Mortar for concrete countertops. DIY epoxy resin tabletop

Jamie Gaokas's project began with the purchase of a book about how kitchen utensils are made. DIY concrete countertop. At first, the master made them for himself, then for friends, and then started his own business. The master class is conducted by Jamie himself.

First of all, the master asks to be patient, since from the beginning of production to complete installation About a month passes. During this time, you can make a complete renovation of the kitchen.

After measurement work surface templates are made. Concrete is poured into the trays, which will soon become the tabletop. The cut inlays are inserted into the selected places.

To make a sink, plywood is used, from which the shape is knocked down. Solid insulating foam is needed to form the recess.

After low tide, the concrete remains in the tray for two weeks. A high-quality countertop with a sink looks beautiful, as in this photo.

Polish the tabletop using a grinding machine with a diamond wheel.

The last stage of manufacturing is filling the joints with silicone. This makes them waterproof. Afterwards, the surface is polished with a paste of wax and mineral oil to create an additional protective layer. The procedure is recommended to be carried out once or twice a year.

Pieces of glass, porcelain, metal and anything that supports original design interior design and will make an impression, must be chosen carefully, as it will remain there forever.

Owner's personal inlay

This horseshoe belonged to a horse that the client loved very much. Pieces of glass and gravel fit into the overall picture. Other customers choose coins or even fragments of mechanisms.

The decoration can be incorporated into the profile of the tabletop.

The board is removed to discard nut shells and other debris that should not end up in the sink. The profile reveals nice blue inserts.

The gray material harmonizes perfectly with the brownish pieces of glass.

Bluish-green shades look inspiring. Pigmentation of the material is not easy, but the result is excellent.

Gaokas artist. He has degrees in art and art history. This is felt in the master’s products, creating a special atmosphere in the space of the house.

Available for sale different variants kitchen tables - classic and original, made of wood, MDF, glass and other materials. You can make such furniture with your own hands. The table looks incredibly beautiful epoxy resin, because this material allows you to create unique designs, real objects of art.

Features of the material

Epoxy resin is often used in workshops on making jewelry, crafts, sculptures and interior items. Particularly popular is transparent epoxy, which has enormous scope for imagination. The composition of epoxy for pouring includes synthetic oligomer compounds, alcohols, and a number of other components. To obtain the desired properties, it is necessary to pour a hardener into the product - only after this can the resin harden.

Depending on the amount of hardener and the introduction of other substances, the resin for products may acquire different characteristics. It has the ability to harden or turn into glue, be super strong or rubber-like. For the bay dining tables It is necessary to use hard resins, both for creating new furniture and restoring old ones. It is this coating that will be abrasion resistant and durable.

Advantages and disadvantages of epoxy countertops

A huge advantage of the products is their unique design. The tabletop can have any appearance that the user desires. For decorating chairs, coffee tables, kitchen and even desks They use different materials - pieces of wood and glass, stump cuts, stones, foil and glitter, sawdust and sand. Shells are also used marble chips, pebbles, souvenirs and money, dried flowers and leaves. The resin can be painted in any color, up to the most saturated tone, to achieve the effect of a landscape, sea, river, etc.

Other advantages of the products are:

• completely waterproof, washable;
• tolerance of many household products;
• no shrinkage during operation, preservation of shape and original color;
• absence of deformation and reaction to moderate mechanical stress.

When choosing this technology, you need to take into account its disadvantages. The cost of a table for the kitchen, living room, countertops for the bathroom will be high. The consumption per 1 m2 of epoxy is high; it can take 10-20 liters of resin or more. If the sequence of actions is violated, at the slightest mistake air bubbles will appear inside, which are difficult to get rid of.

Types and design features of tables

Typically, countertops are made using epoxy. It is better to make table legs from a different material, although they can also be cast. There are different table options:

• transparent without base;
• with a base of saw cuts, boards, and other parts of wood;
• combined;
• with different fillings.

Structures without a supporting surface

If we are making a massive or miniature transparent tabletop without support, we need to make a mold for it. Its appearance can be anything, even bizarre. It is in such tables that LED lighting, glowing neon elements, and “lightning” are often used. The pouring table with the addition of water looks original - you get real space objects on the surface. The disadvantage of baseless tables is the need for careful operation.

Wood and epoxy resin countertops

The combination of oak, elm (elm), pine and other wood with epoxy is very popular. The resin can be used clear or colored as desired. Matte bases look worse because the wooden inserts are poorly visible. You can paint a piece of wood to make it brighter or more luminous.

