The desire to create unique interior Every homeowner has a kitchen. Some are already trying to use finished projects, V large quantities available in design magazines. Some homeowners who have the opportunity to allocate substantial sums for kitchen decoration turn to renowned designers who are able to develop an original interior design using exclusive materials. In such projects, designers often use marble slabs to decorate the premises, from which they make various interior items - worktops and dining table, bar counters, as well as window sills. However, the cost of such finishing is so high that it is unaffordable for a homeowner with an average income. What to do if the family budget does not allow you to allocate a significant amount for kitchen decoration? How to add uniqueness to a room, but at the same time cost the least possible? There is a simple solution to these questions: you can try finishing the kitchen by making interior items with your own hands.
A concrete countertop, at low cost, looks quite expensive and stylish.
The first step to creating an original kitchen interior will be a concrete countertop, which in appearance is almost indistinguishable from marble tiles.
Such a hand-made countertop will become a source of pride for its creator, and its cost is affordable even on a minimal budget.
Development of drawings
First of all, you need to decide what the future table will look like and what its dimensions will be. When making a kitchen countertop, the edges of the surface must be exactly adjacent to the walls. Since a corner of the room is usually used to install the kitchen table where the sink is located, you should make sure that it has correct form, that is, the walls converge at an angle of 90°. If the angle has different dimensions, then this must be taken into account at the drawing stage.
Creating an accurate drawing of the countertop is the most important stage of the work, since the quality depends on the thoroughness of its development finished product. In the process of developing a drawing, it is necessary to provide for the creation of a tabletop from several parts. The weight of the finished product in its entirety is large, so dividing it into parts during manufacturing will make it easier to move and process them, and will also protect against the formation of cracks.
When making a table frame with your own hands, you should consider strengthening its central part with transverse boards, as well as joining individual parts of the tabletop on them. For the frame, boards from hard rocks tree. If desired, you can use ready-made cabinets with drawers. It all depends on the imagination of the home master.
Materials and tools
After completing the drawings according to the sketches prepared in advance, you should take care of purchasing the materials from which the original tabletop will be made.
To work you will need following materials, the number of which is determined by the size of the future product:
To make a concrete countertop you will need sheets of plywood.
- hardwood boards;
- plywood sheets;
- plastic sheets (sheet thickness 18 mm);
- cement and sand (in a ratio of 2:3);
- fine reinforcement mesh;
- polymer concrete made with acrylic resins;
- silicone sealant;
- spray adhesive;
- decorative components (broken glass, small pebbles, shells);
- coloring pigment (if you want to get a colored tabletop).
It is impossible to do without the tools necessary to create a tabletop with your own hands. Therefore, you should ensure that the following tools are prepared:
A screwdriver makes a mold for casting the table top and installing the frame.
- electric Grinder with enhanced insulation from moisture;
- set of polishing wheels;
- tool for (trowel, trowel, leveler);
- screwdriver (necessary for making a mold for casting a tabletop and installing a frame);
- wood hacksaw;
- building level.
Creating a Form
The quality of the cast workpiece fully depends on the accuracy of this stage of work. For the base of the form are used plastic sheets, and a side is mounted along their perimeter, the height of which must be at least 50 mm. This is exactly the thickness of the concrete layer to ensure the necessary strength of the countertop.
All mold joints should be filled with silicone sealant. If the countertop provides for the installation of a sink and faucet, then at this stage it is necessary to take care of the place for their installation. The hole for the pipe is made very simply - to do this, install a ring of PVC pipe, pre-wrapped in polyethylene, in the right place.
After the concrete hardens, the pipe is easily removed from the finished structure. The place intended for installing the sink is fenced off with sides; it will remain free. If the tabletop has rounded corners, then silicone inserts can be used for this.
Making them is not that difficult. Plastic cups or rings are installed in the corners of the mold, and the free space is filled with silicone sealant. After it hardens plastic products are deleted. Now inner part The molds should be lubricated with machine oil (you can use drying oil) to prevent the solution from sticking.
If decorative elements are to be used, they should be evenly distributed along the bottom of the finished form, secured with spray adhesive. Then a wire mesh is attached at a height of 25 mm, giving the product strength. It is used as reinforcement.
