I’m not saying your husband did something wrong. The Aruch HaShulchans permits “balua”, but Rabbi Akiva Eiger and the Pri Megadim do not. That is exactly me point. It is not straightforward and each person should ask their own Rav!!!
BTW, treifing the counters is only relevant if one wants to switch a surface from milchig to fleishig or reverse. It is a chumra of the Magen Avraham not to switch items back and forth lest one get confused, and does not apply according to many Poskim when purchasing a new object. IMO not worth getting into a machlokes d’Oraisa over a possible chumra.