Another option for making a table is to pour wooden base resin, boxes and old boards will do. For the base for the table you can take a painted plywood surface or marbled chipboard. You can even base it on a painting, still life, or drawing.

Wooden tables with epoxy coating

Such products imply the production of full-fledged wooden table- round, square, original. Decor is scattered on it (colored pebbles, shells, plants, cones, painted bolts and nuts, coffee beans, buttons). Cut hemp with moss and bleached pieces of logs look beautiful. Next, the table is filled with a thick layer of epoxy mixture, adding edges along the edges.

Slab and epoxy tables

A slab (blind) is a solid solid slab of wood or stone. A stone table filled with epoxy resin will be too heavy, but the product made from a wooden slab will be successful.

• It is required to prepare a slab with the following characteristics:
• wood thickness - 5-15 cm;
• cut - longitudinal, without processed edge;
• the array is solid, there are no gluing points;

the pattern is beautiful, rich, with knots and interesting texture.

Ready-made slab can be purchased or ordered from a woodworking company. How much it will cost depends on the size, type of wood, and quality of the material.

Table in the form of a river River on the table - decor, it is often adjacent to volcanic lava. In the center of the tabletop there is an insert reminiscent of a river flowing through a mountain gorge. The insert has a blue, blue-green color, the base is usually made of solid wood. At the bottom of the “reservoir” you can put pebbles and shells. The table can be made in any shape - rectangular, oval, round or square.

Choosing a resin for making a table

Which resin to choose for creativity? There are various brands of epoxy, the best one is the one that has a long period before hardening and is absolutely transparent. If the properties of the material are different, the time for layer-by-layer pouring will increase, the resin itself may boil - overheat and deteriorate. Base resins such as ED-20 are not suitable due to their thickness. After curing, there will be air bubbles on the table. The transparency of cheap base resins leaves much to be desired, and their strength is not always the best.

Which resin is best for the table? A number of products are suitable for furniture production:

1. Art-Array. Low-viscosity composition based on modified epoxy resin. Allows you to pour a layer 60 mm thick.
2. "Epoxy Master". This resin easily hardens in a 5 cm layer and perfectly fills hard-to-reach areas. The reactivity of the product is average, so you can work with it on large products.
3. "Art-Eco" from Ekovanna. This material is poured only in thin layers, but it is resistant to the formation of cracks and allows the use of acrylic colors.
4. Epoxacast 690. Transparent jewelry resin, great for pouring small elements on the table.
5. PEO 610KE. Russian resin does not turn yellow, does not become cloudy, and has no darkening from ultraviolet radiation.

Counting the amount of epoxy resin

To avoid mistakes, you need to carefully calculate the volume of resin consumed. Each manufacturer indicates the exact material consumption, but the differences between brands are small. On square meter surface, 1-1.1 kg of mass is consumed per layer 1 mm thick. You need to multiply this amount by the estimated thickness in millimeters and quadrature, adding a little material for the error.

DIY table - technology

To make a table, you need to read the instructions and follow all the steps step by step. It is important to remember that epoxy hardens quickly when room temperature, so you should work with it faster. Some people wonder whether and why it is possible to heat resin with a burner? It is forbidden to heat the fill from above; it will immediately become deformed. Other rules for working with epoxy:

• do not forget about safety measures, use a respirator, gloves, goggles, so as not to harm your health;
• work only in a well-ventilated area;
• prevent contact sun rays before the resin hardens, it may turn yellow;
• do not make sweeping movements when mixing two components (resin and hardener), otherwise the appearance of air bubbles will not be avoided;
• Do not freeze the tabletop until it is completely ready - the material will delaminate;
• do not forget about polishing and coating with protective varnish.

The composition hardens poorly at high humidity, so it must be adjusted in the working room. To increase the speed of curing of the solution, increase the temperature in the room, but without directly heating the product.

Necessary materials

Depending on the selected model, different accessories may be required for operation:

• resin in the required quantity;
• acrylic paints, interior;
• masking tape;
• wooden sticks for dividing the tabletop into sectors;
• jars (containers) for mixing resins of different colors;
• spatula for spreading resin over the countertop;
• fine sandpaper for sanding or a sander;
• construction level, laser;
• desired decor;
• boards;
• self-tapping screws, wood screws;
• stain;
• plywood for the form;
• individual protection means;
• wood hacksaw;
• cellophane for covering the filled product.

