How to make a Concrete Counter Top in 1 hour TIPS AND TRICKS
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- In this video I will show you how to make a concrete counter top in LESS THAN 1 hour as well as show you some tips and tricks that I've picked up. I will also discuss some common mistakes that people make while attempting my un-traditional method. The best part is that, with the assistance of Jordon from Rapid Set, I get to help one of my long time Subscribers, Kevin, to help redo his countertops.
SPECIAL THANKS TO: -Rapid Set and Jordon for making this video possible!
-Kevin and his wife Heather for inviting me into their home!
******MICHAEL BUILDS MERCH******
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PRODUCTS AND TOOLS I USED:
-Powdered Colorant
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-Diamond Polishing Pad Set
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-55 lb. Mortar Mix
www.homedepot....
-Flow Control
www.homedepot....
-Set Control
www.homedepot....
-Milwakee 18v Drill
amzn.to/2SoZPPI
-Mixing Paddle
amzn.to/2x7KcCn
-12” Trowel
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-bucket trowel
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CONCRETE SEALER I USED:
-Cheng concrete countertop sealer
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FILMING EQUIPMENT I USE:
Canon EOS R Mirrorless Camera
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Macro Lense Tamron 70-300mm
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Rode mic
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Camera iPhone 8
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iPhone Lens kit
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Editing software: Adobe Premiere Pro CC
Gimbal DJI Mobile 2
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Follow me;
Twitter: @buildsMichael
Instagram: @michaelbuilds313
FaceBook: Michael Builds
Email: MichaelBuilds313@gmail.com
Michael Builds
P.O. Box 700391
Plymouth Mi. 48170
Just made some countertops for my kitchen using this method. Biggest advice-tap those edges for a lot longer than you think you need to. Once I stopped seeing bubbles pop, probably after 5 minutes, I stopped. The edges of mine have tons of craters still, so keep tapping for at least 10-15 minutes
I just made my second countertop after the first one cracked in 2. It was then that I learned all about how concrete has compressive strength but very little tensile strength - you really have to reinforce it with rebar, or smaller metal rods or fibre. I can see in the video that this was added but think it should have been mentioned!! Another tip that I have is make sure you have enough support under the melamine. Although my countertop was only 4 feet long I ended up with a slight bow because the melamine flexed under the weight.
I must of missed the rebar or mesh going in . I did not see any . 🙂
Use mesh, not rebar! Rebar will cause 'ghosting': you'll see a faint outline on the surface of the cured concrete. Rebar is only suitable if you're covering it with at least two or three inches of concrete. Been there, done that.
@@paulmaxwell8851 I used welded wire fencing inside and 1.5 years later it still looks great.
exactly what I am using! 4"x2" welded fencing works wonders.
@@Holdfast
Did not see any reenforcement used.
First of all...WOW!!! That was like a well oiled machine. You guys make a great team. I know it was a lot of work, but I'm sure you all had a blast working together. Good on you and the Rapid Set Team for helping a guy out. That says a LOT about a product as well as you Michael. Love your videos and LOVE your channel man. Keep em coming.
I really like the Cheng countertop sealer, it worked great for my bathroom counter top. What I'm excited to do on the kitchen counter top is the grinding and sanding to bring the cool look to it.
Thank you Michael for another great video! :) Getting really excited for this project, darn winter has put me on hold at the cabin, but come spring. ..it's on!
I need to take a photo and send it to you of the bathroom. So thankful I can even do that after the Cameron Peak Fire knocked at my cabin door . A shout out to all the firefighters that work hard to save our homes, cabins and everything else they do for us. :)
That kitchen looks absolutely fantastic. Great build!! Another great video Michael. Funny bloopers too. 🤣
Thank you so much Eric! I had so much fun edit this one LOL 😂
There were probably an hour's worth of bloopers. My wife said we're children in men's bodies. Could be a whole video/episode itself. LMAO 🤣
@@MichaelBuilds how did y’all make the long form? As in... how did you connect two pieces of melamine seamlessly like that? Thanks!
That is one awesome kitchen! Fantastic job guys! And it looked like SO much fun!
