stained concrete counters,what cement to use?

[chris fresh]

has anyone used straight bag mix? like quickrete.and if so,was it mix with stone in it,or sand mix. what i'm doing is a very simple island top,5x7.the form is being build out of melamien and the pour will be done in place.

 

[jasonreck71]

I have been doing a good bit of research on this...this is about the best information I have found. I have not done this, but when I start to tackle my wish list I will follow this page.

http://www.meet-mr-concrete.com/concrete-countertop-mix.html

 

[chris fresh]

I have been doing a good bit of research on this...this is about the best information I have found. I have not done this, but when I start to tackle my wish list I will follow this page.

http://www.meet-mr-concrete.com/concrete-countertop-mix.html

thanks for the link,also did some other research,this weekend i'm going to build a small form 2'x2',and see what i have.i'll do the pour,polish,and seal.

 

[ksucat90]

I have used the quickcrete mix with great success.

http://quikrete.com/ProductLines/CountertopMixPro.asp

Key here is only use the amount of water as directed. It will be very dry, but this is necessary for it to set properly.

 

[srmofo]

From what I understand they pour into the mold and then flip onto the counter. That way you end up with a very flat smooth surface. Another tip I have heard is to caulk the joints of the mold. It allows for easier removal and gives a finished look on the edge since that will be on the top.

 

[chris fresh]

From what I understand they pour into the mold and then flip onto the counter. That way you end up with a very flat smooth surface. Another tip I have heard is to caulk the joints of the mold. It allows for easier removal and gives a finished look on the edge since that will be on the top.

i'm going to using zform and do the pour in place,there won't be regular forms where you have to pour/strip and then install

 

[jasonreck71]

thanks for the link,also did some other research,this weekend i'm going to build a small form 2'x2',and see what i have.i'll do the pour,polish,and seal.

Be sure to post pictures and what you learned, excited to hear thanks

 

[jasonreck71]

From what I understand they pour into the mold and then flip onto the counter. That way you end up with a very flat smooth surface. Another tip I have heard is to caulk the joints of the mold. It allows for easier removal and gives a finished look on the edge since that will be on the top.

I have read about caulking the seams...when I get around to it I want to do a small sample of one with smooth edges, and on a second I want to do hammer chipped edges...many projects down the road

 

[chris fresh]

heres a link to what i'll be using

 

[NUTTSGT]

Make sure start a thread and take a lot of pics when you do the counter top.

 

[rlitman]

Get the Cheng book on the subject. It's well worth the $20:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1561584843/?tag=atomicindus08-20

He recommends using a Quickrete High Strength 5000 mix. The bags are readily available anywhere. FYI, This stuff sets fast, and has a very coarse aggregate in it.

I've read elsewhere that for countertops you want a concrete with as little air entrainment as possible. Many mixes have chemicals to increase air entrainment, so you may want to add a "defoamer" to decrease it (for better water and stain resistance).
Also, many recipes call for "white" concrete, if you want to stain, and not get the grey look.

 

[victoria stiles]

Although an old building material, concrete has recently taken off as a viable option for countertops. Like staining a concrete floor, countertops can also be stained. With a concrete countertop, you can stain or color the surface to any color you like.

 

[Wheelbyte]

I built a concrete coffee table a few years back. I used the fiber reinforced quickrete straight out of the bag and just added charcoal colorant. Built the mold out of melamine and caulked the seams used mesh & rebar in the mold. When pouring the key is to vibrate the mold as much as you can you get all the air out. I then polished it out starting at 50 grit going all the way out to 1500 using diamond polishing pads then sealed it. I now wax it once in awhile and it is holding up really well.

here are some photos i dug up.....

greg

 

[Crank1]

That concrete table looks awesome, and you did it yourself !

 

[MichaelUser]

That looks great.

Love the idea.

 

[BMS]

You can vibrate the mold using something like a little orbital sander but don't vibrate too much or the aggregate goes to the bottom (top?) and the cement rises to the top (bottom?). Depending on how your placing/forming it, can be an issue.