The slick part of make concrete counter tops is build the mold . After that all that is required is manual lying-in and patient finishing .
Concrete kitchen countertops can be made either in space on top of the existing cabinetry or can be poured into a mold and finished off - site before installing on top of the cabinets . This clause will line the basic unconscious process for progress to concretecountertopsin molds .
In this clause
A. Building the Concrete Counter Top Mold
establish a concrete counter top mold mean building a mold that is upside down and backwards from what the ruined countertop will look like . This is because the concrete will be poured into the cast and then result to sit for a mates of day before being turned over and out of the mould . The concrete remain on the bottom of the mold will become the ruined surface of the installed countertop .
Make a pattern for the concrete mold by laying down strips of cardboard or thin airstrip of wood onto the perimeter of existing cabinetwork . Allow for an overhang over the front of the cabinets . Use a hot glue gas pedal to bond the landing strip together .
Allow 1/8 ” disruption between the mold practice and any wall to allow a number of wiggle way when install . Also lay down strip to mark where any gap for cesspit will be . cautiously label approach pattern , point top , left over , right , front and back of countertop . Indicate location of any faucets or goop dispensers as well as the centerlines of any sink knockouts .
Each length of counter will require its own mold . Ideally , no molds should be longer than ten metrical foot long . Even at this length a few multitude will be required to flip the concrete - filled mold .
The easy material to habituate for mold making is white 3/4 ” cyanuramide - cover particle circuit card . The concluding sideboard top aerofoil will be very smooth without any troweling required . Flip the pattern upside down onto an appropriate size of it spell of melamine and trace the precis . Saw along the precis with a saw blade appropriate for cyanuramide .
habituate only eraseable pencil to write on the cyanuramide . Some experience playpen markings will transfer to the finish up counterpunch . On the edges of the mold , transfer the traffic pattern ’s markings of left , right , front and back , and pronounce inside with an arrow . Be careful not to scratch or nick the melamine since all imperfections will transfer to the countertop control surface .
Every five feet or so there should be a good luck in the concrete . Pieces longer than this will be more difficult to instal and will be prone to stress cracks . To create a break in the concrete , vertically sneak in a piece of paint aluminum flashing into the mold . To do this , route out a TV channel into which the flash can be put in . Cut the flashing so that its top is flush with the mold ’s side walls . As long as the flashing is painted , the concrete will not adhere to it .
1. Creating Concrete Countertop Knockouts and Openings
For sinkhole openings , line the rule piece that came with the sinkhole onto a slice of dull styrofoam such as that used in insulate walls . The styrofoam will need to be the precise heaviness of the finished countertop . With a ring saw , carefully watch along the line describe on the styrofoam .
If an undermount sink will be installed , adjudicate to keep the sawn edge as placid as possible . roll the sawn edge of the styrofoam with packing tape recording , keep the tape completely smooth .
Any wrinkles in the tape will make small dented lines in the fetch up exposed swallow hole edge . Have the tapeline start and finish on the edge of the sink looker that will be tight to the front of the counter . imperfectness in the final heel counter will seldom be seen here .
Make all spigot soap dispenser mold lulu out of PVC pipe or woodwind instrument of the diam need for the fixtures . Keep in judgement that the faucet knockouts will need to be big enough on the undersurface of the buffet to accommodate wrenches for instal sink fix .
Oftentimes , it will be necessary to use two dissimilar diameter pipes pile one on the other – the first , sitting on the bottom of the mould , is a narrower size to fit the actual faucet hardware and the latter sitting on top of the minute one , is the widest to fit installing tools .
2. Attaching the Concrete Counter Top Mold Sides and Sealing
Once all voids have been make and attach to the mold surface , it is time to tie the side walls . Cut melamine sidewall pieces to match around the border of the counter mold . The sidewall height should be such that the inside stamp top is the same as the desired counter top heaviness . Pre - Mandrillus leucophaeus holes and reverse in wallboard screws every 6 ” along the outer bound of the mould and along the corner tooshie roast .
Now the mould must be silicone polymer seal off so that water does not leak out out the edges of the mold after the concrete is decant . Using mountain lion ’s masking tape , block out all around the inside edges of both the mold surface , the sidewalls and any dividing channels . Leave about 1/16 ” col between the tape and the edges all the way around .
Using a caulk gun , carefully squeeze silicone polymer into the inner boundary of the mould . practice just as much as is needed to take the space between the two neighboring piece of tape . employ a moistened finger to polish the silicone polymer to a gentle convex shape . Any jumpy spots in the silicone polymer will result in a bumpy adjoin parry . form quickly since once the silicone starts to skin it can not be worked any longer . transfer magnetic tape once the silicone has been smoothed .
3. Pouring the Concrete Kitchen Countertop
The time spend making a mold accurate and well sealed will reflect like a shot on the character of the end concrete counters . Once the mold is arrant , it is clip to move on to pouring the concrete counter top side .