Great job guys!👍
I did a similar project, but as i didn't have that much help I rented two electric cement mixers and attached and old bench grinder that was off balance to the form. It acted like shaker table so I didn't have to spend any time tapping the forms or spreading out the concrete as it self leveled . I did use two of the set control per bag and just waited to the next day to remove it from the forms. It all worked great and my wife loves the look.
Great job and a lot of planning went into this construction and excellent video. Well done Michael!
Thank you so much Monty! It was a FUN ONE. I can’t wait to do this at your house when Canada opens back up LOL
Great job. I use Rapid Set products for a lot of things also. Love em!
This kinda hits it for me. Very nice!
This is so enviably fabulous! My countertops are the bottom grade big box store, but if I ever get 3 or 4 friends, I would do this!
You can always do smaller section. We just wanted the L-top not to have a seam. Yes 600lbs was pushing it.
@@kevinsatz1110 I doubt my big box particle board cabinets would support that, the quiver under my 340 lbs!
@@brianandlynphilippines I wouldn't worry. That's 600 pounds displaced over a rather large area. Point loading 340 pounds is going to out all of that stress in one, maybe two, sections of cabinet.
Pour it in place rather than having to move it. Can be a 1-man job easily.
Great job on the counter tops!!👍👍
MIchael, this is a great way to do these things. It will be the countertops for a small project I have planned. The one thing I would like to know is "What mistakes have people made and what were the symptoms of the issues?" Thanks in advance.
One of the best vids. Just excellent.
Very helpful video. You’re a good man for doing this for a subscriber. Great tips. Thanks for sharing!
Great video with a lot of helpful tips.Of course no matter how much info you put out, we still got more questions. How do you make the molds for long runs without seams? Suggestions about reinforcement such as how much, what type and hard areas like around sink cut-outs. Then there's the whole polishing and sealing thing. How long after you take off the mold before you start wet sanding? Tools and techniques used to do it. I saw your video about sealers but this seams to be on another level. You've got us hooked for sure. I will be watching for your videos (always do). Take care and have a Merry Christmas!
Great video
Heeeeyyyyy Micheeeaaaal! 😍 THAT IS AN AWESOME JOB! BEAUTIFUL!!! Love the new intro BTW. I'm playing catch up on your videos. It's not like me to miss them. Lol 😆
After watching your videos I made an outdoor kitchen top with fiber optics throughout.
Well now you're going to have to make a video so we can all see! Sounds amazing!
I'd like to see that.
@Michael Builds, First, nice videos, I love your positive, upbeat, happy go lucky personality and you're such an artist in your own right.
Did you ever do the video on how he grind-ed that counter top, how he made it smooth and looking nice like that? I don't see it in the description above. You said that you would put it there.
Love to see you are back at it again as usual and loving the intro and editing.
Awesome looks great!
Truly marvelous!
Simply Awesome! Okay, not so simple but still Awesome!
Beautiful job 👏
Michael first off I love your videos! I have a question/ possible video request. There are quite a few “make your own concrete weights” videos, however I’ve yet to see any that use rapid set mortar mix. How do you think the durability of a rapid set mortar “weight “ would compare to a quick Crete 5000 as far as chipping/crushing?
It would be awesome to see your take on this project.
Would love to see a video on color pigment like white and ultra smooth finish countertops
I would like to see how u go about adding glass bits to the countertops and then to polish it down to expose the glass that will be in between the Stones
I definitely need to do a video like that!
I definitely need to do a video like that!
@@MichaelBuilds would the sealer, seal in between the glass and the stones , or could there be more glass than stones what is yr opinion ??
2 questions I haven't seen asked here. What size rebar are you using and are the molds top side down or bottom side down? Thanks and great video!
That was 1/2" rebar since we went with 2" thick top. Top side is facing down in the mold.
I love you Michele, I am short like you, and that start was far funny with the stand on....LOL..and yeh my first was cracked too, i didn't throw away, instead i rapid clue it back, it works just fine...
Yea, I had epic failures on different levels.
Another fantastic video! Glad I subscribed some time back!
Awesome job
I absolutely LOVE your personality and videos! How do you not have 5 million subs or your own show on television? You are one of the best on youtube and thank you for all the little tips and being so informative!
That is a very good question! Hahaha. Well your comment definitely made my day Robbie! Thank you so much!
Agreed!!
This is awesome! Can the be made to 1" thickness with this method? Which is stronger, the mortar mix or cement-all?
