The Weekender: DIY Concrete Countertops Part II - 2.5 Year Update & Resealing How-To

Our resealed concrete counter!

Two and a half years ago, we embarked on our biggest DIY project - a concrete-topped kitchen island. From designing the island to building the frame to pouring the concrete, we did the whole thing ourselves. Talk about stress! I spent months researching concrete and trying to convince my husband that we really could do this on our own. After finally getting him to say yes, it was MY turn to freak out. What if the base we built wasn't strong enough and we ended up with 500lbs of concrete crashing through the floor? I'm pretty sure we'd lose our security deposit. Nonetheless, we dug in and after a few mistakes with the base (like screwing up the measurements and not realizing it until AFTER we finished building) and a lot of mistakes with the concrete finishing steps, we ended up with the island of our dreams!

>> Want to build your own countertop? Check out our concrete countertop DIY tips.

So after 2 1/2 years, how do we like the concrete? We LOVE it! It's just as beautiful as it was the first day and we couldn't be happier. If we weren't renters and I didn't already like the wood counters in the rest of the kitchen, I would do all the tops in concrete. As long as you're willing to do light maintenance and get rid of harsh cleaners, you'll love concrete too. Below are a few basic rules we follow.

UPKEEP & MAINTENANCE:

Cleaning - Bleach, vinegar, and other harsh cleaners will eat through your sealer. Instead, stick with soapy water, gentle sprays like Clorox Anywhere Spray, and granite/stone cleaners. We generally do soapy water for daily cleaning and use the Anywhere Spray for disinfecting. I've cheated and used bleach kitchen cleaner a couple of times when we were out of Anywhere Spray. It won't immediately ruin your concrete but if you do it regularly, it will. We use the granite cleaner when we want to give the counter a little treat or when we're having guests over and we want it looking its absolute best. We also use it after waxing the counter. Our favorite is Method's Daily Granite. Like all their products, it's eco-friendly and smells AMAZING! They were sold out of it when we went to the store last month so we bought Zep CleanStone Plus Cleaner + Polish instead. Like Method, it's around $5. It smells good and I like that it's a foam.

Food & Drinks - No matter what you do, your concrete is going to patina so don't freak out too much if you notice something. Still, there are little things you can do when cooking to keep the wear to a minimum. Most things (use a cutting board when cutting, use trivets for hot pots and serving bowls) are pretty standard for any countertop surface. As for drinks, we rarely use coasters. Once, I left a glass of ice water on the counter and came back to find it dripping and sweating all over the concrete which left a ring. 15 minutes later, the ring had evaporated. If you're going to leave a glass of freezing cold water dripping on the counter, I'd say use a coaster just to be safe. If you're just having a cup of coffee or glass of water and it's not sweating like crazy, you're fine since most water rings will evaporate. Be careful with acidic foods and drinks because they can eat away at or penetrate the sealer. I left a jar of condiments on the counter (can't remember what it was) and it left a ring that took weeks to go away. Now if I look hard, I can still see a very faint ring.

Waxing - We waxed our countertop EVERY. SINGLE. MONTH. like clockwork. We used paste wax but you could also use carnuba wax or beeswax if you want something more natural. The wax provides a barrier and helps the sealer last longer. A lot of websites suggest that you refinish your counters at the 1-year mark, but because we were faithful about waxing it every month, we were able to make it 1.5 years before we started seeing any wear to the sealer. 6 months later, we resealed the counter. To see if your sealer is on its way out, try the drop test: if a drop of water soaks into the counter, it's time to refinish. If it beads, you're good to go! I knew our sealer was worn when I left a damp towel on the counter for a minute and the water absorbed into the counter. This happened more and more as the sealer continued to wear. Once we decided to reseal, we stopped waxing so that the wax would have time to wear off.

Holes and Cracks - Another sign our sealer was worn was when I noticed all the little pinholes we'd left on the surface kept filling with flour every time I baked. They had partially filled with sealer when we first made the counter, but when the sealer wore down after a year and a half, the holes became deeper and began to hold flour and other particles. We were left using nails and toothpicks to clean them out. It made me hate cooking!