Preparation of concrete solution
Once the mold is ready, you can begin mixing the solution. The main components of the solution: cement M 500 and clean river sand. First of all, 1 part cement and 3 parts sand are mixed. It is possible to add a small amount of small crushed stone. Then a concrete plasticizer and water are added to the resulting mixture. The finished solution should look like a paste or cream.
The concrete mixture is made from M500 cement, sand and water.
If you want to obtain colored concrete, you should add a special coloring pigment to it. If uniform coloring is required, then the pigment is added to the dry mixture, and to obtain characteristic “granite” stains, the pigment is diluted with water and added to the finished mixture. concrete mortar.
Before you start pouring the solution, the mold is installed in a strictly horizontal position, checking the horizontal position with a level. The finished, thoroughly mixed solution is carefully poured into the prepared form in several stages.
The surface of the mold is covered with film and kept for at least 10 days. Then the film is removed and the form is disassembled into its component parts. Further processing of the product can be performed after another week. During this period, the concrete blank created by yourself will be completely dry.
Sanding and polishing
The grinding process takes place in several stages. Initially, use a coarse grinding disc, processing all sides of the workpiece with it. However, more attention is paid to the face, previously located at the bottom of the tabletop mold.
To give the tabletop a smooth surface, it is sanded with a hard disk.
Using rough processing, irregularities are removed, pores close to the surface are opened, and decorative elements (if they were used) become visible on the surface. After rough grinding, the surface is treated with a prepared mixture consisting of acrylic sealant and a small amount of cement.
This mixture, with its consistency reminiscent of sour cream, is evenly applied to the surface. At the same time, the identified voids are filled. After some time, the mixture shrinks, so it is applied again and the excess is removed.
After drying, the surface is sanded again, but the disc is now used with an abrasiveness of at least 50 units. If necessary, another treatment with an acrylic mixture is carried out, and then a final sanding is carried out using a 100 grit disc.
The last stage of making a tabletop with your own hands is polishing the product. When polishing, grinding discs with an abrasiveness of 400 to 1500 units are used alternately. The surface is polished slowly and thoroughly; when working, it is necessary to constantly wet the polishing wheels.
After finishing the polishing process, the surface of the hand-made tabletop looks smooth and shiny. At first glance it is difficult to distinguish it from natural stone. The final stage The work involved is treating the surface to protect it from contamination with a special sealant and installing the finished countertop in its intended place.
The tabletop you created yourself can be supplemented with window sills made in the same way, which will add originality to the kitchen interior. If the space of the room allows, then you can create a flower container that imitates a natural stone.
It is impossible to imagine any kitchen without a countertop. Modern options can boast of the highest quality, reliability, wear resistance, as well as remarkable appearance. Naturally, the cost of such a product is very high, so you will have to pay a fair amount for the purchase. The solution is very simple - make the tabletop yourself, because there is nothing complicated in this task.
Kitchen worktop – why do we choose concrete?
The most popular material in case self-made Countertops are considered to be concrete, although products made from liquid stone, chipboard or wood are also in great demand. A concrete countertop is a simple and convenient option, which is ideal for the interior design of any kitchen due to its versatility. After all, concrete products are quite easy to make with your own hands without the involvement of specialists.
Concrete structures have many positive qualities and advantages. You should know that this material belongs to the category of durable and hard, thanks to which the countertops are able to withstand enormous temperatures. In terms of strength and durability, concrete is not much inferior to granite, although the cost of the latter is several times higher. However, high performance is achieved due to a unique structure consisting of numerous small pores. With constant use, especially in the kitchen, these pores become clogged with organic substances. As a result, kitchen maintenance becomes somewhat more difficult.
Special attention should be given to acids, since they can have a negative effect on the concrete surface. Even a drop of lemon juice leaves a dark stain.
The cause is calcium contained in concrete. It is this element, which acts as the main connecting link, that is susceptible to the destructive effects of acids. However, there is no need to worry too much about this - all problems can be solved with the help of a protective layer of polymer substances. Polymers are applied to concrete after hardening, which ensures reliable protection, and also helps to simplify the maintenance of the countertop. The only disadvantage of the polymer coating is that it is no longer possible to place hot frying pans without a stand, since extreme temperatures will lead to the destruction of the polymers. Unlike concrete itself, this coating will not be able to withstand such loads without consequences.
