Do-it-yourself concrete tabletop instruction. A beautiful and reliable do-it-yourself concrete countertop. Decorative concrete product may have

The technology of manufacturing concrete products is popular both in industrial and private construction. From this material, you can pour window sills, steps for stairs, floor tiles, countertops and so on. The main thing is that any thing can be made independently, without involving specialists from outside. Let's give an example of how a do-it-yourself concrete countertop is made.

Like any building process, the manufacture of countertops from concrete mortar is divided into several stages. Each of them is very important, it is impossible to allow any operation to be missed.

Preparatory process

Preparation consists in acquiring necessary materials and tool. To begin with, all the same components are purchased that are necessary for the production of a standard concrete solution. Namely:

cement;
sand;
crushed stone;
water.

Since the countertop is a decorative element, it is worth considering the issue related to it. color design. For example, if you use ordinary cement gray color, then the tabletop itself will be gray. Thankfully there is today a large number of colors that can be added to the mixture, selecting according to the color shade.

Basic materials

To increase the strength of the concrete countertop, it is necessary to lay a metal reinforcing frame in the mortar body. To do this, you need a steel wire with a diameter of 2-3 mm. To assemble a mesh from this wire, you need to tie it, for which you need a knitting wire. Self-tapping screws will be needed to fasten the frame.

The tabletop must be poured into the formwork. It is made from several different materials. The main one is a sheet of moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of at least 12 mm. Can be used instead of plywood laminated chipboard or MDF.

Please note that the strength of these materials must be high. A slight curvature will immediately appear on the concrete product itself.

To create the thickness of the countertop, you will need boards with a section of 50 × 30 mm and several wooden bars 50 × 50 mm.

Since a sink will definitely be installed on the kitchen worktop, it will be necessary to make a hole for the mixer. What will be required plastic pipe 35 mm in diameter and 50 mm long. Typically, the diameter of the faucet mounting nozzle is 35 mm.

Tools

For the manufacture of concrete countertops, you will need the following tools: shovel, rule, trowel, spatula, bucket, construction mixer(if a small volume is mixed) or a concrete mixer.

To assemble the formwork, you will need a saw and a screwdriver. For the manufacture of the armoframe - pliers. Do not forget that all formwork elements will have to be accurately set according to a pre-made drawing, so a ruler, level and pencil will also be needed. To measure the size of the future countertop, you need to prepare a tape measure.

Creating a drawing

You can draw a sketch either before preparation or after. It is important to accurately measure the space where cabinets with concrete mortar tops will be installed. If a kitchen furniture will be installed in the corner of the room, then please kindly - align the angle at 90º. This is not only a criterion for the quality of the repair, but also the ease of installing furniture exactly along the wall planes.

Now the tape measure measures the boundaries of the installation of the countertop. Often work zone the kitchen has a curved shape with an approach to the adjacent wall. If such a form (angular) is adopted, then it is better to divide the element into several sections and make its own countertop for each part. In this case, the formwork will be single, but divided into sections.

The main thing is to make the boundaries of the sections transverse, which must exactly match along the walls kitchen cabinets. This is the only way to avoid the formation of cracks. A monolithic countertop will weigh a lot, which will create inconvenience during its installation.

Install a sheet of moisture-resistant plywood on a flat horizontal surface. It could be a table. Now transfer all dimensions from the drawing to this sheet, for which you use a ruler and a pencil. Along the edges of the lines, they are installed on the edge of the board 50 × 30 mm. They will determine the height of the concrete countertop, which will be 50 mm. Why this particular size? Reducing the thickness will lead to a decrease in strength. Increase - to increase the weight of the product. Therefore, 50 mm is the optimal size.

Since the concrete solution will create a lot of pressure on the walls of the formwork, it is necessary to fix them well. There are two options here:

use bars 50 × 50 mm for fastening;
install metal corners.

In the first case, the bars are attached to the corners of the structure. If the installed board is long, then 2-3 bars are additionally attached in the middle evenly from each other along the entire length of the board.

As for sinks for washing, you need to pay attention to the type of device purchased. There are built-in sinks, there are overhead. They differ from each other in that the overheads in the design have a horizontal rim around the entire perimeter of the plumbing fixture.

For overhead models

If this option is installed, then the sink is turned over, placed on a sheet of plywood and a stroke is made along its side. Then the width of the side is measured, for example, it is 3 cm, which means that exactly the same shape is deposited inside at a distance of 2.5 cm.