Sketching

To complete a sketch, it is better to contact someone who has experience in modeling if you decide to prepare a complex product. For beginners, it is better to start making tables with simple designs. You need to calculate the size, all sides of the product, draw them on paper, not forgetting to mark the location of the decor.

Fabrication of the supporting structure

Step-by-step instructions for building a table begin with creating a support. When the technology does not provide support, this point is skipped. Usually the frame is made of plywood, wood, or less often metal. In the latter case you will need welding machine, therefore this technique is used infrequently. The shape and size of the structure are chosen taking into account the dimensions of the future table.

Preparation of formwork and filling

The tabletop can be whole or consist of separate parts. Depending on the needs, formwork is prepared, the edges of which should be as smooth as possible. All joints are sealed with silicone to prevent resin from leaking through the holes. The formwork is installed on the base and placed inside decorative elements. Next, they are carefully glued individually to the base, not allowing the glue to protrude, otherwise it will be visible in the transparent resin.

Before pouring the countertop, the mold must be degreased. How to coat the support to prevent the resin from sticking? For this purpose, special primers or wax compositions are sold. Also inner surface can be covered with a transparent polyethylene film.

Preparation of epoxy

Epoxy resin is mixed strictly according to the attached instructions. Any composition is two-component. Colors are added only to the resin before adding the hardener and mix well. The paint should first be heated to +30-35 degrees so that it can better integrate into the composition. You can't heat it up too much - it can ruin the resin!

Next, a hardener is added to the main component. Typically the ratio is 10:3.5, but may vary depending on the brand of resin. The mass is thoroughly kneaded, but without sudden movements, so that bubbles do not appear. If they are present, carefully blow warm air from a hairdryer onto the epoxy while stirring. The composition should be poured within 5-7 hours; it has a limited shelf life, so mixing the mixture into several layers at once will not work.

Correct filling

You should start pouring depending on the thickness of the solution and the needs of the master:

• liquid texture - used to fill multiple depressions and corners, such a mass easily flows off the stick;
• “liquid honey” is a more viscous epoxy, allows you to create drops, lenses, small decorations, and is also used for filling round tabletops;
• “thick honey” - better suited as glue, unsuitable for pouring;
• “rubber” resin is already a half-hardened material, but you can sculpt products from it, like plasticine.

Epoxy up to 5-6 cm thick is poured into one layer. Otherwise, you will have to do the work in several passes, but only after the first layer has completely cured. Pour the resin in a thin stream from the center, for which it is lowered into the solution wooden stick. Then they force the mass to flow down it. The solution is leveled on top with a spatula.

Sanding and varnishing

Some resins do not require sanding, others require finishing. For polishing, only the finest sandpaper is useful; coarse material should not be used. Work is carried out at a slow pace so that the surface does not overheat. It is better to add water little by little to remove heat in a timely manner. To complete the work, the base is coated with a protective varnish.

Tabletop care

You cannot place hot pots or dishes on the countertop - they will melt. For care, use only soft fabric - wool, flannel. Use a damp cloth to remove heavy dirt, then wipe dry. Do not use abrasives, aggressive agents, acetone, or alcohol. Heavy objects are also harmful to the tabletop - if dropped, the product may be damaged. If you follow these tips, the table will serve for a long time without any complaints!

14.03.2018

Epoxy resin has unique properties, thanks to which it is widely used in various industries. Based on epoxy with appropriate additives, various compounds, which allow us to produce high-quality, aesthetic and incredibly practical things, from small decorations to floors in an apartment or house. Epoxy resin is also used for pouring countertops and making entire furniture. Used for thin layer coating epoxy varnishes Etal And epoxy paints etal.

A product made of epoxy resin or coated with epoxy compounds is not afraid of mechanical and chemical damage and looks really impressive, especially when using decoupage or similar techniques. The entire manufacturing process will require personal protective equipment and accuracy, but no special tools or special skills are needed. Read more about the filling method further in the article.

Material characteristics

For pouring countertops two-component epoxy compounds, consisting of a resin and a hardener, for example brand Etal(transparent Etal-3D, Etal-Optic, Etal-257Carbon/Light etc.). After hardening, the mixture does not decrease in volume and does not become cracked; it perfectly fills small uneven areas. The material is resistant to moisture and abrasion, but when exposed to high temperatures it melts, and a sandy tint may appear, like all epoxies.

