Each kitchen should be as comfortable and functional as possible. But in order to achieve such indicators, it is important to choose the right furniture and materials from which it will be made. This must be taken into account if, for example, a kitchen worktop is made with your own hands.
What material to choose?
The countertop in the kitchen is almost the central element. Besides the fact that it forms the interior of this room, it also has important purposes: it is on this surface that all actions are performed (vegetables are cut, pots are put). Accordingly, to make such an attribute as a countertop for kitchens with your own hands, you need to choose durable and easy-to-use materials that will be resistant to various influences and at the same time give the room a winning look. The kitchen table should be durable, resistant to mechanical stress and damage, should be easy to clean. Today, you can create a surface for the kitchen with:
- artificial stone;
- tile;
- wood, including chipboard;
- tiles and more.
Budget option: countertops for the kitchen of Chipboard
Of course, a surface lined with tiles or artificial stone will look stylish and chic. However, many are looking for budget options to solve the problem of finishing the kitchen, and chipboard for this is the best fit. By the way, the size of the kitchen worktops depends on several factors:
- the location of the table in the room;
- from the ratio of the size of the kitchen and the kitchen set.
Well, personal preferences of residents play an important role. As a standard, the countertop has a thickness of 3-4 cm with a length of one and a half meters or more. Width, as a rule, averages 1.6 meters.
How to create a surface from chipboard
Of course, a wooden countertop for the kitchen is a profitable solution, but by no means the most correct. This is due to the fact that in rooms where the temperature is too humid and constantly changing, the tree may dry out, crack. Accordingly, you will have to work hard to properly process this material.
To make a tabletop from chipboard, we need to prepare all the materials and tools. Firstly, to create the supports, we need sheets of particleboard, as well as a bar measuring 40 by 50, which is fastened around the perimeter of the wall: our kitchen countertop will be supported on it. It is very profitable to create it with your own hands, since all materials are inexpensive and easy to find. At the second stage, we fasten plywood to the bars (its thickness should be approximately 1.5-2 cm), and it should hold our table firmly and securely. On top of the plywood, you can stick tiles, tiles or other material - it all depends on your capabilities and preferences.
If you want to change countertop on the kitchen, then do it using chipboard - the easiest and most profitable solution. Moreover, in terms of quality and reliability of operation, a self-made surface will not be inferior to a store one at all.
Tile or tile?
The tabletop can be made of different materials. For example, if you are trying to equip your kitchen with a specific style solution, you can choose a marble coating for it or tiling it with tiles. If you like a marble-like kitchen worktop, making it yourself will not be so difficult. We will need:
- Bar: the frame will be made of it, so it should be smooth, solid, 40 to 50 or 50 to 50 thickness.
- Sand, gravel, cement: on their basis will be created "foundation" under the countertop.
- Of the metal rods, we will perform reinforcement.
- Fillers for concrete.
- Boards (they are needed to create formwork).
- Aluminum profile for edge trim.
- Liquid Nails.
- Materials for decoration.
To assemble the frame and formwork, we need a drill, screwdriver, jigsaw, grinder, tape measure and level.
Create a wireframe
The worktop based on the concrete slab will be quite heavy, so a frame will be required. For this we need to know sizes countertops for kitchens : based on these data, we cut the bars of a certain length, which will serve as racks. We attach them to the floor using metal corners. At the junction of the racks with the walls, you need to drill them and fix them with anchor dowels. We finish the frame of the frame using horizontal jumpers that are mounted on racks. The frame must be checked for strength, since all the load will fall on it.
We take boards and from them we make the lower part of the countertop, as well as the formwork. It must be assembled so that it can always be removed without harming the concrete. If there should be room in the countertop for a sink or hob, these sections should be marked with bumpers. The entire formwork should be covered with plastic wrap to protect the structure from concrete mix.
Concrete preparation
To begin with, we put reinforcement in the formwork, which is interconnected: the better the filling of the base, the stronger the countertop will turn out. We prepare a solution of cement, sand and gravel in a ratio of 1: 2: 2. In order for the solution to be of high quality, we add plasticizers to it. The solution should be fluid. If it should imitate, for example, marble, add the appropriate pigment to it (it can be purchased at hardware stores). The finished solution is poured into the formwork, leveled, covered with a film and left to dry for about 10 days. To get moisture-resistant countertops for the kitchen, you need to ensure that the solution does not dry out: if necessary, the surface can be moistened with a spray bottle.
Finish: finishing touches
This is the last step in creating countertops. We will consider two options: tiling or polishing concrete. In the first case, a special adhesive for the tile is applied to the surface, evenly distributed, after which the tile is laid. You need to do this carefully, firmly, evenly, so that the surface turns out to be of high quality. All seams must be aligned. The main thing is to correctly calculate the size of the countertops for the kitchen and the amount of material for its decoration.
If you choose a method such as polishing concrete, then first you need to grind the surface of the countertop. Our goal is a perfectly even coating. By the way, we use for this a grinding machine and discs of different grain sizes. After these works, the surface must be rid of dust and treated with a special impregnating compound. Having such a machine at hand, you can always polish the surface of the countertop, and it will look like new.
What makes homemade worktops good?
Firstly, there is the opportunity to choose the optimal color combination, as well as the shape of the kitchen set. Secondly, it is possible to significantly reduce costs compared to similar finishes by specialists or the purchase of new furniture. Thirdly, creating a countertop with your own hands, you can control every stage of this process, paying attention to any little things. Fourth, you can independently perform all the calculations, pick up materials for decoration that you would like to see in your kitchen. If you follow the rules described above, a do-it-yourself countertop can be created very simply. Moreover, it is not necessary to use particleboard for this: expand the boundaries of your imagination and learn to work with new materials. The beauty of your kitchen is in your hands!