I learned during my research that hairline cracks are to be expected during the life of your counter but we've made it this long without seeing a single one. This past Christmas, we went to Ohio for a week and I absentmindedly turned off the heat while we were gone. Our landlord came in on the last day and turned the heat back on because they noticed our apartment was making theirs cold. He said it was 32 degrees in our apartment and that he could see their breath. When he told me this, I freaked out. Freezing temps don't exactly play well with concrete, just ask your tires! Thankfully, our counter remained in place and crack-free. Awesome! Still, if you see a hairline crack or two, it doesn't mean anything horrible is happening. Just fill the cracks like you would a hole and you're all set. (If it's a large crack, you may have something more serious happening in which case, feel free to freak out!)

Tiny holes filled with flour

And that's it! See, keeping up with concrete counters isn't that hard after all! Now it's time for the last maintenance step, resealing.

RESEALING CONCRETE COUNTERTOPS

LAZINESS SCALE:

TIME: about 1 day

COST: FREE!!!

SUPPLIES:

• leftover cement color (optional; new - $5.17)
• Sandpaper
• Sander
• Sealer (new - $18+)
• Wax (new - $7+)
• Grout/compound (new - $5)

2 MONTHS OUT - Stop waxing. The wax creates a barrier that you'll have to sand off in order to reseal the counter. Once you see your sealer is worn, stop waxing and make a plan to reseal the counter in 2-3 months. When it's time to reseal, you'll have a lot less work to do if you don't have wax to deal with. By the time we were ready to reseal, our counters were pretty much worn down to the bare concrete. 

SAND - If you recently applied wax to the counters and can't wait 2 months to reseal, you'll have to use a sander to cut through the wax and into the sealer. There are also etching products that can help if you have a lot to get through. You could even try using stripper, though I'd recommend using a less harsh citrus stripper. If you used a stain or cement color, you may want to stick with sanding so you don't eat through your color. If your counters are as worn as ours were, a quick sand by hand may be enough. After that, I washed the counters to get rid of dust.

FILL & SAND - After a mistake vibrating the bubbles out of the concrete the first time around (more on that here), we ended up with a lot of holes that we decided to leave unfilled because we liked the look. It was fine until the sealer started to wear and I was left with a bunch of tiny holes that filled with flour when I cooked. This time around, I decided the holes had to go. 

I tried using Quikrete's Concrete Filler, but the filler was very rocky and the holes in the counter were too small for it to work. So we headed to Home Depot to search for grout and instead came across Quikrete Paching Compound. It's the perfect consistency. It took me a couple of passes to make sure I got all the holes but it was easy to spread with a putty knife and the excess wiped off with a damp towel. We used charcoal grey concrete color to make our counter so after the compound dried, I put a little color on a paper towel and went over the holes a couple of times to die them the right color. After that, do another light sand to level off the grouted areas and clean once again to remove the dust. I mostly concentrated on the tiny pinholes in the middle since those are the most annoying. We still like the look of the rough edges so I didn't go too crazy filling the edge holes all the way.

Filling the holes with compound. I used a towel to add color to the grout after the compound dried.

SEAL - From here, I followed the same steps I did when I sealed the concrete the first time. I still had my spray bottle of sealer so I gave it a good shake, then sprayed it on the counters and used a big foam roller to even it out. Originally, I only did 3 coats but this time I went crazy and did like 4 or 5. There was no reasoning behind it, I just had a lot of fun spraying I guess! Unfortunately, I got distracted during the last coat and the sealer started to dry before I could roll it out which left me with faint marks where the foam sat too long. I didn't notice this till after I finished and applied the wax so now I'll have to lightly buff the spots out with 400 grit sandpaper. Thankfully you can only see them if all the lights are on and you stare at the right angle so t's not a huge deal.

Applying the sealer.

