Decided to tackle making my own concrete countertops last weekend, figured how hard could it be, right? Built the molds out of melamine boards, sealed the edges with silicone, mixed up the concrete (used a countertop-specific mix), poured it in, and vibrated the heck out of it to get rid of bubbles. Waited a few days, sanded like crazy, sealed it... and honestly, it turned out decent. But man, sanding was brutal. Anyone got tips or shortcuts for smoothing these things out easier next time?
"But man, sanding was brutal."
Yeah, sanding concrete countertops is no joke. I made some for my old kitchen a few years back—thought my arms were gonna fall off by the end. One thing that helped me later was renting a wet polisher. Way less dust, and it seemed to smooth things out quicker. Curious though, did you add any pigment or keep it natural? I went natural, but always wondered if pigment would’ve changed the sanding process much...
I feel your pain on the sanding—I did a bathroom vanity top last summer, and it was rough. I went with a charcoal pigment, and honestly, I didn't notice much difference in sanding compared to natural. But the wet polisher tip is solid advice...wish I'd known about that sooner. Did you seal yours with something eco-friendly? I tried a beeswax-based sealer, and it held up pretty well.
Yeah, sanding concrete is definitely a workout. I went natural for my kitchen counters and sealed with a food-safe penetrating sealer—no issues so far. Curious how beeswax handles heat though...any stains or water rings yet?
I feel your pain on the sanding. Did my own concrete counters a couple years back and thought my arms were gonna fall off halfway through. I tried beeswax too, and honestly, it holds up pretty well against water rings, but hot pans leave faint marks sometimes. Nothing major though—just adds character, right? If I ever do it again, I'm definitely renting a wet polisher...dry sanding concrete dust is no joke.