For embedded

In the case of a built-in washbasin, the outline is applied along its edge. Now bars of 50 × 50 mm are installed along the lines, which are attached to plywood with self-tapping screws. Please note that 50x30mm boards are installed outside the marked lines, and in the case of a sink, 50x50mm bars are installed inside.

And one more thing - in built-in sinks there is a landing chamfer, which is not easy to make. Therefore, for those who are going to make a concrete countertop with their own hands, it is recommended to choose an overhead model. It remains only to glue the pipe at the place of installation of the mixer.

It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that the reinforcing frame made of steel wire should be like a mesh with cells of 25 × 25 mm. At the same time from plywood sheet and from the edges of the formwork, it should also be located at a distance of 25 mm. Therefore, pieces of wire are cut with these reservations in mind.

A polyethylene film is laid in the formwork, the edges of which are wound onto the boards. Please note that the film lies flat without wrinkles.

Installation of the supporting structure

Now the frame itself. It can be made separately and then installed in place. You can assemble it directly in the formwork. Installation at a height of 25 mm is carried out using self-tapping screws. For example, the second installation option.

Self-tapping screws were screwed into plywood around the entire perimeter of the formwork every 25 mm. Alignment of hats in height is done using a ruler and a level. After that, pieces of wire are already screwed to the screws. At the intersections, a knitting wire is used for fastening.

Almost everything is ready to start pouring concrete countertops with your own hands. It remains only to process the joints between the formwork elements with sealant. It is important here that this material fills exactly the gaps and crevices.

If there is a need to make rounded corners at the countertop, then a pipe is installed at the junction of two boards 50 × 30 mm, that is, in the corner. And the space of the corner, limited by the pipe and two adjacent boards, is filled with sealant.

concreting

There are two ways to pour concrete.

Completely filling the formwork.
Layer by layer.

In the first case, concrete is prepared according to the classical recipe: 1 part of cement, 2 parts of sand (pure river), 4 parts of coarse aggregate (in this case it is best to take marble chips), and 0.5 parts of water. First, cement and water are mixed until cement laitance is formed, then other components are added in portions. Mix the solution very carefully.

A countertop made from concrete mortar can look very original. The main thing is to correctly approach the design of its front side. For example, you can put pieces of broken glass, beads on plastic wrap, arrange them in patterns copper wire or strands of fiber optic cable.

It is imperative to fix these decorative elements with glue so that they do not move during the pouring process. The brand of glue is unimportant, the main thing is that it fastens well.

For the first front layer, a solution of fine sand without large fillers (gravel, crushed stone) is required. Water should be slightly less than in the classic recipe. Thus, the appearance of pores can be avoided. But it is also impossible to add too little water, because this can lead to the formation of cracks.

Therefore, if there is any doubt that the solution may turn out to be different, then it is better to purchase a ready-made dry mix for screed. On its packaging there is an instruction that indicates how much water to add. Mixing should be carried out at low speed. And it doesn't matter if the process is carried out with a mixer or a concrete mixer. This solution is poured to a third or half the height of the formwork. There is no need to wait for it to dry.

Filling the main layer

The filling of the main carrier layer can be done in half an hour. There are no restrictions on the composition of this mixture. This may be a classic recipe, in which expanded clay can be added instead of gravel or crushed stone to facilitate the entire structure.

After that (it doesn’t matter if this is the first option or the second), the concrete countertop must be covered with a film. After a day, the film is removed, and pieces of wet fabric are placed on top. After two days, you can disassemble the formwork.

If the concrete countertop is made without a decorative layer, then its front side must be sanded. You should not use a grinder for this. It is better to use an angle grinder. It is more convenient to use for horizontal surfaces. Plus, the machine will have to buy a few grinding wheels.

First, the slab is ground with a coarse-grained wheel. Then they switch to fine-grained. And polishing is best done with a felt wheel. If it is necessary to trim the countertop, then a grinder with diamond discs is used.

If small depressions have formed on the surface of the plate, they can be removed by applying a special sealing mixture to acrylic base. After it dries, additional grinding is carried out.

This is how it's made concrete countertop with your own hands. Let's not make sure that this process simple. It is complex and requires attention and accuracy.

Step 1: Formwork Assembly

Begin brain process from cutting to the dimensions of the desired melamine formwork worktop. And at this stage, two points should be paid attention to: thickness and protrusion, in my case the thickness was 45mm, and the protrusion of the front side was 30mm. I chose this thickness value based on the results of my research on the topic, my experience with concrete was small, so I thought it would be better to rely on someone else's. I'm sure you want homemade you can make it thinner, but then you will need to add something like fiberglass to the mixture.