WAX & ENJOY! - Apply a coat of wax and resume your monthly waxing schedule like you normally would. Then you're finally ready to enjoy your newly sealed counters!

All done!

The Weekender: The Lori Wall Bed

Watch out Moddi. There's another Murphy bed on the block from Lori Wall Beds. A reader who was attempting to build a Moddi Murphy bed actually told me about the Lori. The Lori is a stylish bed with many options that easily transforms into a functional storage area when folded. Like the Moddi, plans for the Lori Wall Bed can be bought and downloaded for a small fee, however Lori takes it one step forward by also offering the bed already completed! To see more, take a peak a the video below:

The Lori has SO many awesome features. Here are a few of my favorites:

• The Lori DOESN'T NEED A LIFTING MECHANISM!!!!! Since this is where most problems building the Moddi occur, skipping this step with the Lori will make your life 10x easier. Instead of a lifting mechanism, the Lori uses the rounded edges of its base to simply rock up into position (don't worry, it's only 50lbs). Once up, there are two latches at the top to keep the bed in place. SO EASY!!
• There's a nightstand above the bed and storage on the outside. Yep. When the bed is folded, the base forms into 2 shelves (on the middle, one at the top) for you to store knick-knacks, mail, etc. When it's time to go to sleep, there's a shelf on the inside of the bed frame that folds down and acts like a nightstand to hold your cell phone, night light, and favorite book. Ingenious! While I love the look of the Moddi, it's not functional when folded up and you don't get the extra nightstand.
• An important part: easy customization! Don't get me wrong, the Moddi is a great looking bed, however it limits you in a lot of ways. For the outside, you end up with the Lack grid. It's not horrible, but if it doesn't exactly blend in with your style, you're stuck. The Lori is made of plywood and can be stained or painted any colors you like. You could do all sorts of things with the shelving to help it stand out or blend in. The fact that the bed looks like an actual bed when in use is an added bonus. I would play with the dimensions a little to allow room for under cabinet lights to add mood/accent lighting. You can also hang art on the outside of the bed when in the up position or above the nightstand when the bed is down. Plywood is strong enough that if you were using the bed in a studio apartment, you could easily mount a medium sized flatscreen to the outside for when company comes and then move it inside when it's time to go to sleep. You could also add bookcases around the bed to give it a built-in look. My mind is already whirling with more customization ideas...

All images via Lori Wall Beds Myspace. Yep, Myspace.

• Want a queen? Finally you CAN have a queen wall bed. Not only does Lori offer queen sizes, but they also have both vertical and horizontal plans for sizes from XL twin to queen.
• It's sturdy. Now I've never seen a Lori or a Moddi in person, but a lot of you have emailed to say that the Moddi isn't a bed you would use on a nightly basis because of fear that the mechanisms would malfunction or the base would give out. Lori's strong base design provides plenty of support for nightly sleeping.
• Lori will help you out! The reader who told me about the Lori said he emailed her for help and she quickly got back to him. There's also a discussion board on the site for you to post questions and show your bed.

 The Moddi (image via Moddi)

Like the Moddi, you'll spend anywhere from $150-$300 building the bed. It really depends on the types of wood you use and how much customization you use. The one place where Moddi has the upper hand is in price when it comes to the plans; Moddi's plans are only $7.95 while Lori charges $18. Still, the Lori appears to be SUPER easy to build so your frustration level will be down which makes the extra $10 worth it!

So what will you choose? The Moddi or the Lori?

The ULTIMATE Weekender: DIY Concrete Countertops

>> For an update on our concrete counters or to see our concrete resealing tips, check out our new post

Back in July, my husband and I took on our biggest DIY yet...a kitchen island with a concrete countertop. Concrete is a great material in the kitchen but can be scary for some.  Having concrete made and installed by a professional is more expensive than granite.  Not only is it cheaper to do it yourself, but it feels awesome knowing you made it yourself.  Though it seems like a huge, overwhelming project, it's not!!  In fact, we spent more time stressing about and building an island base from scratch that would be strong enough to hold concrete than we did working on the top.  As you know, I'm not much for following rules, instead I'm more likely to skip a few steps here and there in an effort to get things done as quickly and easily as possibly.  I learned that the hard way that this is DEFINITELY not the project to do that with!  For those who want to try their hand at making a concrete counter, I've compiled all the steps you need to make a basic countertop.  As I go, I'll give you tips on what to do by telling you what NOT to do.  But before we embark on the wonderful journey of mixing concrete, you should have some facts.

