Anyone else tried Concrete Worktops?

[glock339]

No bumps or cracks, anything like that gets corrected in the initial stages.

Well I stained the bench which as I suspected very slightly etched the surface texture due to it's acid content. I then flushed it all clean & used a gloss urethane & acrylic sealer which has gave quite a nice finish. If I had wanted to maintain the original super reflective mirror finish I think I would have had to use a penetrative sealer, but I wanted the better protection of a topical sealer so compromised a bit. Very pleased with the results though!

 

[captainnick]

Hi I moved into a flat with concrete worktops. Unfortunately the original sealer used has worn through in a number of places. So I'm looking to sand the worktop down and reapply sealer. Can you give me pointers for which sealer you used. Thanks

Nick

 

[glock339]

I think I got from a company called Kemiko, if you email or ring them I remember they were very helpful with me. I opted for a clear plasticy type top coat that I sprayed on with a spray paint gun. Quite messy if your kitchen is all decorated so you would have to sheet up really well. they do a few types I think, just depends what you are after. I'd suggest giving them a buzz. Hope this helps.

 

[rarara]

very interesting, and probably more hardwearing than the white corian i went for.

what was the cost per metre of the whole venture, inc sealer etc?

 

[glock339]

Sorry for the slow responses but I'm not getting my topic reply notifications for some reason.

Anyway I did price it all up have completely forgot it all now. A VERY rough guestimate would be:

£20 for sealer
£20 for stain
£10 for re-bar
£25 timber
£20 cement, sand, gravel & additives etc
£30 for selection of diamond polishing pads

Total £125 divided by 4 metres (inc return) = £31.25 per metre but I had most of the gear apart from the sealer, stain & pads lying around my yard so was cheaper for me. The most expensive part of the build is your time, takes ages!

 

[toby1]

Hi there Glock have prepped my mould and plan to pour this weekend. I just had a few questions if you get a chance:

Did you use a release agent and how long did you wait to demould the countertop?

My worktop is being cast against the wall and cannot have a solid edge on the wall side as it would be visible once poured, any advice on the how to screed the top?

One last thing is that I take it you just floated the top up with a towel?

Regards,

Toby

 

[glock339]

Hi m8 as it's now Sunday I'm guessing I may be a bit late!

You could spray a bit release agent in there but I didn't use any & had no problems with it sticking to the smooth white melamine mould walls.

My memory is absolutely terrible but think I gave it maybe a couple of weeks to make sure it was solid as I had plenty of other jobs to be getting on with while I waited. As I say I've forgotten most of the details now so here's some links I found in my bookmarks that I must have used for reference at the time, not sure if they still work mind!

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-build-and-install-a-concrete-countertop/index.html

http://www.instructables.com/id/Concrete-Countertops-for-the-Kitchen---Solid-Surfa/

http://www.concreteexchange.com/why-concrete.html

I very carefully used the flat edge of a spirit level to span across the front & back mould walls to get it reasonably flat & then floated it as best I could with a plastering trowel. Then when it was starting to dry but still workable I went over it again with a wet trowel. A few hours of extra work here to get the flattest poss finish will save you many hours polishing later when its dry! Then once dry fill any small air bubble holes with a slurry using a grout float, again take the time to do a good job & dont be tempted to sand down the slurry fill until its properly dry or you will just pull it out of the holes you've spent ages filling.

Yes screeding will be a problem for you if its up against a wall, not sure if you could maybe fix a batten to the wall for your straight edge to go under or something??? Probably not the ideal solution, I sure others must have done this before so you mite find something on Google.

Hope any of that helped.

 

[toby1]

Hi there Glock,

Thanks so much for your reply, I havent poured yet, as the moulds have taken a serious amount of time to construct, there are 3 and of differing shapes/ sizes/ cutouts etc!

Will be pouring tomorrow, if all goes to plan, thanks again,

Toby

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Photos please!

 

[glock339]

Let us know how ya get on then!

 

[Ninbelindur]

Hi all, I've enjoyed reading this post as I'm looking to make some concrete worktops.
I'm doing an outdoor kitchen and I think they will really finish it off really well. I could do with some advice from more experienced heads in here ! I have got the melamine to use for the moulds, I've decided to use black pigment in the mix and am going to order a variable speed polished next week when I'm back from holiday.
I could do with knowing the following:
What ratio do I mix and what is the best consistency ?
Do I polish dry or wet ? What are the best pads to use and can anyone suggest suppliers ?
How do I seal and protect or wax ? Again does anyone know any suppliers ?
I look forward to your responses, I have spent hours and hours researching but these points are t very clear for me. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
Enrico

 

[GrinAndBearIt]

Hi - question for Glock 339 if by any chance you are still following ... how is your worktop a year plus into using it? We are going for a semi-circle island in our kitchen, and quoted ludicrous money via traditional routes, so self build concrete top is a real option ... but both of us very concerned by all the complaints you see on internet forums as to staining etc. We are not super precious by nature, but just know that re-sealing the thing every six months is just not going to be a very likely outcome!

Would love a 2014 update if you got the chance!