We draw a drawing and select materials - preparation is in full swing
One of the most important stages On the way to producing a concrete surface is the creation of a drawing. This is necessary in order to know exactly the dimensions of the tabletop, as well as its appearance. To ensure that the product is firmly attached and does not wobble during operation, it must be installed as tightly as possible to the walls. You should also not forget about the sink - its dimensions and location are indicated in the drawing. The same applies to the corner, because kitchens are very often corners, and that’s where it usually happens. Ideally, the angle is straight and 90 degrees - this will greatly facilitate the work process. If the angle is slightly different, you will need to take this into account when construction work, and also note when making the drawing.
In some cases, it is recommended to make a surface from several individual components. This method is due to the fact that large kitchens the surfaces are very bulky and heavy. If the product is divided into several smaller structures, then it will be much easier to work and install them. In addition, it will be possible to avoid cracks and chips that may appear in the event of unsuccessful processing or moving heavy objects. Having drawn a sketch, you can begin collecting the necessary materials and tools. Choose high-quality and reliable equipment. For work you will need the following items:
- plastic sheets 18 mm thick;
- plywood sheets;
- hardwood boards;
- sand and cement for mixing the solution;
- polymer concrete made from acrylic resins;
- reinforcing mesh to strengthen the structure;
- decorative elements - shells, small pebbles, broken glass to decorate the surface;
- spray adhesive;
- silicone sealants;
- colors – special coloring pigments to give the surface the required color shade.
Naturally, we cannot do anything without tools. For successful work you will need the following tools:
- 1. building level;
- 2. wood hacksaw;
- 3. screwdriver – required for installation of formwork and its subsequent disassembly;
- 4. spatulas, levelers, trowels for working with uncured concrete;
- 5. polishing wheels;
- 6. sandpaper;
- 7. Sander.
Formwork and reinforcing mesh - the influence of elements on the quality of the product
The next stage is to form wooden frame or formwork, where we will pour concrete solution in order to give it the required shape. It is necessary to make a strong frame that can withstand the pressure of concrete for several days. Formwork largely influences the quality and aesthetic appearance of the finished product. To create it, we use plywood sheets laid on a flat surface. Next, we transfer all the lines and strokes from the drawing to the plywood, exactly repeating the shape of the future tabletop. Along the perimeter it is necessary to install wooden blocks 50 mm high.
As practice shows, a tabletop with a thickness of 50 mm is optimal for a kitchen work surface. Increasing the thickness threatens to make it too heavy, while less thickness negatively affects the strength of the product.
To give the frame the necessary strength properties, pay special attention to fastening the walls. To do this, we will use long screws (at least 6 cm) or metal corners, which will provide connections of sufficiently high quality. Depending on the size and type of sink and faucet, we will determine the space for the sink. Today, overhead and built-in sinks are popular. There is not much difference between them, this also applies to cost. If you choose an overhead sink, then the only significant difference is the horizontal side, about 3 cm wide. When drawing up sketches and forming wooden frames for concrete, you need to remember this.
Experienced craftsmen note that countertop sinks are optimally suited for installation in self-made countertops. The reason lies precisely in the above-mentioned side, the presence of which makes it possible to allow small errors when forming the hole for the sink. In addition, built-in sinks have special seating chamfers, which cause great difficulties in the manufacture of a concrete surface. To make a hole for the faucet, you can use various tools. A plastic pipe with a cross-section of 35 mm is best suited. This diameter is the standard for faucet pipes.
After this, all we have to do is install the reinforcing mesh to strengthen the concrete structure. An ordinary steel mesh with a cell size of 25x25 mm is suitable. It is necessary to select the mesh so that it does not touch the walls of the wooden frame. Thus, the distance between the reinforcement and the formwork should be about 2 cm. There is one trick that allows you to avoid any appearance of the mesh on the surface of the concrete - you just need to cover the base of the formwork with a regular polyethylene film. In this case, the concrete will be even and smooth, but the mesh will remain inside and will not stand out in relief.
