The Tools You Need to Make Your Own Concrete Countertop

So, you’ve made one of the most difficult decisions of the century; concrete or granite. Congrats! Trust us when we say that you’ve done the hardest part. Now, as long as you follow the following instructions properly, you’ll have a beautiful concrete countertop in only a couple of days.

A few of the tools that you will need in order to DIY concrete countertops include a countertop form, Z-clips, fiber mesh reinforcement, a margin trowel, a stainless finishing trowel, a counter screed, a gem pad, as well as a magnesium float. However, the greatest tool is a guide, which you’ll find down below. Keep reading to find out how to create your own concrete countertop.

Preparation
Begin with a cement backer board such as a Durock. Don’t screw it down to the cabinet, but rather attach it with silicone. Remember that a little goes a long way, so just put a bit along the edges.

In order to create the best edges out of your countertop forms, use our Edge Expert, which comes in both inside and outside corners. It will help keep your form in place while cutting it on a miter saw. With a solid 45 degree cut, you’ll be able to make the best countertop possible. Next, you’ll need to drill a few holes into the form so that you can screw it into the Durock without stripping it.

Now, in order to make sure that the mesh that you use for the concrete stays in place while it gets poured, it’s important to prepare it with some Z-clips. You can use this two-part clip with either our standard forms or the 3 ½ inch commercial forms. For the standard ones, you just have to snap off the longer legs. Clip it onto the mesh and then screw it down to the Durock. If you are using the commercial one, then you’d just need to pop off the shorter legs.

Cut the mesh to the size of your concrete top that you’re looking into making, hook the z-clips to the first row every ten to twelve inches, and then screw that first row down. There’s no need to predrill it. Make sure that you wear gloves because you are essentially working with strands of glass! After you’ve screwed it in, begin working on the next row which is about a foot from the first one. Make sure that the clips are all lined up. Keep doing each row until you are done with the entire sheet. Once you’re done, put one in the middle of every square. There’s no need to try and make it perfect, though! As soon as they’re all clipped in, begin to screw in all of them. Now you can see how the mesh is held tightly and all in place. This whole system is great, too, because it helps create a countertop that won’t crack.

The next step in your DIY concrete countertop lies in the creation of the mix. Begin by mixing two quarts of water with one pack of Z-Liqui Crete. Blend that mixture for one to two minutes before adding in two more quarts of water. Now, you’re ready to add the 60-pound bag of concrete sand mix. Once it starts to get dry, add one more quart of water. Continue to mix it for about one more minute. If you still aren’t happy with the consistency, you can slowly continue to add a bit more water, but it’s definitely recommended that you don’t put any more than one more quart. If you’ve never worked with concrete before, aim to try to get a consistency similar to that of thick pancake batter.

Prior to pouring in the mix, mist your form a bit. Once you pour all of it out, make sure you really get it into the edges. Using a tool such as a simple trowel is perfect for that. Afterward, take a countertop screed and level the mix with a back and forth motion. Then, start pouring in the next section. A margin trowel is great for getting everything out of your bucket. Make sure that you’re getting your mixture up to the top of the forms. A bit later in the process, you want to make sure that you’re putting in some vibrations into the forms to get out all of the air pockets. So, take the handle of the margin trowel and tap it on the outside. Make sure that you’re giving it a good tap across the entire space.

Afterward, you want to continue to smooth it out with your screed. Move it across at a 45-degree angle from one corner and then the other, finishing in a straight down motion. It’s smart to tape some rosin paper to the floor and cover your cabinets in order to protect them against any sort of spillage. Once, you’re all done, take a magnesium float to flatten it all out by moving it back and forth. Don’t hesitate to go back in with some more concrete if there are some spots or dents. Now, you just need to wait a bit for it to harden.

If you touch your concrete and it leaves very light marks, you’re ready for the next step. Make half moon strokes with your tool and at about a quarter inch above the surface. Don’t drag it so that it doesn’t chip your surface. Then, let it dry some more.

When you come back and hear a soft scraping noise come from your trowel, your countertop is ready for the final finish. Keep using the steel trowel to smooth it out, but have a wet towel handy in order to continuously wipe off any of the dry concrete that gets on it. This will give you the ultimate flat surface.

In order to remove the forms, use a gem pad to carefully sand off the excess concrete that’s on top of the edge of the form to prevent it from chipping backward. With a putty knife, separate the form from the concrete, loosen it up, and then pull it off with your hands. You may notice a few air bubbles, but there’s no need to worry as you can just fill those in with Z-counter patch and then sand them a bit.

Your DIY countertop is almost finished! All that’s left is to take a stain, a tint, or a combination in order to create your desired color. Here, you can be very creative and there’s no need to try to make anything perfect. Just spray some water over the counter and then it’s time for your creativity to flow. You can also use a combination of tools such as a roller or just a simple paint brush. Top it off with a sponge at the end. When it dries, wash it down with some clean water prior to putting on the sealer. Then, roll on a sealer such as Z Aqua-Poxy for the perfect shine.

Now, you may be wondering how much does this whole DIY concrete countertop project cost. Well, we can begin by saying that it’s much less than granite. Also, since you’ll be making it on your own, the price decreases even more. However, we can’t give you a concrete, pun intended, price due to the fact that every project is so different! That being said, by using Z- concrete countertop solutions, you can ensure that you will make a beautiful concrete countertop that will look so much more expensive than what it actually took you.