Anyone ever make cement countertops?

[New Mexican]

We've heard about them. We're also consider doing the cement flooring as well....instead of tile. Anyone ever do either or both of these techniques? If so, any website you'd recommend or pointers?

[daileyjoy]

We lived a rental one year a few years back, it was an older house and someone had taken down a wall that seperated the kitchen from a small dining area and expanded it to make 1 xlarge kitchen and added carpet
We checked under the carpet in the dining area to see what was under it and it was a beautiful hardwood floor so we began cutting and ripping up, until we got to the kitchen area and soon discovered not only was there no hardwood but about 4 layers of different tiles covering a concrete floor. Well we sanded and scrubbed and finally made it to the floor but due to finances we couldnt afford to cover it so we cleaned it up real nice and bought a gallon of concrete paint in a cream color and another in country blue. We painted the floor cream and trimmed about 2 inches in blue and we loved it. Easy to take care of and lasted the only problem was how hard it was so If you have small children you might want to reconsider, it hurts something awfull to fall on it. But otherwise very nice.

Jennifer

[ginnie5]

also don't drop any dishes on it! I have ceramic tile and the kids bust one or two a week it seems like.

[gobug]

here's a link

http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/nmbh019.asp

This guy makes thick stuff. I have been studying ferrocement and thin shell concrete and have made several small tables with very thin concrete tops. Two of them are less than a half inch thick. It's easy and cheap to experiment. The book in the site will whet your appetite.

[gobug]

here's another site

http://www.danromanstudio.com/DANROM...IO/Custom.html

[Mommalee]

Can't remember what magazine, but somewhere in a doctor's office I was reading about types of countertops and cement ranked in the top 5 with granite and corian, which are both very expensive! When I someday own my own place I think I'll be making my own countertops. I've also read that you can dye them just about any color, too. Have fun!

[New Mexican]

Thanks for these links, bobug. DH is perusing them now! Never heard of the word Ferrocement...Does it have iron in it? Or very strong like iron? Dan Roman studies has some great pics too!

Originally Posted by gobug

here's another site

http://www.danromanstudio.com/DANROM...IO/Custom.html

[VAkat]

I can tell you what not to do! I purchased a book, good book on the subject by the way, called Concrete Countertops by Fu-Tung Cheng. I read it, not ready for that project so I sent it to my sister for her review & consideration. Well, she considered it alrighty enough! She decided to build one on the floor in her kitchen figuring that a few strong friends could get it up there once it was done. She fussed over it, polished it to shine like a mirror! It could not be lifted. After a few tries, she gave up & ended up taking a sledge hammer to her masterpiece. Live & learn, at least it wasn't expensive. I also want to add that someone sells edging forms on e-bay if you wanted to get a decorative edge without alot of work. They look like they are made out of foam or something so I don't think they can be reused.
Good Luck & let us know how it turns out! We plan on doing them in our next house...pouring in place of course!
KAT

[Cyngbaeld]

I read somewhere that they stain easily, so you might want to seal them really well before using.

[gobug]

ferrocement is layered steel fabric in between thin layers of cement

old timers used chicken wire, expanded metal lathe is more common now

it was first used to make boats!

modern materials have improved much about the whole process.

As for counter tops, its risky as the story above indicates. If you make it place and it doesn't come out right......

Thats why I've been practicing on small tables.

Good luck

Originally Posted by gobug

ferrocement is layered steel fabric in between thin layers of cement

old timers used chicken wire, expanded metal lathe is more common now

it was first used to make boats!

modern materials have improved much about the whole process.

As for counter tops, its risky as the story above indicates. If you make it place and it doesn't come out right......

Thats why I've been practicing on small tables.

Good luck

gobug, can you give some pics / how-you-did-it ideas o what you've been doing so far?

purtty please?

Timedess

[ed/IL]

I have a few links for you you like this sort of thing. http://www.ferrotanks.com/decorative.html http://www.planetaryrenewal.org/ipr/ultralc.html This next one i had to throw in. I call it ozz dome. http://www.ferrocement.com/Javier/Senosiain.01.en.html http://www.decorative-concrete.net/photos.php http://www.midcoast.com/~bo/enersearch.html One more http://www.ferrocement.com/lovag/lovag1en.html You could follow the links in these sites to see and learn much more. Start out building a shed, picnic table or dog house and go from there if you enjoy it. Plenty of info out there.

[edjewcollins]

Are you talking about floors or counters per the question?

ed

[gobug]

thanks for the links, Ed, there some good information there.

one site says geopolymers are not available in the US - they are.

here's a link to some photos of stuff I have made:

http://community.webshots.com/user/nogobug

the folder titled "my cement" has the photos that might interest you. The whole site is mostly photos of cement stuff. Photos of yard include a ferrocement waterfall - still in process. ITSA was an Oregon conference for thin shell cement enthusiasts. George Nez roof folders are a chronology of building a thin shell roof for the upcoming Sustainable Resources conference at U of CO.

If the link doesn't take you to the page with a "my cement" folder, you'll have to wait a few minutes for the site administrator to update the page.