Concrete mixture - proportions for mixing the solution
After all preparatory work you can proceed to the main operation - creating concrete mixture. To do this, we need several basic elements - river sand, M500 cement and water. Creating concrete table with your own hands, you need to prepare a solution of the correct consistency, so be careful with the proportions. So, for one share of M500 cement, 3 shares of river sand are added.
To decorate the finished product, you can add a little small crushed stone, but do not overdo it. After this, all that remains is to add water and a plasticizer, constantly stirring the resulting solution. Ideal for these purposes construction mixer or an electric drill with a special attachment. You can stop stirring the mixture once the consistency has reached the state of cream or paste.
At the stage of creating the mixture, coloring colors are introduced, the task of which is to give the mixture the desired shades. To create unusual and beautiful stains that imitate natural stone or granite, pigments are added to the ready-made solution and then mixed. If the tabletop should have a uniform color, then the color is added to dry cement before diluting it with water and sand.
Now you can fill the prepared formwork with the solution. The frame must be located on a straight and level surface, as can be verified by the building level. If the countertop is very large, then it is recommended to pour the mixture in several stages, since the container with concrete will be extremely heavy. Having carefully covered the formwork with polyethylene film, we leave the solution in this state for a day. Naturally, the film should not touch the surface, otherwise unsightly marks will remain. After a day, the film is removed, and a damp cloth is placed in its place, the task of which is to prevent the appearance of cracks and chips characteristic of concrete at the drying stage.
After several days (from 7 to 10), you can begin to dismantle the frame. Having removed the sides, turn the tabletop over and carefully tap it rubber mallet, being careful not to damage the surface.
Finishing the countertop - how to sand and polish?
The last thing we need to do before installing the concrete product is grinding and polishing. To do this you will need either regular sandpaper or an electric sander. The latter option is preferable in cases where the surface is of a sufficiently large size.
First, the tabletop is sanded with a rough disc or coarse paper. By removing existing unevenness, we also help open nearby pores, which we can now treat with a special solution consisting of cement and acrylic sealant.
Having carefully removed the remaining mixture, after waiting just a couple of hours, we proceed to sanding again, this time we need fine-grained paper or a disc of appropriate abrasiveness. In order for the product to look beautiful and stylish, it will be necessary to polish it with high quality. To do this, you will need a special grinding disc, the abrasiveness of which reaches 1500. Polishing occurs very carefully, carefully processing every square centimeter of the tabletop in a circular motion.
The result of your efforts will be an aesthetically pleasing, beautiful countertop with a shiny and smooth surface. You can already use it by first installing it on workplace. However, we recommend pre-treating the product with antiseptics and special compounds that will provide protection from external irritants, including negative influence acid-containing substances.
Jamie Gaokas's project began with the purchase of a book about how kitchen utensils are made. DIY concrete countertop. At first, the master made them for himself, then for friends, and then started his own business. The master class is conducted by Jamie himself.
First of all, the master asks you to be patient, since approximately a month passes from the start of production to complete installation. During this time you can do complete renovation in the kitchen.
After measuring the working surface, templates are made. Concrete is poured into the trays, which will soon become the tabletop. The cut inlays are inserted into the selected places.
To make a sink, plywood is used, from which the shape is knocked down. Solid insulating foam is needed to form the recess.
After low tide, the concrete remains in the tray for two weeks. A high-quality countertop with a sink looks beautiful, as in this photo.
Polishing the tabletop grinding machine with a diamond wheel.
Final stage manufacturing - filling the joints with silicone. This makes them waterproof. Afterwards, the surface is polished with a paste of wax and mineral oil to create an additional protective layer. The procedure is recommended to be carried out once or twice a year.
Pieces of glass, porcelain, metal and anything that supports original design interior design and will make an impression, must be chosen carefully, as it will remain there forever.
Owner's personal inlay
This horseshoe belonged to a horse that the client loved very much. Pieces of glass and gravel fit into the overall picture. Other customers choose coins or even fragments of mechanisms.
The decoration can be incorporated into the profile of the tabletop.