Specialized epoxy compounds have special additives that improve the properties of the epoxy resin, such as wear resistance, heat resistance, UV resistance, chemical resistance, impact resistance, etc.

You can make your own epoxy resins different brands hardeners, additives, dyes.

The most common epoxy resin on post-Soviet space is epoxy diane resin ED-20, the main disadvantage of which is the increased viscosity of the substance, which makes removing air bubbles from the mass very problematic. After some time, the ED-20 countertop loses its transparency and becomes slightly yellowish, but when using dyes this is not so important. In addition, ED-20 resin from different manufacturers differs in physical and mechanical properties after curing, in particular in fragility, and in shade. The hardener chosen for resin polymerization also plays a role in the performance characteristics. Actively used hardeners Etal-45M, PEPA. The advantage of ED-20 is its low cost.

Among imported resins, an analogue of ED-20 resin can be called epoxy KER 828 resin. But if you need a resin with low viscosity (like water), transparent and quick-curing, then we recommend using resin KER 215 With hardener KSA 4303.

Epoxy compounds allow you to create various shapes products: the thicker the consistency, the easier it is - this is, for example, when working in epoxy plasticines stamps Etal, and in the manufacture of composite products (fiberglass, carbon fiber), it is necessary to select impregnating epoxy compounds Etal with low viscosity.

Countertops and furniture can be made entirely from epoxy resin or combined options with other materials, for example: wood, stone.

When a wooden countertop is coated with epoxy, the wood is stabilized: its pores are filled with resin. As a result, the tree becomes invulnerable to ultraviolet radiation, solvents, and organics.

In addition to operational properties, epoxy resin also has decorative advantages. With its help, patterns, decorations, and imitations are created. For example, you can coat a painting, shells, pebbles, leaves, etc. with a layer of resin. Epoxy resin can be painted beautifully, e.g. epoxy tinting pastes Etal. You can get a colored transparent or opaque coating, as well as with various stains.

Specialized epoxy compounds are not cheap materials, but if you compare them with analogues for treating surfaces with increased stress on abrasion, moisture and mechanical damage, then the price becomes very reasonable. The price of epoxy casting transparent compounds as of 2019 varies depending on the properties of the composition and packaging in the range from 37.8 to 45 rubles per kilogram, the wholesale price will be lower, about 32-41 rubles / kg. Epoxy varnishes are even cheaper. Savings, of course, are possible by selecting separately cheap, unmodified resin and hardener, without the use of special chemical additives. (We advise, however, to pay special attention to the environmental friendliness of the hardener. Health is more important.)

There are several types of countertops made using epoxy compounds:

1. Made entirely of resin, without support. This type is most often found in the manufacture of coffee or coffee tables, for which significant loads are not planned.

2. Made from wood and coated with epoxy as a protective layer. The role of the base can be played by a board made of any material: solid wood, multiplex, paneled surface, fibreboard, chipboard, OSB, etc. Before pouring, such countertops are often decorated (with print, stencil painting, paper elements, according to the principle of decoupage, mosaics, pebbles, flowers, coins, shells - anything).

3. Combined, when the resin alternates with fragments of another material: wood, stone...

The base can have any shape (square, round), it is important to make the sides of the required height so that after the pouring hardens, the side surfaces of the tabletop are smooth and even.

Advice! When choosing a material for decorating a tabletop, remember that the more embossed the decoration, the thicker the layer of fill will have to be made; it will take longer to dry.

Advantages of a countertop coated with epoxy resin:

1. After drying, the substance does not shrink.
2. After hardening, the surface becomes perfectly smooth, like glass.
3. Resistant to damage caused by mechanical impact(dents, chips, cuts).
4. Insensitive to moisture and aggressive cleaning agents household chemicals, therefore does not require a special selection of care methods.
5. Under the influence ultraviolet rays does not collapse.
6. Looks impressive.
7. Can be subjected to mechanical processing: drilling, cutting, grinding, polishing.