Next, we mark the inner contour of the formwork, which corresponds to the dimensions of the countertop, and along its outer perimeter we apply the previously cut melamine strips. Then we fix them with clamps and fasten them with self-tapping screws, having previously drilled holes for them, because we do not want the melamine to expand from screwing in the screws. And yet these holes need to be countersunk, plus this action will appear later.

We seal the caps of the self-tapping screws with adhesive tape so that when disassembling the formwork there are no difficulties if the solution gets into these places.

Step 2: Edging with Silicone Sealant

Having assembled the formwork walls, we proceed to sealing the perimeter. The use of silicone sealant for this is of course too much, but another way I found is using soapy water and rags. The inseam matches the top edge of the tabletop, so find something that matches the shape of the edge you want, in my case it was a round marker cap. Be sure to make a silicone "bevel" around the entire inner perimeter, as you will not even believe how clearly all sorts of chips and bumps are visible on the concrete.

After the sealant has completely dried (24 hours is enough), we wipe the entire inner surface of the formwork with olive oil, this will help in the future to “release” the concrete more easily. homemade.

Step 3: Mixing and pouring the mortar

Well, now it's time to mix the solution. For this, I used a high-strength mixture from the nearest hardware store. All the videos I've watched either use the Quickrete mixture, but I don't think it's found in our area, or the brand wasn't mentioned at all. I think any cement other than fast-setting cement will work just fine.

When mixing the solution, do not pour water in excess of what is necessary, excess moisture significantly reduces the strength of concrete. First portions brain solution it is necessary to “drive” into the corners of the countertop, because if the mixture in them is “overdried”, then they will serve you not as much as you expect.

Step 4: Reinforcement and Vibration

Let's start amplifying brain crafts, that is, we add reinforcing elements to the poured solution, for this I would like to use a piece of metal mesh instead of cellular strips. Again, I did some research on how to concrete products reinforcing bars are used to increase strength, and this helped me understand where these same bars should be placed. Therefore, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the video that helped me.

After reinforcement, we again proceed to vibrate the poured solution. I did this for an hour with the same mallet, and this method worked perfectly, but you are free to do as you please. The main thing is to walk over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe formwork.

During the vibration of the solution, you will observe how air bubbles rise from it, which then burst, and the voids formed are filled with the solution, which is what we need. When this "bubble" brain process ends, the vibration can be stopped.

Step 5: Covering the Formwork

At this stage, the future braintop should be covered with something in order to maintain a sufficiently high humidity and prevent too fast drying solution. After that, we give the craft 4 days to harden, longer is not required, but during this time the solution should be wet. Engage in reading at this time if you still doubt that this is really interesting material for brain-building.

Step 6: Removing the formwork and flipping the countertop

After 4 days, we remove the formwork, by the way, thanks to olive oil should separate easily.

As soon as I broke the water layer under the concrete (at this stage it down side), using a metal spatula for this, it became possible to turn the table top face up. At 120 kilos it wasn't easy, but the water created a bit of suction.

So, we turn the tabletop, friends came to my aid for this, and after a little discussion and planning of actions, we did it. I advise you not to be a hero and also call someone for help.

Step 7: Finishing the Countertop

Now again let the countertop dry for 4 days, and then, before applying the top coat, to check brain quality dry, put a piece of rubber on the countertop. And if after 2 hours there is a wet spot under it, then handicraft You need to give it some more time to dry.

Well, after complete drying, we do finishing table top surface. So I applied 6 layers finish coat on the water based, starting from 25% concentration of the first layers and moving to 100% of the last two. The low concentration of the first layers helps the coating penetrate deeper into the concrete, thereby improving its water-repellent properties.

Step 8: Frame Installation

Well, the countertop is ready, it remains to install it in its place.

Finally, I will say that in the manufacture of such brain crafts plan the whole process from start to finish and have an idea of what you are doing at each stage. But most importantly, start the process itself!

That's it, and if I can do it, you can too!

Despite the fact that today you can buy or order any furniture, many prefer independent production furnishings. Most often, furniture is made of wood (solid, shields, waste), which has been repeatedly discussed on the portal, but today we will talk about something else. universal material- concrete. In this article, the craftsmen of our portal pour concrete countertops for the office and kitchen, make a concrete sink, and implement other interesting projects.