Going to be attempting a concrete kitchen island this weekend --- will show the reults either way. Thanks for these videos brother... Do you ever use stain to color your products? If so, what do you recommend.
I intend to a concrete countertop...I am looking at 1 1/2" thick .. I plan on using 1/8" nd 1/2" steel in it..... what can I add to make the counter tougher
Hey Mike! A question for you. If you have to pour the concrete in place, can you still use the same type of materials (55# mortar mix, etc) and just trowel it flat or do you think you'd run into issues? ( for example, would keeping the concrete wet for an hour like you recommend make it hard to trowel it smooth enough) Awesome videos by the way!
DON"T pour in place! By pouring upside down in a form, you end up with a nearly perfect surface, as smooth as the form surface itself. I've seen poured-in-place counter-tops and they're terrible. They look amateurish. Eventually the homeowner comes to hate them and has them torn out.
AWESOME!
Have you ever considered doing a pour in place video using Rapid set?
Great video! I have a question; can the form be made out of ply or something else, large sheets on melamine are hard to come by in the uk. I want to make a concrete able top. Many thanks.
Yes you can but it will give the concrete a lot of texture and wood grain in the concrete
Show us the dry pour method for counter tops please! Has to be easier than mixing and cracking right?
If one were to use this in a workshop, could it withstand pounding on wood that is sitting on top of it
Just found your channel. Like 👍 and subscribed!
Thank you so much Charles! And welcome to the channel man! 👍🏻☺️
Love this!!! Been following for years and now ready to try my first one! Do you have anything on how to join melamine boards for a longer than the dimensional 8' length boards? I need to do a 12' run. Thank you for your channel!
I watched a lot of your videos. I need your help. Tell me how to fix jacked up concrete counters that I have stained and sealed. The surface is not even. My niece wanted black and shiny unforgiving combo.
I hope you still have some videos in the works. I made my own countertops by watching you.
Hopin to have the next one out tomorrow
Great video. Beautiful result.
Quick question: How long was it from the time you were finished with the water cure (you said that was “1 hour or until the heat died down”) until it was set enough that you could turn it over?
I think it was about 30 minutes that day because it was a little hotter that day. So in total it was about an hour from pour to de-mold.
How did I missed this one? I can’t find any Rapid Set in my area. Can you recommend an alternative?
Awesome job guys, but i would to hear more about what went wrong the first time just to learn more about what not to do. Did they just try to move it to soon or was it a bad mix, wrong mix?
Michelle,what kind of sealer would you use on a concrete kitchen counter top that is food safe
Can you use a liquid color agent?
What do you know about rapidset and epoxy ? How long after pouring until it can be coated ? I emailed rapidset months ago , but never recieved a response .
Great video and great team effort !
Quick couple thoughts/concerns hoping you or your subscribers can address for me as I'm getting ready to do 2 end table tops and 1 coffee table for customers...in this video you mentioned (and I saw) the "pour marks" on the top side of the countertop once the form was removed. Are they avoidable with using different pour technique(s) as in maybe trying more entry pour points with less/slower volume ? Are they the result of the concrete solution pushing away the WD40 release layer and then coming into direct surface contact with the Melamine face ?
With a full +/- 28 day cure will they be much less noticeable or not visible at all ? Do these pour marks show using this mortar mix regardless of color tint or standard (no color added) ?
Thanks for your reply and advice !
Hey! Can you do a video on how to pour the “ramp” part of a driveway? That slanty part that takes your car from the street to the driveway? I’m a bit disabled. I was born with two X chromosomes. So I need a bit of help figuring this out. 😁
Was wondering if there were any bug holes from the very flowable concrete mix. Did the hammer vibrations remove the voids and air pockets?
Great vids Michael. So do you recommend any particular pigments?? I am wanting to do a light almost white concrete bar. Can you suggest anything to use with the rapid set mix???
You can use any pigment you want as long as it’s made for concrete. Home Depot has a Quikrete colorant in stock that works great but they don’t have light colors. But remember, you can’t go lighter than the base concrete that’s already in the bag. If you need to go lighter, you need to start off with a white concrete which unfortunately rapid Set does not have. Quikrete has a white base tho
@@MichaelBuilds Great info...thank you Sir!!