The board is removed to discard nut shells and other debris that should not end up in the sink. The profile reveals nice blue inserts.
The gray material harmonizes perfectly with the brownish pieces of glass.
Bluish-green shades look inspiring. Pigmentation of the material is not easy, but the result is excellent.
Gaokas artist. He has degrees in art and art history. This is felt in the master’s products, creating a special atmosphere in the space of the house.
Every housewife wants the kitchen in her home to be beautiful and functional. If the family budget allows, they usually order designer furnishings for the premises. If necessary, create a budget option, homeowners have to look for arrangement options on their own. One of the available ideas is to create a concrete countertop that resembles a marble product in appearance. So, we choose a concrete countertop for the kitchen.
Preparatory process
To make a durable one with your own hands, beautiful design made of concrete in the photo, you need to prepare for the work process. Initially, the parameters of the future design should be determined. On at this stage The appearance, length, thickness and width of the product are taken into account. It is also necessary to determine the location of the working surface. Usually, work zone placed between hob and a sink. Additionally, the area in the corner between the network and the headset can be used.
Before you begin the manufacturing process, you should carefully measure the dimensions and record them on the drawing. Considering that the tabletop has impressive dimensions, it is recommended to divide it into several parts. This will make it easier to make individual elements. In addition, the presence of separate parts of the structure guarantees the absence of cracks in the finished product.
Necessary materials
After creating the drawing, you need to buy the materials required to make a concrete work surface with your own hands:
Manufacturing stages
Reviews from craftsmen claim that the quality of a finished concrete structure made by hand depends entirely on the skill of the manufacturer. However, an important parameter is the chosen shape and dimensions of the structure. To create a mold, you need to use plastic sheets that match the size of the future product. Along the perimeter of the sheets you need to install a side, the height of which is equal to the thickness of the tabletop.
To ensure the mold is sealed, all seams should be treated with silicone. If you plan to place a sink on the work surface, the planting area should be left empty, fencing the area with boards. Don't forget that the kitchen countertop should have rounded corners. For this, silicone inserts are used, which are removed after the concrete mixture has hardened.
Reviews from housewives claim that the work surface should be decorated decorative elements. Therefore, before pouring concrete into the mold, you need to lay out the stones, shells, and broken glass prepared earlier. To fix the elements, they should be sprayed adhesive composition. Then on top decorative finishing We install a mesh that acts as reinforcement.
Pouring concrete
As a rule, the coatings of concrete countertops for the kitchen have beautiful colors. To achieve the desired color, at the stage of mixing the concrete mixture, you should add the desired pigment. It is important, to obtain uniform coloring, to add pigment at the stage of mixing the dry mixture. If you want to get streaks on the outer surface of the countertop, add a coloring agent to the finished mixture.
To purchase a ready-made countertop for your kitchen that will fully meet your needs in terms of aesthetics, reliability and functionality, you need to prepare a considerable amount of money. It is much cheaper to make it yourself, especially since it is quite possible to do it at home. This idea can be realized using wood, chipboard, liquid stone or concrete. Among these options, perhaps the most interesting is a concrete countertop, due to the availability of the material and the relative ease of working with it. Knowing the basics of concreting, you can not only make a new work surface in the kitchen, but also to restore the old one, which will make it possible to save even more.
Concrete in its structure is a hard and durable material that can withstand high temperature. In this regard, it is practically not inferior to granite, although it costs an order of magnitude cheaper. However, the concrete surface has one feature that must be taken into account during manufacture. kitchen countertop. The fact is that concrete consists of pores that can become clogged with various organic substances, which complicates kitchen maintenance. In addition, this material must be protected from acid-containing products, since they can destroy calcium, which is the main binding element in concrete.
Note! Negative impact on concrete surface Even a drop of lemon juice can do the job, leaving behind a stain.
This drawback is easily eliminated with the help of a protective polymer layer, which is applied to the concrete after it hardens. A concrete countertop with such protection is easy to clean and retains its appearance for a long period. However, using such a surface as cutting board or placing a hot frying pan on it is not recommended, since, unlike concrete, the polymer coating is less resistant to such loads.