Concrete kitchen worktop
Sink top with stone chips and kitchen island in gray

The use of concrete in the manufacture of furniture

Concrete is usually associated with foundations, ceilings, screeds, stairs and similar massive products that are exposed to high loads during operation. Initially, concrete was made only garden furniture, but today it is also successfully used for home furnishings. The most common are monolithic kitchens, in which not only a concrete countertop is cast, but also partitions. However, there are also:

concrete kitchen islands
sinks with portals for bathrooms,
coffee tables,
console,
shelves,
window sills,
computer tables.

Such furniture is made entirely of concrete, or in combination with wood or other materials.

The composition of the solution is selected based on the scope of application, but in most cases it is cement sand mix(DSP) with the addition of plasticizers. Depending on the desired result, various fillers of small fractions are also introduced:

rubble,
granite,
marble chips,
serpentine and others.

In large products, such as tabletops or consoles, be sure to use metal mesh or reinforcement cage (metal or composite).

Formwork for pouring is made either from smooth sheet materials(sheets of plywood, laminated plywood, laminate, chipboard), or from a board, but for better stripping, the board is covered with a thick plastic wrap.

There are two casting methods - direct and reverse, in the first case, the formwork is assembled on site, and the top of the pour will be the front side, in the second, the mold is assembled and poured separately, when installed, the bottom becomes the top. Back pouring makes it easier to achieve a smooth surface and reduce the effort required for finishing.

In order for countertops, especially with concrete sinks, to look beautiful, repel moisture and not be damaged during operation, concrete is repeatedly polished and processed special formulations- hardeners and water repellents.

As in the case with such fine-tuning allows you to show structure, give gloss and significantly increase the resistance of the surface to abrasion.

On our portal, the topic of concrete furniture was opened several years ago by a participant with the nickname Dobermax, who shared the technology of pouring a cantilever tabletop with his own hands for computer desk from concrete.

Concrete table in red and monolithic consoles

Dobermax Member FORUMHOUSE

There was an old, worn table in one of the corners of the apartment, and I just needed to rehearse with concrete, and I decided to create a concrete table top. He assembled the formwork, reinforcement into the walls, tied it up and poured it. The concrete countertop is ready.

For concreting, the craftsman used a standard DSP, a rough leveling compound for the floor and a finishing self-leveling floor. Fiberglass reinforcement, 4 mm thick, “recessed” into the wall by 8 cm (as far as the drill was enough), the frame is connected with a step of 15 cm.

First, I poured the necessary base from the DSP (sand concrete without filler), so that I did not have to level it under finishing layer, poured a leveling mixture over the sand concrete. After stripping the surface of the cement worktop, I sanded it well, primed it and glued a polyurethane molding along the edge a few mm above the surface.

He not only protected the edge from chips, and the household from a rather sharp edge, but also simplified the filling finishing composition. Since the “liquor” is already tinted and with a pronounced gloss, no additional manipulations with the countertop were required.

After the do-it-yourself concrete countertop was made, Dobermax he also filled in the universal concrete console “sill-table-bed” and something like a bar counter.

Dobermax

The bottom line is that concrete "floats" in the air, being very durable and reliable. The technology is peculiar, but there is not much torment: formwork, reinforcement, pouring, grinding, finishing. I like the result.

Concrete kitchen worktop

The topic turned out to be in demand, and other connoisseurs of concrete countertops for the kitchen and other homemade products joined the discussion. Dmitrich069 at first I planned to use ready-made concrete for pouring kitchen worktop(thickness 50 mm), but as a result settled on a conventional DSP.

After curing, sanded and polished the surface.

Dmitrich069 Member of FORUMHOUSE

Turbo cup, grit 00, needed for rough working concrete for countertops. The grain of diamonds is very large, the slightest awkward movement, and a hole 1-2 mm deep. It happened to me when the casing for the vacuum cleaner was unscrewed, I got a deep hole from the disk in the shape of a semicircle. Then you need to close the pores - cement with water (1/2) and polishing with grain 50. Then soft disks on rubber knitting (turtles), grain 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 3000.

The craftsman advises first to completely grind the concrete (grinder with adjustment, 3000-3500 revolutions), and after impregnating with a hardener and polishing, since even small risks are not removed after impregnation.

And one more nuance - the sand must be without clay and must be sifted through a fine sieve, otherwise, when grinding, foreign inclusions simply pull out, and shells remain.

To remove shells and traces from the diamond cup, I had to remove the entire hardened layer, re-grind with a Bakelite wheel and polish (in three steps with a hardener).

