Concrete Counter Top Tips?

Brent Dowell

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Does anyone have any good 'how-to' links on making concrete counter tops?

Getting ready to do some serious work on the house and Need to add a utility sink in 'my' bathroom, and just thought that a concrete counter top would be ideal. Just a small one, about 45"x 24".

Thanks!
 
Yeah, found a lot of different sites on google, was just hoping someone here had some first hand knowledge.

Seems to be different methods for what materials to use, i.e. rebar, mesh, diamond mesh, additives, etc..

Also specifically interested in sealing the top. I've seem some people use penetrating sealers, other use epoxy on the top...

Thanks! :thumb:
 
I'm thinking it's really not that complex at this point. At anyrate, the size I'm making will be pretty cheap to make. The bigger problem is if it's a failure getting rid of it!

I think I'll get the materials tonight and start building the cabinet and the concrete molds...
 
Why concrete?

1) Cheap :D
2) Supposedly easy to DIY
3) Actually looks pretty nice
4) Durable

Concrete counter tops have also become kind of trendy and have been hyped on a lot of the DIY shows. Since this counter is going to be kind of a weird shape, Just figured we'd give it a shot.

Basically, my 'bathroom' is kind of weird thing the previous owners added on to the house. Not much reason for it to be where it is, and we don't really use it much. Since we don't have any kind of a utility sink anywhere, we thought we would put one in there. Figured might as well make the room look as nice as we can, while adding in some extra functionality.

bathroomcabinet.jpg
 
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Brent,

I looked into this pretty hard during the kitchen project. Got right to the edge, and stepped back, in favor of tile.

It's awfully attractive, and it looks like a lot of fun. And it's not hard... by the time you made the third one, you'd have the process down pat. The only problem? What to do with the first two...? ;)

I guess that's why they invented sledge hammers, because they knew I'd come along some day, and I'd try to make a concrete counter top... ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
The only problem? What to do with the first two...? ;)

I guess that's why they invented sledge hammers, because they knew I'd come along some day, and I'd try to make a concrete counter top... ;)

I'm definitely going to go for it. It's such a small counter top.

Besides, I've got a big chunk of desert I could always dispose of it in. In fact, the previous owners must have ripped up a big sidewalk at one time, cause I've already got a rubble pile I could add to... :thumb:
 
brent how thick is this top going to be? I've never seen one up close but don't think it would be over 2 inches thick.:dunno:. If that's the case i don't think it should be a big deal. Are you adding color or are you going to stain it? If it is just a couple inches thick i would think you could just tap the form around the edges and get rid of any honey combs.:dunno:
Steve
 
Going to color it black... It's my 'library' and I get to do with it what I want... :thumb:

Picked up the stuff to get started on things. Need to make a template, get the forms in place, etc... I'll do a little more research and probably do the pour middle of the week.
 
Brent, just watched a show "Ron Hazelton's House Calls" and he had a concrete countertop made for his bathroom. They used the melamine (sp?) covered chip board so that made a nice finish for the top of the counter. He used pink insulation and glued that in the middle for the center cut out for the sink, he wrapped the edges of the pink insulation with clear packing tape, said it gave a nicer finished edge. Using a chrome pipe he cut the cut outs for the hot/cold and faucet and glued those round pieces onto the board after wrapping with clear packing tape. He claimed he developed an added ingredient to make it stronger than normal (hype to buy his???) anyway, he mixed all ingredients thoroughly dry then added water. He filled the mold 2/3's of the way, had a piece of woven fence (for strength) as well as a couple pieces of rebar, then the interesting thing, he used a random orbital sander on the bottom of the melamine board, running it across the bottom, it was magic the way it transformed the concrete as well as vibrated the metal into the center (to much and it would be on the top when done!). Anyway, other tips, he let it cure in his shop in the mold for a week, then he polished it once out of the mold with hand stones of different grits. Then a clear sealer so it didn't absorb or stain. Looked very nice against the natural tiles he had in the bathroom already. I still have the show on my DVR, if you need anything more specific, I can recheck it for you and find out. Hope this helps. Oh, he ran the ROS under it before putting in the wire mesh and rebar so he could take his time and get it leveling and looking nice (this is the bottom) then he just laid the metal on top and not long it disappeared!

I also forgot, he made the form from the melamine chip board, put silicone in all the corners and sprayed it with a solvent of some kind so he could press and make the silicone a half round with his finger (solvent kept it from sticking to his finger) and this insured a rounded, finished edge as it is sitting upside down when in the form.
 
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There are three truths about Concrete, all else are opinions... #1 Its Hard, #2 Its Heavy, & #3 It Will Crack...
 
I've made a couple of counter tops, one had a small bar sink. Pretty much what you've probably seen in the videos. In addition to a re-bar grid I used fiberglass strands in the concrete mix. Keep the mix as dry as possible. You don't want it to pour into the mold, you want to pack it in with your hands. The wetter the concrete mix the weaker it sets. An old jitterbug sander works great to get the bubbles out of the form, don't run it to long or you will float your aggregates out of the wet concrete mix. Controlling the drying of the concrete will also make it stronger, after a couple of days in the form (covered in plastic) take it out and place it on edge in the garage or basement (if it's easy to handle). Keep it covered, not wrapped, with no large temp fluctuations for a month for the strongest set possible. To reduce the chance of cracking lay it on top of a 3/4" plywood sheet setting it in a latex modified mortar bed.

Just my 2 cents.
 
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