Concrete Countertops

[MJBaldwin]

Has any one ever done these before?

i made my forms and pours the concrete last night so it's starting to dry but it looks like a bunch of larger aggregate is on the top (technically bottom) is this normal?

have a few other questions if anyone know about concrete or the countertops.. Used quikrete 5000

[MJBaldwin]

[Surface Tension]

 It looks like that because you stopped at screting.  

Are you going to cut in a bullnose and polish?  Be sure to post pics of your progress.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

We built a bar out of rock at the restaurant I ran and ended up pouring a two part liquid poly over the top.  Once it hardened it looked fantastic and kept the grainy look underneath while giving us a solid clear top.

[nofishfisherman]

I was also thinking some sort of  poly resin might work well.  There are DYI kits out there. It looks nice when done but I've heard there can be some issues with air bubbles or discoloration of the poly sometimes so look into that before jumping into it.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

We had a two part mix, what we did was have one person mix and pour while another followed and lightly hit the spots with air bubbles with a heat gun.  Just enough to heat the air and let them expand and pop.  On roughly 50 linear feet of bartop we only had two little spot where bubbles came through and those were the spots we were working on at about 3am so part of that was probably either being tired or the liquid courage coming on a little strong.  Just built a nice little lip out of finish trim and went to work!

for reference this was a college bar and saw many pairs of high heels dancing on it and it always held up really well.

the plus side is you can take small stones and make patterns or etchings in it before you pour and get some really cool designs.

[nofishfisherman]

I've had a long standing plan to use the same poly resin on a bar top and pour it over a bar top covered in bottle caps.  I'm currently working on collecting the bottle caps I need.  Its getting to be an expensive project but a lot of fun emptying all of the bottles.  At last count I had over 1500 bottle caps collected.

I've also wanted to do the concrete counter thing for an outdoor bar/grill area.  I'll be curious to see how this all turns out because I may steal all the ideas later.

[MJBaldwin]

Thanks for the info guys. The pictures that you saw are actually the bottom. I did screed this and then used a trowel my other one didn't turn out like this but for some reason this one area did... Not sure if i mixed a little bad or what..

I am letting this cure for about 4-5 days then going to flip it over at that point if there are any holes etc. I will fill them in with a slurry mixture and then sand down again. Lastly will be sealing the concrete with Cheng Concrete Sealer. I have read very good things about this for a countertop application as its all food grade. Once installed i will apply the Cheng wax... Just praying once I flip it over it looks good..

Do you guys think i need a 1/2" or 3/4" piece of plywood on top of the coutners? Again probably have hit up google too much and notice its about a 50/50 some do and some don't..

[Moon Lake Refuge]

2 hours ago, nofishfisherman said:

I've had a long standing plan to use the same poly resin on a bar top and pour it over a bar top covered in bottle caps.  I'm currently working on collecting the bottle caps I need.  Its getting to be an expensive project but a lot of fun emptying all of the bottles.  At last count I had over 1500 bottle caps collected.

I've also wanted to do the concrete counter thing for an outdoor bar/grill area.  I'll be curious to see how this all turns out because I may steal all the ideas later.

What kind of caps?  I have a cardboard box full of McGolden light that I was going to do the same thing with since college.  Keep kicking around the idea every year or so ha.  Originally it was going to be a beer pong table but given I haven't done that in years that isn't going to happen.

12 minutes ago, MJBaldwin said:

Thanks for the info guys. The pictures that you saw are actually the bottom. I did screed this and then used a trowel my other one didn't turn out like this but for some reason this one area did... Not sure if i mixed a little bad or what..

I am letting this cure for about 4-5 days then going to flip it over at that point if there are any holes etc. I will fill them in with a slurry mixture and then sand down again. Lastly will be sealing the concrete with Cheng Concrete Sealer. I have read very good things about this for a countertop application as its all food grade. Once installed i will apply the Cheng wax... Just praying once I flip it over it looks good..

Do you guys think i need a 1/2" or 3/4" piece of plywood on top of the coutners? Again probably have hit up google too much and notice its about a 50/50 some do and some don't..

plywood on top?  Cant picture the application..

[nofishfisherman]

1 minute ago, Moon Lake Refuge said:

What kind of caps?  I have a cardboard box full of McGolden light that I was going to do the same thing with since college.  Keep kicking around the idea every year or so ha.  Originally it was going to be a beer pong table but given I haven't done that in years that isn't going to happen.