A concrete countertop without a polymer coating can be used in a living room, bedroom or office where there are no strict operational requirements
Manufacturing of monolithic concrete countertops
The production of concrete furniture is based on standard technology that is used in construction. To make a concrete countertop with your own hands, you need to complete several steps, each of which is important in its own way.
Preparation of materials
Since the kitchen countertop in our case is made of concrete, we need to prepare the main components for its production:
- cement;
- sand (preferably river);
- crushed stone or marble chips;
- water.
Advice! To make the countertop look like marble, granite, or have any other shade other than gray, a special pigment (color) is added to the mixture, which can be purchased at any hardware store.
To make formwork you will need wooden beam 50x30 mm and moisture-resistant plywood 12 mm thick. You can use a sheet as a base instead of plywood laminated chipboard appropriate thickness. The main thing is that the base is perfectly flat and does not succumb to deformation under the load of the slab.
Considering that we will be making the tabletop ourselves, we will need the following set of tools:
- shovel;
- bucket or other container;
- construction mixer or concrete mixer;
- Master OK;
- jigsaw;
- screwdriver;
- sander;
- tape measure, level, pencil.
Product drawing
The importance of a high-quality sketch is difficult to overestimate. Correct drawing The work is greatly simplified, and the wrong one adds headaches during the process of installing the countertop. It is very important to accurately measure the parameters of the kitchen, the location of cabinets and plumbing fixtures. If you need to place a sink or hob, then the space for their installation must be calculated down to the millimeter.
Example drawing of a concrete countertop
Advice! If general design has significant dimensions, then it is better to divide it into several parts to simplify the process of installing the stove.
Creating formwork
We lay a sheet of plywood or chipboard on a flat surface, after which we transfer the previously prepared drawing using a ruler and pencil. On each line we install a wooden beam 50x30 mm, so that in the end the thickness of our tabletop is 50 mm. Exactly this parameter is considered optimal for a concrete product: reducing the thickness will make the structure fragile, increasing it will make it too heavy.
The fastening of the formwork walls must be strong enough to withstand the load created by the concrete during its curing. It is better to connect the joints of two walls using corners or long screws (from 60 mm).
The location of the sink depends on the type and size of the plumbing fixture. There are two types of sinks: built-in and overhead. The second option has a horizontal side about 30 mm wide, which must be taken into account when drawing up the drawing.
Advice! If you decide to make a kitchen countertop from concrete, then it is better to use an overhead sink. Firstly, built-in models have a landing chamfer, which is not so easy to make. Secondly, the presence of a side allows for a small error when creating a hole for the sink.
It is also necessary to provide a hole for the mixer. For this you can use plastic pipe diameter 35 mm ( standard size mixer mounting pipe).
Formwork for pouring a concrete countertop
Installation of reinforcing frame
The frame is a steel mesh with a cell size of 25x25 mm. This design must be placed inside the formwork so that it is at a distance of 25 mm from the plywood and walls.
Before installing the reinforcing frame, it is laid on the base polyethylene film. Its edges need to be placed on the side boards. At the same time, it is very important that the film lays down without folds, if you do not want to observe their imprint on the concrete slab.
Increasing load-bearing capacity with steel frame
Pouring concrete
Concrete for making countertops with your own hands is made using classic recipe:
- 1 share of cement;
- 2 shares of sand;
- 4 shares of filler;
- 0.5 parts water.
At the first stage, cement is mixed with water until a homogeneous mass is obtained, after which the remaining ingredients are added to the mixture. The concrete preparation process itself must be performed at low speeds, thoroughly mixing the solution.
Important! You should not increase the amount of water in order to instant cooking mixtures. Excessive moisture content in the solution will cause many pores to appear after it dries.
After pouring and evenly distributing concrete over the entire area of the formwork, it is covered with film and left in this state for a day. After 24 hours, the film is removed and a wet cloth is placed in its place to prevent cracks from occurring. After 48 hours the formwork can be dismantled.
Surface treatment
The kitchen countertop must be perfectly smooth, so front side subjected to grinding. For such purposes, it is better to use a sanding machine, since manual surface treatment with sandpaper will take a lot of time and effort.