Useful tips

To epoxy resin table top, made with your own hands, turned out to be a real work of art, should be followed work requirements and take into account the recommendations of professionals:

1. To make a high-quality fill, you will need to strictly adhere to the proportions of the components.
Advice! Dosage is carried out by weighing on scales.
2. When mixing one-time large volumes of epoxy compound, a slight yellowness may appear due to strong heating.
Advice! If colorlessness of a transparent product is required, mix the compound in smaller portions.
3. When mixing components and pouring the countertop, bubbles may form.
Advice! Mix the components of the epoxy compound at low speed with the mixer, having previously mixed each component separately and adding the hardener while mixing into the resin. When pouring the compound, it is advisable to first apply it to the surface of the mold. epoxy composition using a brush, and then fill. If there are still bubbles in the layer after leveling, pass the burner over the tabletop, the bubbles will come out - but do not linger on the flame over one place to avoid overheating.
4. The resin cures faster and more uniformly at room temperature.
5. To avoid deformation, do not heat the surface from above.
6. When pouring layer by layer, a section of layers may be visible.
Advice! Do not overexpose the product, pour the next layer when the previous one is gelatinized (dried) “tack-free”. During exposure, close the product to prevent dust from entering the surface. If the previous layer has already dried, then sand the surface and clean it before pouring the next layer of epoxy.
7. After curing, the surface of the countertop is uneven or there are uncured areas or spots - this indicates uneven mixing of the hardener with the resin.
Advice! It is necessary to mix the components of the compound more thoroughly. To avoid unmixing and obtain a uniform distribution of components, pour the mixed composition from one working container into another container, completely clearing the walls and bottom of the compound, and again thoroughly mix the mass with a thick mixer, spatula or spatula. Try not to bring the tool to the surface of the mass, otherwise there is a high probability of air bubbles being sucked in.
8. The surface of the tabletop turned out to be somewhat cloudy.
Advice! Carry out curing of the resin in a dry room. High humidity may cause clouding. To eliminate this, grind and polish the surface (grain size from 320 to 600, speed no more than 1000 with paste and water to prevent heating of the surface).

9. When poured into the mold around the perimeter, a border along the side was obtained.
Advice! Cut the edge around, grind and polish the surface. Lubricate the surface of the mold with wax release agent.
10. A sharp drop in temperature can lead to the appearance of deep layers white flake-like inclusions - the hardened substance stratifies under the influence of extreme cold.
Advice! To remove white flakes that appear, warm the countertop to +50-60˚C.
11. When using the product near fire or in direct sunlight, the solid resin begins to turn yellow.
Advice! Use special UV-resistant and heat-resistant epoxy compounds to manufacture the product.Etal.
12. When exposed to high heat, the tabletop material will release toxic chemicals. human body substances.
Advice! To prevent the release of toxins when heated, coat the countertop with an additional protective transparent varnish.
13. When pouring into a springform mold, epoxy seeped through the seams.
Advice! For sealing seams in molds, it is better to use , MaxSil or adhesive sealantADHESIONMS(in case of using a polymer form).
14. It is necessary to work in compliance with safety rules as strictly as possible.

* * *

Be careful when performing work, do not ignore advice,

and the work will give excellent results and bring a lot of pleasure.

Quite often, when undertaking renovations in their homes, people want to make the interior unusual and exclusive.

You can diversify your kitchen, living room or dining room using a table with epoxy. You can do it yourself, having a drawing, the necessary consumables, tools and free time.

Also, with the help of polymer resin, you can restore the former attractiveness of an old product that has lost its aesthetics over time. long years operation. Such a piece of furniture will bring special sophistication, originality and bright accents to the room.

Epoxy resin can be considered an exclusive material. She has mass benefits. The main ones include:

• naturalness and safety;
• long service life;
• exclusive appearance;
• convenience and ease of use;
• acceptable cost.

Using epoxy resin, people create truly unique masterpieces with interesting textures and textures.

What is a polymer resin? This is a two-component material consisting of a hardener and resin. With its help, you can cover the treated surfaces with an even and transparent layer. There are no cracks, bulges or any other defects on such a surface.

Epoxy coated features include:

• perfectly smooth surfaces;
• good resistance to mechanical loads;
• moisture resistance;
• ease of use and maintenance;
• resistance to direct sunlight and ultraviolet rays.

Advice. To prevent the release of toxins, the surface of the table is coated with yacht varnish.

But besides positive qualities, the epoxy resin table top has and flaws:

• the appearance of white flakes inside the fill when the temperature drops sharply;
• release of toxins when high temperature air;
• strict adherence to safety measures when preparing work.

Important. When white flakes appear, heat the product to 50 degrees Celsius.

