Table top made of concrete by own hands

If you no longer want to see in your kitchen or in any other room at home the usual table tops from chipboard, you can order an expensive marble analog. However, you can do this yourself using concrete. As practice shows, the design looks very attractive. And you can decorate it with different elements, including glass. After the completion of the work will be able to get a unique table that will cost very cheaply.

Preparation of materials

If you carry out the worktop of concrete, it is important to prepare the necessary set of materials. Among them it is necessary to distinguish boards, plywood, cement, fiberglass, acryl-based polymer concrete, guides, broken glass, and fiber optic cable. It will take a laminated plywood sheet, two plastic sheets, sand, glue spray, silicone sealant, drawer handles (if such are supposed to be done), as well as decorative elements.

The boards must be made of hardwood. And their total length should be 6 meters. Plywood can be the most common. There is no need to use a moisture repellent material. When preparing plastic, remember that its thickness can be approximately 18 millimeters. There are two such sheets. The volume of cement will depend on the specific dimensions of the future countertop. However, in this article, an example is considered, which involves the use of two 50-kilogram bags. Therefore, we will quote the numbers characteristic of this model. As for the sand, it will need six bags, each of which must be 25 kilograms. Silicone sealant will be enough to buy in the amount of one tube. But for decor, you can use different elements, not just glass.

Design

The worktop of concrete will be made using some tools, namely a set of polishers, woodworking equipment, an electric grinder, and devices for working with concrete. Initially, it will be necessary to create an action plan that provides for the creation of a blueprint for the future design. You must clearly see what the table will look like. You need to measure the room where you plan to place the product.

You will waste your efforts in vain if, after completing the work, you find that the countertop does not fit in size. It is not recommended to pour out a solid monolith. The process should be broken down into several stages. This will eliminate the formation of cracks. In addition, moving and installing individual parts will be much easier than a single piece, the weight of which is quite impressive. When the top is made of concrete, the master must take into account the interior features. This will allow to produce a design, the design of which will correspond to the decoration.

Frame construction

The design of each table will be unique. Therefore, to describe in detail the technology of frame construction does not make sense. It is worth considering, however, that the facades of the table will be made of laminated plywood. The worktop can be supported by two pipes. In the central parts, a drawer can be provided. The supporting elements of the frame are recommended to be made of hardwood. In order to create boxes and facade, a sheet of plywood is recommended to cut.

Creating a form for filling

If you are running a countertop made of concrete, you must first create a shape, the details of which will be 18-mm plastic sheets. On the perimeter it is necessary to install beads. Their height will be 50 millimeters. Thanks to such parameters, it will be possible to pour the necessary layer of concrete to ensure high strength. It is important to perform the shapes, given the size of the frame. Already at this stage it is recommended to do everything as accurately as possible, since after casting the concrete, the situation will not be corrected. Joints between plastic sheets and sides must be filled with silicone sealant. It will eliminate leakage outside the liquid concrete.

Stacking of decorative elements and frame systems

Concrete worktop should not only be aesthetically attractive, but also as strong as possible. To do this, use a reinforcement cage. As it can be used wire mesh. Decorative elements should be placed on the bottom. In their role can make broken glass. After surface treatment, the decor will appear and become visible on the base.

Concrete worktop can have openings for laying communications. If this is so, then their presence must be indicated at this stage. To do this, you can use a ring made of PVC pipe. The workpiece is wrapped in polyethylene and stacked in the designated place. After solidification of concrete, the pipe is pushed out, and from polyethylene it will be easy to get rid of.

Methods of work

The grid rises above the surface of the base of the mold by 25 millimeters. The easiest way to do this is with wire. You should pay great attention to the decor. For the attraction, you need to prepare a transparent, brown and green glass, which is broken into pieces. If there is a desire, then you can apply coins, pebbles and other items.

The original table top will look with a fiber optic cable. For this, holes must be drilled in the plastic sheet of the mold. They install a cable. Gaps should be filled with sealant. The ends of the cable will hang under the form. They need to be assembled into bundles. Later, they insert light elements, which will create the effect of the star sky. Glass shards can easily move when pouring mortar. To eliminate this, you should fix them with glue in the form of a spray.

Pouring concrete

The manufacture of countertops in the next stage involves the pouring of the solution. To do this, mix cement and sand, using a proportion of 1 to 3. Water should be added until the mixture will not resemble thick sour cream. Pour the composition into the mold as carefully as possible. After it is half full, the mass must be spread over the entire shape. The formwork is shaken, which will allow you to get rid of air bubbles. Then you can start mixing another piece of concrete, applying the same proportion.

However, in this case, add fiberglass. The composition is poured into the mold, and the surface is stretched by the rule. In this state, the structure is left for 24 hours. After that, the base can be covered with a damp towel, which will slow down the solidification process and positively affect the strength. The manufacture of countertops involves taking out the finished product from the mold after two days. However, experts recommend waiting one more day. If you get rid of the form it turned out to be problematic, then you need to touch the edge with a spatula. As a support you can use a brick.

Grinding

The surface of the slab after hardening of concrete should be ground. This is necessary in order for it to show fragments of glass combat and other decorative elements that were used in pouring. Grinding will smooth out roughness and eliminate the residue of glue. To carry out these works, the master should use clothes that will not be pitiful to stain. After grinding, the plate is again left to dry.

Kitchen countertops are usually very smooth. In order to achieve this effect, the next step is to mix cement with an acrylic fixer. The mass should not get too thick. Its application is best carried out in three stages. It is important to remember that when drying, the material shrinks. It must be spread over the surface, filling all the cracks and voids. Surplus should be removed from the surface, leaving the construction to dry.

What to do next?

At the time of the second application of the composition, you must try to fill all the voids that you missed the first time. When the kitchen countertops are covered with a third layer, you do not need to get rid of the remnants of the mixture. To dry the stove, one night will suffice. Then it is possible to treat the surface with a grinding machine, providing it with a coarse-grained polisher. If, during grinding, you notice cavities and holes that can not be filled with acrylic cement, the process can be repeated by applying another layer.

Carrying out polishing

After the completion of all the above-described work will turn out a dark countertop, the shade of which will be slightly different from concrete. At the final stage, you will need to polish. At the same time, the working element must be permanently moist. Do not hurry. Movements should be uniform and slow. If you are thinking about what to cover the concrete countertop, you can find out by reading the article. Gradually grinders vary in grain size. This is done until you reach 1500 units. You can find polishers, the granularity of which is 3 thousand units. But in order to cover the surface with a primer, you should make the base as smooth as possible.

The production of concrete countertops ends with the application of a primer. He should be allowed to dry well. To achieve a positive result, the varnish can be applied in several layers. And then the surface must be waxed with a wax composition, after hardening, the table top is wiped clean with rags.

Conclusion

If you are interested in the question of what is the minimum thickness of the concrete countertop, then this parameter should be equal to 5 centimeters. But even in this case it is recommended to use reinforcing mesh, which will increase the strength. Many masters neglect the step of creating a template. However, these manipulations are very important for creating a design of ideal proportions.

To do this, you can use fiberboard and cardboard cuttings, which are joined together by glue. Do not forget that a sink can be embedded in the countertop. This should be provided before the stage of pouring, so that afterwards it is not necessary to cut the material. The cost of the countertop of factory production can reach 20 thousand rubles. However, if you want to do the work yourself, the costs will be limited by the price of sand and cement.