I called it! I knew that Michael is 6'2".
Its cool to see guys getting togetherr to do a weekend priject. I didnt think people did that anymore. Now fire up the grill and crack open a beer Job well done. To me its not work Its good fun when you have lots of hands.
I really enjoy your videos! I've watched quite a few concrete countertop videos. I didn't hear you talk about anything that was put into the cement to help out hold together. No rebar, fiber glass stuff. Why is that? I thought especially for the large pours,b that there needed to be sonship structural support.
Thanks
There was rebar. Watch for when I'm down on the ground and kind of throw my arms out to the side. The L-top had 4 pieces. 2 running the full length or each section. The sink top got 2.
I love this so bad!!!!
Haha Thank you so much!!! ☺️👍🏻
Can you please tell me in what sequence to put the products in? Thanks
Water, (Set Control optional), Mortar Mix, MIX , add Flow Control then mix again ☺️
Great video!! Can the Rapid Set be used to pour a fish pond?
Hey Michael I'm up in Saginaw going to try to do one of these by myself for our 1885 kitchen rebuild that I'm hacking together... I was wondering how much one of these countertops weighs such as the one that has the sink in it... Thank you
So, I got the quartz sticker shock. Now I'm learning as much as I can about concrete countertops. Would it be a mistake to cut the sink hole after it's cured instead of building it into the the mold?
Mike, you didn't show us how or when to place the board for sink?
Will this process work for pour in place? What was the mix ratios? I’m doing a outside bar top
In an earlier video, Michael used 5 quarts of water, a 55-pound bag of Rapid Set Mortar Mix and one packet of Rapid Set flow control.
Can you use the rapid set product with pour in place countertops?
11:08 the way it dries wasvawsome
How long after taking it out of the mold do you use the sealer on it?
What did you use to support the island bar overhang?
is it not possible to mix larger batches? like maybe 2-3 buckets worth?
Hi Michael
Great video. I got a quick question. If my counter is longer then 8' any tips on how to seal the joint so it won't show after you pour and the concrete cures?
We just joined the gap from below on the mold with a second piece of melamine. The used packaging tape. Your going to need to sand so it will get rid of any visable lines.
I'm curious about the auction winner plaque. How did you make that??! Was there a video that I missed?
What kind of sealer did you use? Great Video as always....
how much flow control did you add per 55 bag?
No wire mesh?
So, how long from pour to install? Great job!
Can I make white concrete with powder? Or do I just need to buy white concrete?
How thick are these and what is the thinnest that would probably work?
They were 2” thick but you don’t want to go thinner than 1 1/2”
I see when you take off the mold for the L-Top that you did have a seam, the mold top is not one single piece due to the length of the run. How do you prep that so the seam doesn't transfer to the counter top? Just use more of the silicone caulk? Great info and I'm building my first mold today for a basement kitchen, doing the easiest counter top first for practice...making my Depot run now :-)
I haven't done a pour longer that 8 foot but that would be my guess...silicone the seam but not overfill it, maybe leaving a little room for the mix to settle in then use the diamond grinder/polisher discs to buff down the seam line.
For the seam on this L-top I used packaging tape. That's it. Clean the surface where the tape is going to go with alcohol. Then tape. Do this BEFORE you caulk. Otherwise the tape won't adhere to the melanie after you spray it with the glass cleaner. Then wet sand with the 50 from the
STADEA Premium Grade Wet 5" Diamond Pad 5 pack to get everything nice and smooth. Then go up from there on the pads.
Very cool project. It turned out great!
Michael, have you made a counter top that you poured in place? I'm leaning towards buying the edge molds and pouring onto 1/2"cement board since the countertop I'm going to build is in the basement and would be quite difficult to carry down stairs and around corners and what-not. Would you use different materials or the same Rapids set and flow control?
Your projects are fun to watch and I realy want to build your fire pit with maybe a different whimsical design so it isn't an exact copy! I'd like your input on the pour in place method. Thanks, and keep up the awesome builds and videos!
I did one in our laundry room using this method. It's an absolute mess. If your trowling skills are novice at best it's hard to get it perfectly smooth. So you'll have to do a ton of wet sanding. And that is a horrible mess. We had just had our cabinets painted so that's why I did a mold for this.
@@kevinsatz1110 I can definitely see it going south in a hurry.