Varieties

According to types, polymer resin countertops are divided into:

• completely made of epoxy without additional structure;
• resin coated bases made of wood, chipboard and other materials;
• combined products made from epoxy and other materials.

Each individual option has its own advantages.

Important. Epoxy tabletops without a base are only acceptable for making coffee tables. Since such products are not designed for heavy loads.

The products will look very attractive if you make a composition of dry leaves under the coating. Also, to add brightness to the item, you can add a little multi-colored glitter to the resin.

When restoring an old tabletop, paint, varnish and any other materials are removed from its surface. The surface can decorate with pebbles, coins, you can apply ornaments using a router. Under a transparent layer of resin, these compositions will look extremely beautiful.

Epoxy Resin Selection

Epoxy resin is synthetic polymer. This material is not used in its pure form. It exhibits its properties only after contact with the hardener.

Depending on the combination of components, you can make resin:

• hard;
• liquid;
• high strength;
• rubbery.

After creating a drawing - project, you can select and consumables. When choosing a material, the following characteristics should be taken into account:

• the material must be transparent. Then it will be possible to achieve any visual effect: make a 3 D effect, install lighting, insert any objects;
• life expectancy. The material you choose should harden slowly. This will make it possible to form patterns, ornaments and give the product the desired shape;
• no shrinkage. The material should not lose volume when poured;
• degree of viscosity. Material low viscosity, good fluidity will fill even the most difficult to reach areas and prevent the formation of bubbles inside the product.

How to do it?

Drawing

To make it more convenient for you to make furniture, you should make a drawing in advance. With its presence, you will not make mistakes when working. The drawing should indicate the exact dimensions of the product, the shape of the product, and the design. When choosing these sizes, personal needs and room dimensions are taken into account. When choosing sizes, you can start from both common standards, and from personal wishes. The main thing is that the product is stable and able to withstand loads.

Tools and materials

Before you begin the workflow, you must put on:

To make a product with decorative elements you will need the following: materials:

• formwork made of plexiglass or plywood;
• decorative elements;
• sandpaper for sanding;
• epoxy resin based adhesive.

From tools you will need:

• scales or measuring cups for diluting materials;
• pliers;
• building level;
• plastic spatula;
• gas burner or hair dryer (to remove air when pouring).

Manufacturing

You can purchase epoxy resin for decorative work in the store in ready-made kits. These kits include both hardener and resin.

Important. The solution must be prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions, observing all proportions.

To mix the components you will need:

1. Prepare 2 containers required sizes and a stir stick.
2. Further measure out required quantity resins and pour in hardener in it.
3. Thoroughly mix mixture until smooth.

Important. If the solution is not mixed well, the mass will not harden well.

After preparing the solution, you can begin making the countertop:

• We place the workpiece strictly horizontally. Otherwise, there will be unevenness and sagging on its surface;
• The mold for filling is cleaned and dried in advance. The work surface should not get wet;
• It is recommended to work with the material at air temperatures above 22 degrees Celsius. But remember, the higher the temperature, the faster the solution will harden;
• If bubbles form inside during pouring, they can be removed using a syringe or cocktail straw.

Solid wood table top

When making a single-color tabletop with a base, the stages of work are as follows:

1. Degreasing working surface. The wood is pre-primed with resin, as it absorbs liquid.
2. Further mixture is being prepared from epoxy and is poured in the form.
3. After that, leave the furniture for 10-15 minutes. If bubbles appear during work, remove them.
4. In 2 days polishing surface and polish the product.
5. A week later, after the material has completely hardened, the table is ready for use.

Fill with decor

To make a product with decor, you need to prepare a filler. It could be: coins, pebbles, bottle caps, multi-colored sand. The work process takes place in the following sequence:

Important. Pour the resin in a thin stream into one point. This will prevent voids from forming in corners and hard-to-reach places.

Tabletop installation

After making the tabletop from epoxy resin, it needs to be placed on a frame. In order not to drill holes in the poured surface to install the legs, these places should be marked in advance and reinforced with small sections of pipes of the required diameter. After the material has hardened, these pipes are pulled out and products are installed in their place.