B. 15+ Concrete Kitchen Countertops
#1. Mid-sized trendy limestone floor and gray floor open concept kitchen design
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#2. Farmhouse kitchen
#3. Contemporary kitchen
#4. Rustic kitchen idea with light wood cabinets and concrete countertops
#5. Contemporary kitchen idea with concrete countertops and stainless steel appliances
#6. Contemporary dark wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel with flat-panel cabinets and white cabinets
#7. Urban l-shaped dark wood floor kitchen with concrete countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island
#8. Outdoor Light Brown Concrete Kitchen Countertops
#9. Rustic kitchen with distressed cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an integrated sink and shaker cabinets
#10. Mountain style
#11. Inspiration for a timeless kitchen remodel with concrete countertops
#12. Mid-sized industrial single-wall concrete floor and gray floor kitchen idea
#13. Elegant kitchen with concrete countertops
#14. Mid-sized tropical backyard concrete patio kitchen
#15. Industrial kitchen
C. How to Cure, Grind, and Polish a Concrete Counter Top
The care take in end concrete counters can result in a beautiful , extremely svelte show patch for the home plate .
1. Curing Concrete Counters
Once the concrete has been placed in its mold and all aviation bubbles have been released , it is prison term to let the concrete cure for a couple of days .
If the surroundings is particularly wry , collapsible shelter the mold over with some plastic sheeting to keep the concrete from curing too quick . manipulate something up so that formative hovers over the mold anywhere from a few inches to a few feet depending on just how dry and raging the melodic phrase is . Avoid direct sunlight on the cure concrete .
After two twenty-four hour period , place two piece of wood on a compressed surface and cautiously plough the mold over upside down onto the Sir Henry Joseph Wood . Unscrew the mould and pry bar off the side pieces . Do not intrude against the concrete , it is still too lenient at this tip .
Lightly mist the concrete then lease sit for another day . The concrete will continue lightening in color over the next several daylight but once the concrete is sealed is will take on a darker colour – faithful to what the cured concrete looks like around day three ( this is a rough approximation and varies wide depend on the pigments and concrete mix used ) .
After the concrete has been out of the mold for two full twenty-four hours , grinding and slurrying in any voids can commence .
2. Grinding and Polishing the Concrete Counter Top
There are many possibilities for finishing the counter top . The simplest is to do no grinding at all but to simply slurry in any pinholes or voids that there may be on the top open of the counter top and then to polish the concrete starting with a 200 grit diamond smoothen pad .
The other option is to grind the surface to expose the total ( rocks and gumption ) within the mix . By grinding with a 50 grit diamond shining pad the great conglomeration can be exposed . By set off with 100 grit , the sands can be exposed . It is a matter of taste perception as to what looks best . With a practice piece it is possible to try dissimilar style in unlike part of the same concrete slab .
If the decision is to display the aggregate , get the wet labor two solar day after the slab is flipped out of its mold . If the composition will only be refined wait for day five .
All grinding is done with water cyclosis onto the counter top . There are a few style to accomplish this . If a water - fed grinder is not being used one method for keeping the aerofoil water fed is to poke holes in the bottom of a large charge plate container ( a with child acetum container work well ) , invest it on the counter top and feed a hosiery into the gap with the piddle trickling in . A ceaseless stream of water will wash out of the bottom holes onto the counter top .
For exposing the careen , work slowly with a 50 gumption circular diamond pad attach to the molar across all area of the surface until the desired aggregate pic is obtained . flip to a 100 grit inkpad and repeat the process until the desired goal is achieved . Hose off the airfoil well . Slurrying can be done the next day .
2. Slurrying Concrete Countertop Pinholes and Voids
ordinarily there will be some pinhole and occasionally a small divot from an imperfection due to a ding on the mold . These will demand to be filled with a slurry made from Portland cementum , pigment and a soldering agent .
The paint can be dose in the same proportion as was used with the concrete mix or a lesser or greater concentration of pigment can be used to create a contrasting color . Use one part bonding agentive role to 10 role cementum . ( For details on the soldering agent , see the countertop supplies article lean towards the bottom of the page . )
Mix the cement pulverization , bonding agent , the pigment and just enough water system to get a consistence a bit wooden-headed than sour cream . Work the slurry into the holes using gloved bridge player and a putty knife . Some people find just rubbing the slurry in with hand go best then further working it in with the putty tongue . ferment quickly as the bonding broker will make the slurry go under up evenhandedly quickly . Use the putty tongue to scrape all excess slurry off the surface , otherwise it will want to be ground off .
look one 24-hour interval , then round off with the next moxie of polishing pads , most likely 200 grit . Hose the airfoil off well after polishing . It may be necessary to do another round of slurrying the next day . One day after the last slurrying , wet pulverization with the 400 gritstone and 800 grit polishing launch pad . Then let the firearm posture until it has been out of the mold for a total of 10 days before down with the higher grit diggings .
3. Final Polishing of Cement Counter Tops
Slowly work through all the grits of ball field polishing pads all the way up to 1500 gritstone , making indisputable that all parts of the slab get the same attention . Use the hand pads wherever the electric grinder ca n’t reach .
The slab should now be incredibly smooth and quick ready for varnish . Once it is sealed the concrete will take on a coloration half way between its dry unsealed DoS and what it looked like when wet polishing .