First, the slab is sanded using a coarse-grained wheel. After receiving smooth surface processing is carried out with fine-grained sandpaper. Despite the fact that the polished concrete countertop already looks great, it still needs to be sealed with water-repellent polymer impregnation.
The last stage is grinding with a felt wheel using a special paste, after which the slab acquires “marble” characteristics.
Grinding concrete slab for kitchen
Restoring an old countertop using concrete
Concrete can be used for more than just manufacturing monolithic slab. With its help, it is quite possible to restore an old surface. Moreover, the costs in this case will be much less. Below we will look at how to restore an old kitchen countertop with your own hands.
Necessary materials
Since a very thick layer is not required in this case, instead of the usual mortar we will use a concrete mixture to screed the floor. For work we will need the following materials:
- concrete mixture for screed (finish);
- acrylic sealant;
- concrete varnish;
- container for preparing the mixture;
- 2 spatulas (20 mm and 10 mm);
- sandpaper;
- industrial mixer;
- Sander.
Note! The amount of concrete mixture must be determined based on the coverage area. Typically, material consumption is indicated on the packaging and averages 1.2-1.5 kg per 1 m² with a layer thickness of 1 mm.
Cement-based floor leveling mixtures
Surface preparation
Kitchen countertops are often made of MDF, which can develop scratches, chips, temperature defects and grease stains during use. Before applying concrete, the surface must be cleaned of all contaminants. Pay special attention to residual fat - they can be removed using kitchen tools. detergents. If there is silicone sealant on the surface, then it should also be removed, since concrete has poor adhesion to such materials.
Once the surface is completely clean, it should be sanded with 25-H or 20-H coarse sandpaper. The purpose of this process is to improve the adhesion of concrete to old surface by creating a lot of scratches. After sanding, the countertop should be washed and allowed to dry thoroughly.
Applying concrete mixture
The technology for making concrete mixture can be read on the packaging. Usually it is diluted with water in a ratio of 2 to 1. The main thing is that the consistency is not too liquid or thick, since in this case the process of applying the solution to the stove will become more complicated.
Advice! First, prepare a small portion of the mixture to determine the amount of water to obtain the optimal viscosity. In the future, strictly observe this proportion. Even minor discrepancies can affect the shade of dried concrete.
Concrete is applied to the surface of the countertop using a wide spatula, while the ends are treated with a narrow spatula. Spread the mixture over the surface using slow and smooth movements to reduce the chance of bubbles forming. The thickness of the applied layer should not be large - 1-2 mm is enough.
Distributing the concrete mixture over the countertop
Concrete grinding
After the layer has completely dried (about 24 hours), the concrete countertop is sanded using coarse sandpaper. Pay special attention to the smoothness of the surface - no unevenness should be felt when moving your hand.
Note! Grinding concrete is quite a dirty job. You need to be prepared for the fact that dust will be everywhere in the kitchen. Therefore, it is better not to do such work without a painting mask.
To do reliable tabletop For a DIY kitchen, you need to apply 3-4 layers of concrete, each of which is sanded after drying. If coarse-grained sandpaper is used to process the first layers, then the last layer, in addition to roughing, is subjected to finishing sanding using fine-grained sandpaper.
Polished surface of concrete countertop
Waterproofing and varnishing
To protect concrete from moisture, a special acrylic-based sealant liquid is used. It is applied with a regular paint brush and, after drying, creates a reliable waterproofing layer. This material It is absorbed very quickly and dries completely within a day, after which the second and final layer of sealant can be applied.
To ensure that the countertop has a glossy finish, after waterproofing, a layer of concrete varnish is applied, which takes from 4 to 8 hours to dry, depending on the temperature in the room. After the varnish has dried, the slab is polished using fine-grained M14 sandpaper.
DIY concrete countertop for the kitchen
In conclusion, we would like to add that although the manufacturing technology of such a countertop is not particularly complicated, to implement it you must have skills in working with concrete. Therefore, in the absence of such construction experience, it is better to use professional help.
Video tutorial on making a concrete countertop:
Detailed master class from the pros:
Concrete in kitchen interior— inspired by design:
