I got tired of the cheap crap they built my house with and Im too cheap to buy a piece of granit or even quartz. I priced out quartz and it was $3200 just for the piece in my pics (approx 50 sqft). Not including having someone install it. :dw:
I have $60 in concrete, about $125 in plywood and framing, $10 for screws, and $25-$30 in wire/rebar. I also bought a 1/2 gal of concrete acid stain that was $50 but that is optional. I do have a lot of time put into this but since I've never done anything like this wether it be the framing, the plumbing, or the concrete work/finishing, all new to me lol. I feel that ate up quite a bit of time just analyzing and changing things as I go. After this I will be painting my cabinets and walls then doing a glass tile back splash.
Right now I'm really impressed with the work I did. I hope it looks good when I take the forms off in a few days.
What we started with
I created a overhang to hide the plywood I laid down.
New vs old
Only 800lbs plus water
Update-1:
The waiting was getting the best of me so I popped a few of the forms off. I have two spots that are alittle worst than I would like but other than than I'm pleased with how it turned out. Better than I expected for the most part.
This is probably the worst spot which can be fixed fairly easy.
The corners came out nice and crisp which makes me happy.
UPDATE (2) 3-18
I went around the edge and filled in all the air pockets that were trapped behind the forms. Turned out pretty good. Shouldn't be able to tell after stain and polishing.
Update: 3-5-13
Here are a few new pics. I haven't had much time to work on them the past two weeks. I figured out with the depth of my new sink and being an undermount, the discharge on my garbage disposal is now 1 1/2" lower than the drain in my wall. So I have to move that now.
Concrete has been stained, slurry coat to fill small voids and "bug holes", and I am currently in the process of removing the slurry coat and polishing.
Acid stain applied (concrete is damp so it looks real dark)
After sitting I had to scrub down the slabs with a baking soda and water mix to nuetralize the acid.
Then comes the slurry coat which I dyed black
Then you grind that off (I used a 400 grit poilishing disc for stone). Next step after that is a polishing stage (600 grit) and you end up with this.
I'm on the 600 stage and the finish is about as smooth and a ceramic tile now even though it looks to be rough feeling. I still have 800, 1000, and 1500 to go. By the end it will be as smooth as glass. More pics to come.
The way the stain and black slurry fill-in turned out to almost give the concrete a distressed look with alittle marbling which I has more or less looking for. I didn't want it to look like a my driveway.
BTW, my kitchen is not usually this dirty haha. I'm glad my wife has been in good spirits about it.
UPDATE 3-9-13
I got my drain moved, concrete is stained and polished, sink, faucet and garbage disposal is in and hooked up. Now all I have to do is epoxy the concrete and I'll be finished with the countertops and then I can move onto the backsplash.
Test fitting
Getting everything hooked up with my trusty travel jack as my helping hand
Weight test
I hope to be pouring epoxy tonight. That will help the colors really pop and it wont look so blah.
Update 5-10:
It's been awhile since I've put some photos up. I have since got the tops done, and sealed (after waiting almost two weeks for sealer). I found a soy-based, non-toxic, 0-V.O.C. polyurethane sealer designed for industrial floors but is also safe for countertops. It's a low build, high gloss. Real nice stuff so far. We also had to order some backsplash which I have not had a chance to put up yet, and some new lighting fixtures.
Here is the backsplash (glass, slate, and some with stainless caps on them)
Im not sure why some of the sides look white in the pics. They aren't really that color. It will be nice to finally get this done.
Update 5-28-13:
I finally got around to hanging my tile backsplash. It was fairly easy for my first time ever doing it with the exception of cutting of the glass and having a bunch on glass splinters. I think I had it all hung in around 4 or 5 hours. It still needs to be grouted. I bought non-sanded charcoal grout.
The walls and cabinets still need painted, and new outlet covers installed.
I now have green walls, grouted tile and I had to sand and reseal the tops. Next will be flooring...
Last update: Cabinets are painted, walls painted new hardware up.
I have $60 in concrete, about $125 in plywood and framing, $10 for screws, and $25-$30 in wire/rebar. I also bought a 1/2 gal of concrete acid stain that was $50 but that is optional. I do have a lot of time put into this but since I've never done anything like this wether it be the framing, the plumbing, or the concrete work/finishing, all new to me lol. I feel that ate up quite a bit of time just analyzing and changing things as I go. After this I will be painting my cabinets and walls then doing a glass tile back splash.
Right now I'm really impressed with the work I did. I hope it looks good when I take the forms off in a few days.
What we started with
I created a overhang to hide the plywood I laid down.
New vs old
Only 800lbs plus water
Update-1:
The waiting was getting the best of me so I popped a few of the forms off. I have two spots that are alittle worst than I would like but other than than I'm pleased with how it turned out. Better than I expected for the most part.
This is probably the worst spot which can be fixed fairly easy.
The corners came out nice and crisp which makes me happy.
UPDATE (2) 3-18
I went around the edge and filled in all the air pockets that were trapped behind the forms. Turned out pretty good. Shouldn't be able to tell after stain and polishing.
Update: 3-5-13
Here are a few new pics. I haven't had much time to work on them the past two weeks. I figured out with the depth of my new sink and being an undermount, the discharge on my garbage disposal is now 1 1/2" lower than the drain in my wall. So I have to move that now.
Concrete has been stained, slurry coat to fill small voids and "bug holes", and I am currently in the process of removing the slurry coat and polishing.
Acid stain applied (concrete is damp so it looks real dark)
After sitting I had to scrub down the slabs with a baking soda and water mix to nuetralize the acid.
Then comes the slurry coat which I dyed black
Then you grind that off (I used a 400 grit poilishing disc for stone). Next step after that is a polishing stage (600 grit) and you end up with this.
I'm on the 600 stage and the finish is about as smooth and a ceramic tile now even though it looks to be rough feeling. I still have 800, 1000, and 1500 to go. By the end it will be as smooth as glass. More pics to come.
The way the stain and black slurry fill-in turned out to almost give the concrete a distressed look with alittle marbling which I has more or less looking for. I didn't want it to look like a my driveway.
BTW, my kitchen is not usually this dirty haha. I'm glad my wife has been in good spirits about it.
UPDATE 3-9-13
I got my drain moved, concrete is stained and polished, sink, faucet and garbage disposal is in and hooked up. Now all I have to do is epoxy the concrete and I'll be finished with the countertops and then I can move onto the backsplash.
Test fitting
Getting everything hooked up with my trusty travel jack as my helping hand
Weight test
I hope to be pouring epoxy tonight. That will help the colors really pop and it wont look so blah.
Update 5-10:
It's been awhile since I've put some photos up. I have since got the tops done, and sealed (after waiting almost two weeks for sealer). I found a soy-based, non-toxic, 0-V.O.C. polyurethane sealer designed for industrial floors but is also safe for countertops. It's a low build, high gloss. Real nice stuff so far. We also had to order some backsplash which I have not had a chance to put up yet, and some new lighting fixtures.
Here is the backsplash (glass, slate, and some with stainless caps on them)
Im not sure why some of the sides look white in the pics. They aren't really that color. It will be nice to finally get this done.
Update 5-28-13:
I finally got around to hanging my tile backsplash. It was fairly easy for my first time ever doing it with the exception of cutting of the glass and having a bunch on glass splinters. I think I had it all hung in around 4 or 5 hours. It still needs to be grouted. I bought non-sanded charcoal grout.
The walls and cabinets still need painted, and new outlet covers installed.
I now have green walls, grouted tile and I had to sand and reseal the tops. Next will be flooring...
Last update: Cabinets are painted, walls painted new hardware up.
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