MEET MARIA
There are many types of materials that we can choose to make kitchen countertops, including concrete. If you want to build a countertop, you may leave a real lasting impression. Concrete is the basic construction material, which can replace wood or regular brick wall. Because concrete can be shaped into many forms, you can also make counters in the bathroom and kitchen. You can add the right texture and color for the concrete material. It’s obvious that working with concrete is a heavy and messy work. It may take a lot of practice to get the surface to look great. However, if you hire a real professional who knows how to work with concrete, you will get something that looks really great. Concrete is cheap to make and you can get an impressive result.
Before making a concrete countertop, you should make the form first. You can build the form using ¾ inch of melamine wood. It’s a good idea to use plastic finish, because you can slow down the drying process and increase the overall strength. You can easily damage a concrete block, if you drill or cut it. So, make sure that you include the void when making the form. For better strength, the slab should be fortified with polypropylene fibers and reinforcing rod. You also need to use diamond lath to make a strong countertop. For better results, you should also pour the concrete in layers. The countertop will become more durable if it’s well prepared. Blend all the dry ingredients when you use the mason’s hoe. Make sure you use the right amount of liquids, so it won’t be too thick or thin.
You should add water in stages to avoid making the mixture too watery. For every 60 lbs bag of concrete, you should add two quarts of white Portland. Concrete will crack as it cures, so you need to use rod, poly fibers and diamond lath to prevent even microscopic cracks from developing. Reinforced concrete should be filled in the middle. You should add diamond lath and reinforcing rods. To make the countertop looks like a seamless block, you need to make the texture and colors consistent. So, you need to measure everything and don’t just guess on the amount of the ingredients. To make the concrete countertops firmer, you need to compact and press it hard. You may need to use magnesium float and do some serious manual labor.
Wait for two hours until the concrete countertop set and use a steel hand trowel on the surface. However, you should avoid overworking the concrete, so aggregate won’t pop up. If you still see small water puddles on the surface of the concrete, you need to wait a little longer. If the weather is quite hot, you should cover the wet concrete with plastic or wet burlap to prevent it from setting too fast. Let the concrete cure and don’t remove the forms for a couple of days. After the concrete is fully dry and cured, you may use 100 grit sandpaper and orbital sander to sand corners and jagged, sharp edges. Wear mask when doing this to avoid inhaling fine concrete dust.