BEFORE: We were in desperate need of counterspace.  We started marking off floor space and got that awesome vintage cabinet from Take 2 Vintage.

AFTER:  Our completed island.  There's a hidden door next to the stool that gives access to the recycling bin tucked away inside.

LOOK  First, concrete is a great material that can be customized in various colors with all kinds of cutouts, textures, and looks.  We kept ours pretty basic, only adding die to make the concrete a darker charcoal color. If you want something a little more fancy, do your research before starting so you can learn about the various looks.  One resource I found especially helpful was this concrete countertop forum where there are tons of contractors and a few DIYers asking and answering just about every concrete question you can think of.  If you're stuck on a particular step or want to get an opinion on the difference between penetrating and topical sealers, these guys and gals can give you first-hand advice.  There are several talented pros on the forum sharing pictures of their counters.  Browse through and be amazed at all the concrete can do!

We LOVE the natural color variation of our counter.  Everyone thinks it's some fancy stone or something!  It actually happened by mistake (details below) but now I can't imagine the counters looking any other way.  We added charcoal coloring to match the island to our sink.

SEALING  Concrete itself is sturdy and resistant, however you'll have to seal your countertop to keep it free and clear of food stains and liquids.  There are all sorts of sealers you can use, none of which are perfect.  Some are better at blocking stains, other at resisting heat.  I found this website helpful in weighing the pros and cons.  Most choose to go with a topical sealer because they're easier to apply and are readily available at home improvement stores.  Unfortunately, concrete counters are still relatively new so the market for countertop products is still struggling to catch up.  You're not going to find a counter-specific sealer at Home Depot or Lowes.  Most people use a basic concrete sealer that can be used for a number of concrete applications, including floors and walls.  I can't remember the one we used...we borrowed it from our landlord's nephew and forgot to write down the brand.  It was just a basic sealer.  If you search online you'll see that a couple of companies, mainly Buddy Rhodes and Cheng, have come out with countertop sealers.  Just be warned that they're more expensive.  Epoxy is another sealer option but it will give your counters a plastic look which kind of defeats the purpose of using concrete!

Also pay attention to the different finishes of sealer.  There's natural-look if you want your counters natural and completely shine free, wet-look which will give the countertops a darker color and slight shine, and glossy if you want a deeper color and bright shine.  We didn't want to go shiny but also didn't want to go too dry so we used wet-look. Just a note, sealer typically come in gallons and goes for around $20. If you're doing a whole kitchen, buying a gallon won't seem so horrible, plus you'll have some left over in case you want to recoat again in a year. For our island, we did three coats and only used around 1 cup of sealer.

We sealed the top with a wet-look sealer and topped it off with paste wax.  It looks shinier in the picture than it does in person.  We left the sides natural.  The vintage cabinet on the left is from Take 2 Vintage.  We built the rest of the island from scratch.  The hole in the panel is for throwing things into the recycling bin.

You'll want to top your sealer off with a coat of wax.  The wax doesn't make a good sealer on it's on, but provides a wear layer to prolong the use of your base sealer.  You'll have to re-wax about once a month. We chose Johnson's Paste Wax simply because they had it at Home Depot.  It has a strong smell to it though so we'll be switching to a more natural beeswax or carnuba wax soon.  Note that after awhile, your counters will start to patina and you might get small, hairline cracks.  This is natural and doesn't mean that your countertops will break or that there's anything wrong.  Just fill any cracks and reseal.