After impregnation with a water repellent, the color of the concrete of the countertop became more saturated, the look became more refined.

Advice from the participants of the topic - compliance with the protective layer over reinforcing cage if it is less than 2 cm, cracks may occur. To prevent cracking, it is still desirable to add crushed stone or other stone filler.

Concrete countertop with bathroom sink and coffee table in black

is on the forum and finished example executions of a concrete table-top with a sink for a bathroom.

Anrushka1 FORUMHOUSE member

Concrete sink, sand, screenings and cement, decorative elements, pebbles are visible from above, I regret that I added few of them. I made a formwork, reinforced it, poured it, when it dried up - grinding with a rough circle, then with flexible “turtles”. As a finish, it is covered with varnish for outdoor use, which I also regretted, the usual varnish after prolonged exposure to water begins to shine with blue highlights. Should have been coated with polyurethane.

The craftsman first polished the main surface with a grinder with a hard wheel, for the next stage of work it took Sander hard-to-reach parts passed by hand. For the future Anrushka1 advises everyone to process such zones with their hands until the concrete for the countertop has completely set, and with a grinder - only frozen. You will have to purchase several "turtles" for fine grinding.

Anrushka1

You need to take from smaller grain and in turn, you need to use everything, jump only after 800 and then, not much, kill the turtle quickly. They are also less than 1500, 2000, 3000, but since I varnished, the last one was enough for me for 1000.

Amazing durability and endless design variety make concrete countertops excellent choice for any kitchen.

Concrete, an unremarkable material used for building foundations, is used to make almost indestructible kitchen countertops in a variety of shapes and colors. These enviable figures contribute to concrete rising higher and higher in the ranking of materials for kitchen worktops. You will read in more detail below and decide whether a concrete countertop is appropriate in your kitchen.

Main characteristics

Concrete consists of water, a binder and aggregate.

The binder is cement. Most often it is Portland cement, but slag cement and fly ash are also used as an addition, products that are industrial waste.
The aggregate can be sand, gravel, stone, broken glass, glass chips or a combination of similar materials. Perfect for the kitchen countertop with marble chips.
Factory countertops are made by craftsmen according to a specific pattern. Polished concrete is often used, because the specialized factory has all the necessary equipment.
Monolithic countertops are created directly at the place of their further location. Top part the cabinet is poured with concrete - and the countertop is ready.

Concrete countertops are either manufactured in a factory or cast on site (monolithic countertops).

Price: from 35 to 60 thousand rubles. per sq.m. with installation.

Advantages:

The durability of concrete is its indisputable advantage. If we talk about monolithic work surfaces made according to an individual sketch, then it is easy to change the shape, choose a color or relief. Architects and designers note the ability of this material to harmoniously echo other concrete elements of the interior, creating a single ensemble.

Flaws:

It is not uncommon for a countertop to be cast in situ to develop tiny micro-cracks on the surface that are usually non-structural.

Making colored concrete: 3 ways

Dye as a component concrete mix- powdered pigment is added to the concrete during the mixing process. Thus, the color is distributed evenly over the entire depth of the plate. This is the most common and reliable way staining concrete, the range of colors is almost limitless.
Acid staining is a less predictable option that makes the process of concrete interacting with metal salts a little magical. Such staining is carried out on hardened plates, the color of the countertop will constantly change, however, the choice of shades is small compared to the previous staining method.
Paint is a liquid dye that is applied to the finished slab and penetrates only into upper layer concrete. Not all paints are UV resistant.

If you already know how the countertop will be installed, you can choose the most appropriate staining option.

Exploitation

Like most work surfaces, concrete countertops need to be cleaned regularly. warm water with soap using a soft cloth. Abrasive cleaners are best avoided.

The life of your countertop depends on choosing the right sealant.

Sealants can be of 2 types:

Penetrating sealants soak into concrete and are virtually invisible once dry. They don't protect concrete surface from spilled liquids, but prevent the penetration of liquid into the concrete. This means that a stain may remain on the countertop, which is excluded when using local sealants.
Local (local) sealants such as wax, silicone and acrylic change appearance countertops and their surface properties. Epoxy sealants create a fairly thick and durable glossy layer. Beautiful in appearance and easy to use wax as a sealant does not work well. acrylic coating looks great and has a good set of characteristics, but such a countertop is easy to scratch.

We believe that it is impossible to determine the ideal concrete countertop sealant. Using the information provided in our article, you can choose the type of sealant that best suits you.

