If you no longer want to see ordinary chipboard worktops in your kitchen or in any other room of the house , you can order an expensive marble counterpart. However, you can perform such a product yourself using concrete. As practice shows, the design looks very attractive. And you can decorate it with different elements, including glass. After completing the work, you will be able to get a unique table, which will cost very cheaply.
Preparation of materials
If you will be working on a concrete worktop, it is important to prepare the necessary set of materials. Among them are boards, plywood, cement, fiberglass, acrylic-based polymer concrete, guides, broken glass, and fiber optic cable. You will need a sheet of laminated plywood, two sheets of plastic, sand, glue-spray, silicone sealant, handles for boxes (if such are supposed to be done), as well as decorative elements.
Boards should be made of hardwood. And their total length should be 6 meters. Plywood can be the most common. It is not at all necessary to use a water-repellent material. When preparing plastic, it should be remembered that its thickness can be approximately 18 millimeters. There will be two such sheets. The volume of cement will depend on the specific dimensions of the future countertop. However, this article discusses an example that involves the use of two 50 kg bags. Therefore, we will present the numbers characteristic of this model. As for sand, it will need six bags, each of which should be 25 kilograms. Silicone sealant will be enough to purchase in the amount of one tube. But for the decor you can use different elements, not just glass.
Design
The concrete worktop will be performed using some tools, namely: a set of polishers, a woodworking tool, an electric grinder, and also a device for working with concrete. Initially, it will be necessary to create an action plan that provides for the creation of a drawing of the future design. You must have a clear idea of what the table will look like. It is necessary to measure the room where it is planned to place the product.
You will waste your energy in vain if, after completing work, you find that the countertop is not suitable in size. Pouring a solid monolith is not recommended. The process should be divided into several stages. This will eliminate the formation of cracks. In addition, moving and installing individual parts will be much easier than a solid product, the weight of which is quite impressive. When a countertop is made of concrete, the master must take into account the features of the interior. This will allow you to make a design whose design will correspond to the decoration.
Carcass construction
The design of each table will be unique. Therefore, to describe in detail the technology of building the frame does not make sense. It is worth considering, however, that the facades of the table will be made of laminated plywood. The tabletop can be supported by two pipes. In the central parts, a drawer can be provided. The supporting elements of the frame are recommended to be made of hardwood. In order to create boxes and a facade, a sheet of plywood is recommended to be cut.
Creating a fill form
If you will be working on a concrete worktop, you must first create a mold with 18 mm plastic sheets as parts. On the perimeter you need to install the sides. Their height will be 50 millimeters. Thanks to these parameters, it will be possible to fill in the required concrete layer to ensure high strength. It is important to complete the form, given the size of the frame. Already at this stage it is recommended to do everything as accurately as possible, since after pouring concrete it will not be possible to correct the situation. The joints obtained between the plastic sheets and the sides must be filled with silicone sealant. It will exclude leakage beyond the limits of liquid concrete.
Laying decorative elements and frame systems
Concrete worktops should be not only aesthetically pleasing, but also as durable as possible. To do this, use a reinforcing cage. As it can be used wire mesh. At the bottom should be laid decorative elements. Broken glass may play their role. After surface treatment, the decor will appear and become visible on the base.
Concrete worktops may have openings for laying communications. If this is the case, then their presence must be identified precisely at this stage. To do this, you can use a ring made of PVC pipe. The blank is wrapped in polyethylene and laid in the designated place. After the concrete has hardened, the pipe is pushed out, and it will be easy to get rid of polyethylene.
Methodology
The grid rises above the surface of the mold base by 25 millimeters. The easiest way to do this is with wire. Great attention should be paid to decor. For attractiveness, it is necessary to prepare transparent, brown and green glass, which is broken into pieces. If you want, then you can use coins, pebbles and other items.
Originally, the countertop will look with fiber optic cable. To do this, drill holes in the plastic sheet of the mold. A cable is installed in them. Gaps should be filled with sealant. The ends of the cable will hang down under the form. They need to be bundled. Later, light elements are inserted into them, which will create the effect of a starry sky. Glass fragments can easily shift when pouring mortar. To avoid this, fix them with glue in the form of a spray.
Pouring concrete
The manufacture of countertops in the next step involves pouring the solution. To do this, mix cement and sand using a ratio of 1 to 3. Water must be added until the mixture resembles thick sour cream. Pour the composition into the form as carefully as possible. After it is half full, the mass must be distributed throughout the form. The formwork is shaken, which will get rid of air bubbles. Then you can begin to knead another portion of concrete, applying the same proportion.
However, in this case, fiberglass should be added. The composition is poured into the mold, and the surface is pulled by the rule. In this state, the structure is left for 24 hours. After that, the base can be covered with a damp towel, which will slow down the hardening process and positively affect the strength. The manufacture of countertops involves removing the finished product from the mold in two days. However, experts recommend waiting another day. If it turned out to be problematic to get rid of the form, then you need to pry the edge with a spatula. As a support, you can use a brick.
Sanding
The surface of the slab after the concrete has hardened must be sanded. This is necessary so that fragments of glass breakage and other decorative elements that were used when pouring appear on it. Grinding will smooth out irregularities and relieve glue residues. To carry out these works, the master should use clothes that will not be a pity to stain. After grinding, the plate is again left to dry.
Kitchen worktops are usually very smooth. In order to achieve a similar effect, the next step is to mix cement with an acrylic fixative. The mass should not be too thick. Its application is best carried out in three stages. It is important to remember that when drying, the material shrinks. It needs to be distributed on the surface, filling all the cracks and voids. Excess should be removed from the surface, leaving the structure to dry.
What to do next?
At the time of the second application of the composition, you must try to fill in all the voids that you missed for the first time. When the kitchen worktops are covered with a third layer, you do not need to get rid of the remnants of the mixture. To dry the stove one night will be enough. Then you can treat the surface with a grinder, equipping it with a coarse polishing pad. If during grinding you notice voids and holes that could not be filled with an acrylic cement composition, the process can be repeated by applying another layer.
Polishing
After completing all the above work, you will get a dark countertop, the shade of which will slightly differ from concrete. At the final stage, it will be necessary to carry out polishing. In this case, the working element must be constantly wet. Do not rush. The movements should be uniform and slow. If you are thinking about how to cover a concrete countertop, you can find out by reading the article. Gradually, grinders change in grain size. This is done until you reach 1500 units. You can find polishers, the granularity of which is 3 thousand units. But in order to cover the surface with a primer varnish, you should make the base as smooth as possible.
The production of concrete worktops ends with the application of a primer varnish. He should be allowed to dry well. To achieve a positive result, varnish can be applied in several layers. And then the surface must be cleaned with a wax composition, after solidification of which the tabletop is wiped with a clean rag.
Conclusion
If you are interested in the question of what is the minimum thickness of a concrete countertop, then this parameter should be equal to 5 centimeters. But even in this case, it is recommended to use a reinforcing mesh, which will increase strength. Many masters neglect the step of creating a template. However, these manipulations are very important for creating the construction of ideal proportions.
To do this, you can use fiberboard and cardboard trim, interconnected with glue. Do not forget that a sink can be cut into the countertop. This should be foreseen before the pouring stage, so that afterwards you do not have to cut the material. The cost of a factory-made worktop can reach 20 thousand rubles. However, if you want to do the work yourself, the costs will be limited by the price of sand and cement.