CARE  You also have to watch out what you put on your counters.  Beware of knives...concrete seems like a solid cutting surface, however it will dull your knife and scratch your sealer.  Wipe up acids like lemon and vinegar right after a spill so they don't etch the counter.  Don't use bleach or harsh chemicals because it will slowly ruin your sealer.  Instead, we use Method's stone cleaner.  It smells amazing and keeps things clean!  For disinfecting, we use Clorox Anywhere Spray or Green Works which are more gentle than bleach cleaners.  Water shouldn't be a problem once the countertop is sealed and waxed.  You can set a glass down without it ruining your counters, however if you leave spills on the counter for a prolonged time, it will eventually leave a mark.  We set glasses and wet towels directly on the counter all the time and the water marks evaperate after 15 minutes or so.  The only things we use coasters for are hot drinks or drinks that are ice cold.

This stuff smells like heaven!

Now that you have the facts, it's time to DIY.  This is the longest post I've written so be prepared.  Don't worry, it's not that complicated, it just takes care to make the most used surface in your kitchen!  I tried to include as many pictures as possible.  Hopefully this helps.  Enjoy :)

>> For an update on our concrete counters or to see our concrete resealing tips, check out our new post

LAZINESS SCALE:

***The following calculations are based on our kitchen island which was 2"deep and approximately 11sq feet

TIME: about 4 days start to finish
COST: about $100 for 11sq ft.  Prices go up for larger projects.  Cost breakdown below.

SUPPLIES:

• 4 bags cement @ $4.77 - $19
• 2 containers of cement color (optional) @ $5.17 - $10.50
• 1 8'x4' sheet of melamine - $36
• Sandpaper (we used 400 grit)
• Sander
• 100% Silicone clear caulk - $5
• Sealer - $18+
• Wax - $7+
• Float/trowel
• Chicken wire/rebar/remesh - $7.50+
• Concrete mixer - rents for $30 for 4hrs from Home Depot
• Grout/concrete filler - $5

BUILD Use the melamine to build your frame(s) to the dimensions of your new countertops. The coating on the melamine will keep the concrete from sticking. The concrete on the bottom of the form is going to be the TOP of your countertop so you want to make sure you have a super smooth surface. If you use regular plywood (not recommended), make sure it's sanded smooth so you don't end up with a texture and use a good release agent. You could try using plastic dropcloth/tarp to line the plywood but if you don't smooth out ALL wrinkles you'll see them in your countertop. Plus the plastic will give your counters a fake, plasticy finish. Make sure your frame is the exact thickness you want your countertop to be. Our countertop and frame were 2" deep. After the frame's built, caulk the edges and corner using 100% silicone caulk. Keep your lines clean...the caulk determines what the edges of your countertop will look like. Let it thoroughly dry. If you're going to make cutouts, now's the time to add the voids. We were planning to include a cutout for a knife holder but forgot so you'll have to find another source for advice on cutouts.

I made the mistake of thinking I could build my form by myself in the short time it took Jerome to mix the concrete.  In the end, he had the concrete ready and I was still struggling on the frame.  We were trying to finish before our mixer rental ran out, so we ended up adding the concrete before the caulk was dry which led to sticky silicone on the finished concrete.  Don't make that mistake!

MIX  We used Quikrete 5000.  We read that most people use regular 80lb Quikrete but once we went to purchase it, one of the guys at Home Depot convinced me that I needed something stronger, especially since the majority of our island was going to be unsupported to room for stools.  Afterwards, everyone told us we didn't have to use such a high strength and that we could have used the 80lb.  Oh well!  There are also several concrete mixes made especially or countertops.  Quikrete has one for special order, and people seem to like the Buddy Rhodes mix.  It's expensive ($44 PER BAG!!) and can only be ordered online.

I'm pretty sure every DIY needs Big League Chew!

Use the regular 80lb bag. This stuff was stronger than needed.