Concrete is virtually indestructible, while sealant is not. Sealant can be damaged by cutting kitchen tools, aggressive cleaners, acids, hot dishes. Treat the surface of your countertop with care, use cutting boards and coasters for hot dishes. Then the sealant will last a long time and will not become a breeding ground for harmful microbes.

Temperature resistance

Concrete is not afraid of hot dishes or pots / pans, so there are no restrictions in this regard.

Attractive and original kitchen, the dream of many people. Someone to create kitchen interior attracts experienced professionals, but someone is trying to arrange everything himself. Not the last place in the kitchen is played by the countertop, the manufacture of which will be discussed in this article.

Today, kitchen countertops can be made from the most various materials- glass, wood, concrete, etc. But it is the concrete countertop that has gained great popularity due to its attractiveness and durability of use.

You can make a concrete countertop yourself, using improvised materials for this. By the way, in great detail about how to make a do-it-yourself kitchen countertop,. This approach will save a lot of financial resources, because today it is very expensive to buy a kitchen countertop made of natural stone.

Before you start making a concrete countertop, you should make a drawing of it indicating the dimensions, angle, etc. This will help to avoid many mistakes and disappointment when making a countertop with your own hands.

In addition, do not forget that concrete has a decent weight, so the kitchen countertop made from it must be able to withstand the frame on which it will be installed. Otherwise, you will have to further strengthen the frame with slope supports made of timber or a metal corner.

So, after all the measurements have been taken, and the drawing for the manufacture of a concrete countertop is ready, you can proceed directly to solving the issue of the composition of concrete and materials for the manufacture of countertops.

For this you will need:

Portland cement;
Clean sifted sand;
Wooden bars 5x5 cm;
Plywood 12 mm;
Reinforcing mesh (to be used as reinforcement);
Adhesive or sealant for gluing decorative elements to the countertop to resolve the issue - how to cover the concrete countertop;

Of the tools, in order to make a concrete countertop with your own hands, you will need the most improvised tools that are sure to be found in household every jack-of-all-trades.

First of all, from the tools you will need:

Metal spatulas of different sizes;
Bulgarian and polishing wheels on it;
Construction level with a tape measure, for performing various measurements;
Screwdriver;
Self-tapping screws for wood;
Thick polyethylene film;
Hacksaw for wood and other small carpentry tools.

Now a few words about the composition of concrete for the manufacture of kitchen countertops. For the manufacture of concrete mortar, the following components are needed, which are maintained in such proportions:

Three parts of sifted sand;
Two parts of Portland cement grade not lower than 500;
One part polymer-based concrete plasticizer;
N - water, depending on the amount of all constituent components. The concrete solution for the countertop should not be too liquid, it should have a certain degree of viscosity.

First you need to assemble the formwork for the concrete countertop, into which the mortar will be poured. It is made either from plywood or from plastic sheets. Of course, the second option is preferable, since the concrete solution does not adhere well to plastic.

The dimensions of plastic sheets or plywood must have exactly the dimensions that were previously indicated in the drawing. Be sure to fasten a beam 5 cm thick around the perimeter of the plywood with self-tapping screws. If you need to make a concrete countertop thicker, then the thickness of the beam increases accordingly.

If, after assembling the formwork for the countertop, between its structural elements there are gaps, it is desirable to close them, using for these purposes silicone sealant or any other suitable for working with some particular material.

If you want the countertop to have rounded edges, then it is necessary to formwork even before pouring it concrete mortar insert small plastic inserts in the form of a semicircle along the edges. Then, it is necessary to fix a metal mesh for reinforcement at a height of 3 centimeters from the formwork surface.

However, before installing the reinforcing mesh and pouring the concrete solution into the shape of the tabletop, it is recommended to lubricate its base and sides with machine oil. After the formwork is completely filled with concrete mortar, it must be covered with plastic wrap on top and left for a drying period of at least ten days.

Polishing and sanding concrete countertops

Grinding of a concrete countertop is carried out by means of an angle grinder (grinder) with a polishing disc(like ) . You should know that on different stages grinding concrete countertops, different discs are used.

On the initial stage, to remove the main irregularities of the countertop, a coarse disc is used. Then only disks of 50 and 100 units are used (for finishing kitchen worktop).

After the grinding of the concrete countertop is completed, the final stage of its polishing follows. A concrete worktop is polished with the same tool, but only with a much smaller abrasive disc (no more than 400 units).

The finished concrete countertop should have a smooth and shiny appearance. If you run your hand over its surface, then absolutely no scuffs and roughness should be felt.