Back in December I did a post about DIY concrete countertops. The method doesn’t involve any complicated pouring of concrete so I decided to give it a shot. Whaddya think? Not bad.
The photo above was taken before the sealer was dry so any dark areas you’re seeing are actually still wet. Also, pay no attention to the dirty sink that had been sitting in the backyard since the hurricane.
Would I recommend the Ardex Feather Finish that my husband said was basically thin set? Yes. For 30 bucks including shipping, I got myself a new counter and backsplash. The 10 pound bag wasn’t quite enough to smooth it out completely so I’d suggest getting more. I left the backsplash decidedly rough (I decided that I couldn’t be bothered) and the counter wasn’t completely flawless. This material can be sanded but again, because I didn’t have extra on hand, I didn’t want to go crazy sanding it.
I applied three coats of Ardex and three coats of Aqua Mix sealer, letting them dry thoroughly each time. Does this take any less time than pouring? No, but if you don’t feel like building the form, this is easier.
Started with plywood and hardibacker.
First coat. Thought this would never disappear but it was gone once dry.
Pre-sanded second coat. The counter is much smoother now but I left the lines and patches in the backsplash. Even thought it would be a cool idea to add fossils! But I didn’t have any on hand. Next time.
6 Comments
How is the outside edge finished? This looks very interesting to me too.
-A
It’s finished the same as the top, with a few layers of Ardex.
[…] to DIY just about anything. Concrete. Speaking of DIY, there is a way you can make your own concrete countertop with great ease. For real! Yes, the correct way to do it would be to hire someone to pour it […]
While concrete is the most commonly used construction material on earth, it is also the biggest in terms of environmental impact,” said Yahya “Gino” Kurama, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences, who is leading the research effort.
How has the counter held up? It’s there any cracking around your seams? Or along the side edge between the plywood and the hardy board?
I sold the house last year, but it held up better than I thought it would! Three years with a tenant and no cracks or stains. Mind you, I had about 5 coats of sealer on it. There was one chip on the bottom where it may have been hit.