I've got a pretty big mix of all kinds of different brands.  Sometimes I find myself picking out beer based on what bottle caps I don't have yet or which ones are more interesting.  I should probably figure out exactly how many I need.  I've got several gallon bags full so far.  I've been collecting them for probably 7-8 years.

[MJBaldwin]

23 minutes ago, Moon Lake Refuge said:

What kind of caps?  I have a cardboard box full of McGolden light that I was going to do the same thing with since college.  Keep kicking around the idea every year or so ha.  Originally it was going to be a beer pong table but given I haven't done that in years that isn't going to happen.

plywood on top?  Cant picture the application..

Basically it will go my cabinet, then plywood then concrete countertops.. Or just wondering if I should go cabinets then just the concrete right on top of that with maybe some bracing off the stud wall?

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Just now, MJBaldwin said:

Basically it will go my cabinet, then plywood then concrete countertops.. Or just wondering if I should go cabinets then just the concrete right on top of that with maybe some bracing off the stud wall?

Ahh.. On top of the cabinets.  I was thinking you meant on top of the concrete and that didnt make much sense....  If you put plywood on make sure the bottom of the concrete is sealed good too, just to make sure it doesnt suck any water from the crete.

[Tom7227]

Where is this thing?  A friend of my kid did it and it is 10+ feet long.  He had to hire piano movers to get it into the house.  That seems like really poor planning to me.

 

[MJBaldwin]

It's only in my garage. I have read it weighs about 15-17lbs per sq foot. I am looking at two piece from 130-200lbs

[cavalierowner]

Concrete weighs, on average, about 150 pounds per cubic foot; that's what's used for structural design for buildings anyway. So it's 12.5 pounds per square foot for every inch of thickness. I'd be interested in seeing how it turns out, as I've been thinking about a concrete top for a small bar in my basement.

[MJBaldwin]

Alright folks took the sides off the other night one piece looks awesome the other one is going to need some slurry mix and sanding.. I am going to give it a few more days to ensure stability. I also tested it with my neighbor weight wise and we will easily be able to carry it into the house. 

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Excited to see how they look when you get them mounted.

[Big Dave2]

Also interested to see the final product.

[MJBaldwin]

Well looks like a few people are interested in this so I will try and keep it up to date. So here is the deal I pulled the sides off and flipped them over.. I discovered one I did a great job on the other one looked horrible. I started the slurry mixture which is Portland cement and went to town.

 

Come to find out it just was not going to fill all the holes I had.. Along with the disappointment in this I noticed a hairline crack that got larger over time where the sink was going to go. Since I would beat myself up on something I don’t like and have to look at it every day I have decided to re-pour the one section (other section I filled in the holes and looks great). Along with the new concrete I had sure that I added extra rebar reinforcement around that sink hole this time!

 

I have attached a picture of what the one looked like after I flipped it over the second picture is of the new concrete poured. Now I have to wait another couple days before flipping it over. Although going on a fishing trip this weekend so probably won’t see too much attention.. Just hoping the second one turns out I will keep you posted.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

What does the slurry do for ultimate color/texture at the end?  Fills in large pitting I'm sure but does it allow for a good even color at the end?  or will you be staining it again once complete?  Always been curious about these counter tops

[MJBaldwin]

Yes the "slurry" mixture is basically portland cement and water.. You use this to fill in all pin holes etc. I am not 100% sure on what it will look like once sealed. I have looked at my other one that I have completed this on and it looks good without any sealer. I plan on using "Cheng" concrete sealer as it is good grade and have heard really good reviews on this. Once installed i will use "Cheng" wax, which you should do every 6 months approximately i have read. All new to me as well!

[cavalierowner]

What is the consistency of the concrete when you pour it into the form? Does it flow enough that some of the bugholes could be eliminated by vibrating the concrete or the form? When I've poured regular concrete for slabs, I've always tapped the formwork with a hammer and that has eliminated most of the bugholes; but If it's a very dry mix, that likely wouldn't do much.

[MJBaldwin]

Well sorry for the delay here in the finished product had a little issue with one "bowing" a little bit although nothing a little shin can't fix along with a bottle jack to fix the issue:-/ or at least wife approved

[ozzie]

looks great!! 

[RebelSS]

Nice job!!!!