Formidable Building A Concrete Countertop In Place
There are ardent proponents of both methods and many concrete countertop contractor-artists use both methods depending on a specific projects application.
Building a concrete countertop in place. If you want to color your countertops you can add cement color mix according to the manufacturers instructions. The final step is to add the fiberglass mesh. Very fluid mixes that can be vibrated to reduce surface pinholes need to.
White Countertop Mix from CCS if doing white counters Sand Topping Mix from the hardware store if doing gray counters Z Liqui-Crete if doing gray counters counter edge forms. Creating one in place requires building a form directly on top of the cabinets or structure the countertop. For concrete you need three ingredients plus water.
Set it firmly on a pair of sawhorses. 1fine aggregate ie sand but concrete sand not brick sand2 stone aggregate for counters you have to use fine stone ie pea gravel3 portland cement. Mixing and Pouring the Concrete Make sure the mold is on a level surface that can accommodate the weight of the concrete.
Place a sheet of 34-inch melamine particle board that is larger than your finished dimensions on two sawhorses. There are pros and cons to both methods. I had assumed I would pour the concrete countertops in place.
Poured in place concrete countertops also called cast in place concrete countertops are built poured and finished right on top of the cabinets at the jobsite or in your kitchen. Cut one piece of melamine the same size as the finished countertop. Producing concrete countertops falls into two general categories.
The key to a great countertop is a well-built mold to pour the concrete into. Start with a 4 x 6 piece of 1 thick melamine particleboard. Add water but not too muchit weakens the strength.