Photo

The results of working with epoxy resin can be amazing:

Useful video

All stages of the process and many important nuances can be seen in the following video:

Finishing

The product is considered finished after the resin has completely hardened. But after this the tabletop requires some work finishing. It is sanded, polished and varnished in several layers. All these procedures will save your product from negative factors environment such as exposure to direct sunlight, will give the product shine and an aesthetic appearance.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that if you do not have experience in making furniture, but really want to try yourself in this industry, make your own epoxy resin countertop. Even a beginner can cope with this work. The main thing is to prepare all the necessary materials, tools, and drawings. Use your imagination, and then you will get an exclusive and unique product made by yourself.

In contact with

The technology for manufacturing concrete products is popular in both industrial and private construction. This material can be used to fill window sills, steps for stairs, floor tiles, countertops, and so on. The main thing is that any thing can be made independently, without involving outside specialists. Let's give an example of how to make a concrete countertop with your own hands.

Like any construction process, making countertops from concrete mortar is divided into several stages. Each of them is very important; it is impossible to allow any operation to be missed.

Preparatory process

Preparation consists of acquiring necessary materials and tool. To begin with, all the same components are purchased that are necessary for the production of a standard concrete solution. Namely:

• cement;
• sand;
• crushed stone;
• water.

Since the tabletop is a decorative element, it is worth considering the issue regarding it color design. For example, if you use regular cement gray, then the tabletop itself will be gray. Fortunately there is today a large number of colors that can be added to the mixture, selected by color shade.

Basic materials

To increase the strength of a concrete countertop, it is necessary to place a metal reinforcing frame in the body of the solution. To do this you will need steel wire with a diameter of 2-3 mm. To assemble a mesh from this wire, you need to tie it, for which you will need knitting wire. To attach the frame you will need self-tapping screws.

The tabletop must be poured into the formwork. It is made from several different materials. The main one is the sheet moisture resistant plywood thickness not less than 12 mm. Instead of plywood, you can use laminated chipboard or MDF.

Please note that the strength of these materials must be high. A slight curvature will immediately appear on the concrete product itself.

To create the thickness of the tabletop, you will need boards with a section of 50x30 mm and several wooden blocks of 50x50 mm.

Since on kitchen countertop When a sink is installed, it will be necessary to make a hole for the faucet. What is it needed for? plastic pipe with a diameter of 35 mm and a length of 50 mm. Typically, the diameter of the mixer mounting pipe is 35 mm.

Tools

To make a concrete countertop, you will need the following tools: a shovel, usually a trowel, a spatula, a bucket, a construction mixer (if a small volume is mixed) or a concrete mixer.

To assemble the formwork you will need a saw and a screwdriver. To make a reinforced frame, use pliers. Do not forget that all formwork elements will have to be precisely aligned according to a pre-made drawing, so a ruler, level and pencil will also be needed. To measure the dimensions of the future tabletop, you need to prepare a tape measure.

Create a drawing

You can draw a sketch either before or after preparation. It is important to accurately measure the space where cabinets with concrete countertops will be installed. If kitchen furniture will be installed in the corner of the room, then we kindly ask you to align the angle at 90º. This is not only a criterion for the quality of the repairs carried out, but also the ease of installing furniture exactly along the wall planes.

Now the boundaries of the tabletop installation are measured with a tape measure. Often work zone the kitchen has a curved shape with an approach to adjacent wall. If this is the shape (corner) that is adopted, then it is better to divide the element into several sections and make its own tabletop for each part. In this case, the formwork will be uniform, but divided into sections.

The main thing is to make the boundaries of the areas transverse, which must exactly coincide with the walls of the kitchen cabinets. This is the only way to avoid the formation of cracks. A monolithic countertop will weigh a lot, which will create inconvenience during its installation.

Place a sheet of moisture-resistant plywood on a flat horizontal surface. It could be a table. Now transfer all the dimensions from the drawing to this sheet, for which you use a ruler and pencil. Along the edges of the lines, 50x30 mm boards are installed on the edge. They will determine the height of the concrete countertop, which will be 50 mm. Why this particular size? Reducing the thickness will reduce the strength. Increase – increases the weight of the product. Therefore, 50 mm is the optimal size.

Since the concrete solution will create a lot of pressure on the walls of the formwork, it is necessary to secure them well. There are two options here:

• use 50×50 mm bars for fastening;
• install metal corners.

In the first case, the bars are attached to the corners of the structure. If installed board long, then 2-3 additional bars are attached in the middle evenly from each other along the entire length of the board.

As for sinks, you need to pay attention to the type of device purchased. There are built-in sinks and overhead sinks. They differ from each other in that the overhead ones have a horizontal edge along the entire perimeter of the plumbing fixture.

