be scattered, or placed in neat rows. A few layers of resin are required to fully cover the caps.

  • Coins. Pennies, foreign currency, even non-monetary coins can be covered with resin for a shiny, metal look with a peak of color, white, or black visible between the coins.

  • Crystals. Probably faux, unless you have a large budget. Crystals overlaid with resin will sparkle, shine, and refract the light in a unique way.

  • Shells or sea glass. For a beachy or nautical room, consider a layer of seashells - crushed for an iridescent shimmer, or whole - or multi-colored sea glass in keeping with the theme.

  • Lego. Perfect for the kids' bathroom, or an architect's kitchen, the lego can be stacked and laid on its side or placed right side up to show the classic top bumps. Choose specific colors or use the full rainbow.

  • Rounds of wood. For a rustic look without the slabs, thin cross-cuts of branches can be laid out across the surface. The surface color will be visible between the items.

  • Leaves, flowers, other flora. Autumn leaves, spring buds, seaweed, or other plant life can make your kitchen feel like your favorite season all year long. Resin has an amber-like effect, so the items will stay just as they were when they were coated.

  • Coffee beans or grains. A scattered or dense layer of coffee beans is perfect for a coffee shop bar counter or even the customer tables. Wheat grains for an Italian pasta restaurant. Barley for a bar that brews its own beer!

• TWO DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS
  • Photographs. A collage of your family or memorable vacation, or a full-size print of a beautiful landscape or other view can make a stunning end or coffee table surface.

  • Cut or printed paper. Any paper such as doilies or printed digital designs must be laminated or otherwise coated before the resin can be applied. But once they are, beautifully patterned tabletops are a quick and easy possibility.

  • Fabric. Most fabrics will absorb the first layer of resin, making them permanently darker (as though wet), but this is another great way to get colorful, bold patterns or images without much effort.

  • Paint swirled through the resin. Paint can be swirled through each layer of resin before it dries, creating a unique, marbled and layered effect. No two surfaces or sections will be the same.

  • Copper sheets. Thin sheets of copper can be laid over almost any hard surface. The designs are not printed on the copper, but created using a natural aging process that allows the manufacturer to customize the resulting patina.

    They are available in a variety of colors and patterns, and look absolutely stunning when topped with high shine resin. We are happy to offer these sheets as an additional option for reinventing your countertop.

• Add light. If you mount the resin and whatever added decor on a transparent sheet of acrylic, you can place lights under the counter for a glowing effect. Ideal for the bathroom, this style also works for kitchen countertops, or islands with an electricity hookup.

Swirled paint table detail

Copper sheets can be laid and resin applied on top

Copper sheets come in a wide variety of styles

With resin, the copper is given a high shine

Resin on artistic displays results in an eye-catching, high gloss surface that adds vividness to color and depth and dimension to grayscale images, while protecting the product from scratching, scuffing, and environmental damages.

Though similar to a glass or plexiglass cover over a flat artwork, because the resin is adhered directly to the image, an almost three dimensional effect is achieved due to the way the light is forced to reflect and refract off the surface. UV resistance means your print will not fade, and the resin will not yellow or degrade over time. Nonetheless, we suggest your print be kept indoors and out of direct sunlight to keep it beautiful for as long as possible.

Prints and original artwork can be coated in resin, though it is important to keep in mind that this application is permanent and removal will damage the image. Resin will adhere, diamond-hard and with high clarity, to wood, acrylic and watercolor paints, paper prints, canvas, and most three dimensional objects. Wax paper and soft media, like pastels and charcoal, to not work well with resin coatings. (If you have an original in one of these mediums, you can always choose resin coating for the print!)

• RESIN ON CANVAS

  You can choose to have your gallery wrapped canvas print coated with resin. This process will eliminate the delicate flexibility of the canvas and provide a reflective sheen that protects the image. The bold colors in the print will pop and the viewer will feel as though they are really there, seeing the original scene.

• RESIN ON DI BOND

  Aluminium Di Bond is a rigid surface made from two pieces of pure aluminium with a polyethylene core. Any printed image can be dry mounted onto this thin surface and displayed on the wall with an invisible float hanger. Similarly, your image can be mounted on Gatorboard, foam board, or Sinta prior to being coated with resin.

• RESIN ON WOOD

  Your paper print can be mounted on a wood panel, which offers the depth of a canvas print, with the natural touch of a bare, wood grain drop edge. The result is a unique combination of contemporary and rustic, with the sharp, frameless image surrounded by the soft tones of the wood.

• RESIN ON 3D OBJECTS

  Resin can be applied to collages, relief carvings or found object displays, and many in-the-round carvings or constructions. Depending on the number of resin layers and the depth of the object, resin can be applied to make objects appear to be floating within the sculpture, or simply add high gloss shine and a protective coating on the entire project.

Detail of resin-coated photo on foam board

Detail of resin-coated photo on wood panel

If you have questions about any of our services or products, don't hesitate to contact us. Our knowledgeable staff is always happy to assist with answers, advice, or suggestions.

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