The advantage to using the method shown in the video is that the countertop is poured upside-down, so the top surface is on the smooth side of the mold, and the troweled side will end up facing down when you install it. The product dries and can be removed from the mold in an hour so you can do the entire job in the basement with the mold sitting on top of the base cabinets (for a rectangle shape) and then flip it over.
And saved thousands of dollars too!
I'm kind of upset that I don't get my notifications like they used to give me when you upload a video now I had to search for you cuz you were missing out of my life I've been like a OG subscriber and I just found it unfair that they don't give me the Bell anymore I had to re Ring it!!
That’s UA-cam for ya. The same thing has been happening to me with the channels I’m subscribed too as well 😢. But I was definitely HAPPY to see your comment tho! ☺️. Your like my super OG from before I had 1000 subscribers! You had a different profile pic back then haha
You have to change the subscription to alert you every time something. New comes up. I'm not sure what the point of having a subscription without alerts would be, but it is what it is. Try to go on his page and click on subscription and then alerts.
Nice! I am however curious about the need for the silicon calking on the seems. The seems look tight enough that I really don't see it leaking.
It will seep into the joint. Not fun. Also gives you a nice little radius to start sanding on.
@@kevinsatz1110 Did you sand and seal after they were in place? They turned out great.
@@bendall248 sanded before install. Wet sanded. It's the only way to go but is a mess. Sealed after install.
I would like to email you Michael, just to send some pictures of my concrete table with fire pan I made. I've been working on it for the last 9 months on and off- and it's now finished, some table specifications: 2.4m long 1.2m wide 2.5 inches thick, 18x20kg bags of high strength concrete, 35kg of steel reinforcement, sitting on 88mm dressed pines at bar height
Do you answer big project build questions?
I can try
@@MichaelBuilds my houses foundation wall is a mixture of cement walls and stacked stone and morter.
Am I able to use rapid set concrete mix instead of morter with the stacked stones?
How thick is it?
What was the color that he added, it looks amazing and I think I want to use it.
I figured it out, ”Charcoal”. Just had to go back and watch it again, lol. Great video, keep up the great work!
NewLook 3 lb. Charcoal Fade Resistant Cement Color. I ordered it from Home Depot.
@@kevinsatz1110 was there a mix ratio that you used or just the manufacturer recommend?
@@mibranditnow the manufacturer said not to exceed 1lb per bag. So that would be the darkest. I didn't try one that dark since we found the right color with 1/2 lb of color per bag.
@@kevinsatz1110 Was that all that was mixed in, the finished top looks like it has bits of rock mixed in? Fantastic looking tips, getting ready to do mine. Ordering the color, just wasn’t sure if that’s all I needed to get that same look.
14:53 Did it crack here?
Nope. That’s just the natural color and flow of the aggregate. The sealer also enhanced that particular dark spot.
WHERE YA AT DUDE???
Editing as we speak 👍🏻☺️
I don't think Micheal has an email address on his You Tube Channel. But I want to challenge Michael to build a pizza oven using an exsweaize ball as the mold. and then take one step further.
I do have an email address in the description below haha. I am currently researching all that is involved in making a pizza oven because it is a very highly requested video... I just want to learn how to make one first LOL
@@MichaelBuilds Making the oven is easy. Making it so it will not crack under high heat / cooling cycles is not as easy.
So make it like an airfare with circulating air and electric elements as long as the air is constantly circulating and venting out you should be okay
Should have used micro cement
LOL, "said no one!"
Now come and do mine lol
Awesome 😍💋 💝💖♥️❤️
Are you kidding me? Those countertops look amazing! Good job!
I couldn’t click fast enough!!! Even if I can’t do some of the projects love watching and learning!!! What happens in rapid set stays in rapid set lol, that’s set in concrete lol
That is funny!!
Where did you find a piece of melamine long enough for the sink counter? I want to do this, but my countertop is 14' long.
Just giving a second to this question. Mine is actually 98.75" long as in 1.75" too long for the 97" melamine. ANYONE have an answer? Is there a trick to connect two pieces without having a visible seam in the concrete?
We did it! we made an outdoor kitchen countertop. EVERYTHING worked just like Michael said. Next we are going to polish it following his polishing video. Thanks so much.