For overhead models

If this particular option is installed, then the sink is turned over, placed on a sheet of plywood and a line is made along its side. Then the width of the side is measured, for example, it is 3 cm, which means that exactly the same shape is laid inside at a distance of 2.5 cm.

For built-in

In the case of a built-in sink, the outline is drawn along its edge. Now 50x50 mm bars are installed along the lines, which are attached to the plywood with self-tapping screws. Please note that 50x30 mm boards are installed outside the marked lines, and in the case of a sink, 50x50 mm bars are installed inside.

And one more thing - built-in sinks have a seating chamfer, which is not easy to make. Therefore, anyone who is going to make a concrete countertop with their own hands is recommended to choose an overhead model. All that remains is to glue the pipe to the location where the mixer is installed.

It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that the reinforcing frame made of steel wire should be like a mesh with cells 25x25 mm. At the same time, it should also be located at a distance of 25 mm from the plywood sheet and from the edges of the formwork. Therefore, pieces of wire are cut taking into account these reservations.

A polyethylene film is placed in the formwork, the edges of which are placed on the boards. Make sure that the film lies flat without folds.

Installation of supporting structure

Now the frame itself. It can be made separately and then installed locally. You can assemble it directly in the formwork. Installation at a height of 25 mm is done using self-tapping screws. For example, the second installation option.

We screwed self-tapping screws into the plywood along the entire perimeter of the formwork every 25 mm. Alignment of the caps in height is done using a ruler and level. After that, pieces of wire are screwed to the screws. At the intersection points, tying wire is used for fastening.

Almost everything is ready to start pouring the concrete countertop with your own hands. All that remains is to treat the joints between the formwork elements with sealant. It is important here that this material fills exactly the gaps and cracks.

If there is a need to make rounded corners on the tabletop, then a pipe is installed at the junction of two 50x30 mm boards, that is, in the corner. And the corner space, limited by the pipe and two adjacent boards, is filled with sealant.

Concreting

There are two ways to pour concrete.

1. Completely filling the formwork.
2. Layer by layer.

In the first case, concrete is prepared according to the classic recipe: 1 part cement, 2 parts sand (pure river), 4 parts coarse aggregate (in this case it is best to take marble chips), and 0.5 parts water. First, cement and water are mixed until cement laitance is formed, then other components are added in portions. The solution must be mixed very thoroughly.

A tabletop made from concrete mortar can look very original. The main thing is to approach the design of its front side correctly. For example, you can put it on plastic film pieces of broken glass, beads, arranged in patterns copper wire or fiber optic cable cores.

It is imperative to secure these decorative elements with glue so that they do not move during the pouring process. The brand of glue is not important, the main thing is that it holds well.

For the first face layer, a solution of fine sand without large fillers (gravel, crushed stone) is required. There should be a little less water than in the classic recipe. This way you can avoid the appearance of pores. But you also cannot add too little water, because this can lead to the formation of cracks.

Therefore, if there is any doubt that the solution may not turn out the same, it is better to purchase a ready-made dry mixture for screed. There are instructions on its packaging indicating how much water to add. Mixing should be carried out at low speeds. It doesn’t matter whether the process is carried out with a mixer or a concrete mixer. This solution is poured to a third or half the height of the formwork. There is no need to wait for it to dry.

Filling the base layer

The main supporting layer can be poured after half an hour. There are no restrictions on the composition of this mixture. This can be a classic recipe, in which, instead of gravel or crushed stone, expanded clay can be added to lighten the entire structure.

After which (it doesn’t matter whether it’s the first or second option), the concrete countertop needs to be covered with film. After a day, the film is removed, and pieces of wet fabric are placed on top. After two days you can dismantle the formwork.

If a concrete countertop is made without a decorative layer, then its front side must be sanded. You should not use a grinder for this. It is better to use an angle grinder. It is more convenient to use for horizontal surfaces. Plus, you will have to buy several grinding wheels for the machine.

First, the slab is ground with a coarse-grained wheel. Then they switch to fine-grained. Polishing is best done with a felt wheel. If it is necessary to trim the tabletop, then use a grinder with diamond blades.

If small depressions have formed on the surface of the slab, they can be removed by applying a special acrylic-based sealing mixture. After it dries, additional sanding is carried out.

This is how you make a concrete countertop with your own hands. We will not assure that this process simple It is complex and requires attention and accuracy.