Concrete Counters

 It finally happened! I turned my bathroom counters from a plywood flat surface to gorgeous concrete countertops! The flat surface was usable, but it was well past time to clear it off and make it fully functional and a work of art.

I had already cut the plywood base to fit my area, and after clearing it off, it was time to cut the holes for my sink and faucet.

Depending on if it is a drop in sink or undermount, this step will be different for each project. I decided to use my sink as a drop in, because the height of the concrete would cover up the edges.

After drilling the holes for my faucet I used the plugs that I got from ZCounterform.  You want them tight enough that you have to wedge them in so concrete doesn't leak.

ZCounterform has an amazing system with everything you need to pour your own high quality concrete countertops. I attached the forms to the edges of my plywood base. The forms are what allow you to build up the concrete and get it perfectly level.

To cut my form pieces to the right size, I just used my miter saw. I needed to connect two pieces to get one long enough, so I cut them at 22.5 degrees to attach them. This will allow a tighter fit then doing straight cuts and trying to get them flush.

Making sure they are as tight as possible, I screwed the forms into my plywood base.

After screwing everything in, I used 100% silicon on EVERY gap and seam.  You do not want to clean up any mess leaking through!!

One thing I did have to figure out was how to plug up my sink, since it's a drop in, it was already in place. I used a piece of foam and cut it to size to perfectly cover the sink hole. I used packaging tape and wrapped it as smoothly as possible to ensure smooth edges.

Once all that prep is done it finally feels like you're getting close!

ZCounterform sends fiberglass mesh with their kits. This gives the concrete the strength so it doesn't crack. It has these amazing clips that keep the mesh in the middle and not sinking to the bottom. The mesh is easy enough to cut with scissors!  I put the clips every foot or so then filled in with remaining clips.

Pour time!

I mixed one of the additive bags with two quarts of water. After mixing that, add another two quarts of water and an entire bag of concrete. Thick pancake batter consistency. Mix it and pour. I leveled out that mixture with trowels while I had someone mixing up another and then adding that on top.

ZCountrerform's kit also came with a screed. This makes it level from the front form to the back. I ended up just screwing in screws to the top of my faucet knockouts so they would be accessible at the right height.

Though it looked super smooth, there are still bubbles trapped in the concrete. I used my multitool along the front edge to vibrate and release the bubbles.  As I saw them rise up, they would pop at the surface.

After vibrating until I didn't see bubbles rising, I used a magnesium float to go over the top to give a slight texture. The texture allows the moisture to escape at as it cures, otherwise it will be a dusty finish.

I knew I was coming back in 2-4 hours with a trowel, so a few trowel marks were okay at this step.

After it had cured for a couple hours and had thickened up, I trowel it again. At this point it will be much easier to get that perfectly smooth look.

Next was the hard part of waiting. The next morning you can see how it's beginning to dry. The lighter areas are where it was more dry. It is very hard and very smooth, but it is not fully cured! 

After 24-48 hours it should be cured enough to take off the forms. I pried off the forms and there weren't too many bubbles on the edges! So exciting! The forms left a little black residue, but after sanding down they came off. Don't use too low of a grit, though! I used 60 and it revealed too much of the sand from the concrete. Start with a high grit like 300!

I removed the foam from the sink cavity. It wasn't perfect, but not as bad as I worried about!!

For the faucet plugs, I used a hammer and hit directly into the head of the screw that I put in the top and they fell out below! I used my screw driver as a chisel for any spots that I needed to widen. It was a super thin layer of concrete, so it was very easy to get out.

Though as anxious as I was to use my countertops, the next step is very important and not one to skip! I needed to seal the countertop. Before I could I needed to test it for 24 hours for vapor. I taped up a section in plastic and made sure it was air tight. After 24 hours and no moisture trapped, I knew I could safely seal them! The seal is great and will protect it and not change the color of the concrete. Follow the directions of the concrete seal.

Can you believe this high end look was all done by me?! And a custom countertop for $600, you can't beat that!