Once you've got your mix, follow the directions on the bag.  This is the easy part!  Add your color pigment if desired, following the manufacturer's directions.  Save the bottles...the little drops left inside will come in handy later on.  Add the concrete to the mixer slowly to get a good, even blend.  We mixed 2 bags at a time, per the directions on the mixer.  Start off with the least amount of water specified and slowly add more if necessary.  We used an old milk jug to make sure we were adding perfect gallons of water.  Apparently the final consistency should be thick and creamy like a milkshake or Wendy's Frosty...with rocks in it!  Too much water will make the concrete weak.  Oh, and don't worry about the rocks...your end result will be smooth.  We actually got this part right.  Yea us!!

Jerome testing the mix.  The coloring goes in with it.

The mix should be thick but still flow.  Too much water will make your counters weak.

POUR  Another easy part, pouring.  The mix is heavy so Jerome carried the buckets in for me and poured it into the frame. Use the float to smooth things out as you go.  A magnesium float is best because it smooths without digging in, but they're also about $25. Borrow one if you can, or you could just stick with the trowel to save money.  Thankfully our landlord had a float so we were good.  Keep pouring and smoothing as you go.

The first pour.

Even though it looks rocky now, you'll end up with a smooth finish in the end.

REINFORCE  Once you get about 3/4 full, add your chicken wire or rebar.  We used remesh.  Cut your metal so it's about 3/4" away from the edges of the frame so it won't be seen on the finished edges.  Continue pouring and smoothing the rest of the concrete.  We actually forgot about the remesh and had to push it in once the whole frame was full.  Oops!

Here the form is 3/4 full so we should have added the wire here instead of at the end.

Since we added the remesh at the end we had to work hard to push it down beneath the surface.

VIBRATE and SCREED  Use your sander (with the sandpaper removed) to go along the outside edges of the frame and vibrate out any air bubbles.  You can also use a hammer to tap along the outside but this takes a LOT more work.  Once done, use a 2 x 4 or extra melamine piece to screed the excess concrete.  What does screed mean?  Well, move the 2x4 across the frame in a back and forth sawing motion until the concrete is completely smooth and level.  Fill in any gaps as necessary.  We got things mixed up and screeded before vibrating so there was tons of concrete spilled over the frame that clogged up the sander.  I tried removing air holes with the hammer instead but it was a lot harder than I thought and didn't work as well.  Urgh!

TWIDDLE YOUR THUMBS  Now you wait. The concrete will start to "sweat" on the surface. Once all the water is absorbed, use your trowel to smooth and level any rough spots. If you want to put your initials or handprints, this is the time. Our concrete didn't need any reworking so we put our handprints, name, and date, then left it alone.

The concrete "sweating"

We put our handprints on the sides (he's on the right, I'm on the left), the date, and "Jindy" our celebrity couple name.  Yes, we're geeks!

COVER, WAIT, then REMOVE  Cover the frame with plastic.  We stapled the plastic to the frame to secure it. Wait 24 hours and then remove the frame and plastic.  If you read other blogs out there, you'll find that some DIYers waited a week or more before removing the frame because they were nervous about ruining the concrete.  This is NOT necessary.  Though it takes 28 days for concrete to fully cure, it is ready to use after 1 day.  Quikrete, the pro forums, contractors who'd done this before, and even the Buddy Rhodes FAQs confirmed this.  Leaving it in the frame longer won't damage the counters, it just doesn't help either, unless you made your mix too watery.  Score one for me and my impatience :)  We poured our counters on a Sunday and uncovered on Wednesday.  We could have taken it out sooner but we were busy building the island frame.

Once you remove the frame, grab your favorite friends and flip the concrete over to reveal your new, gorgeous countertop!

Here you see our mistakes. Using the hammer to remove the air bubbles instead of a sander left us with lots of air bubbles on the edges. This section of the concrete was the worst.  The silicone stuck to the concrete because we didn't let it dry. Still, everything turned out fine in the end!

FILL No matter how well you vibrate out the air holes, your going to have some. Use concrete filler or grout to fill any air holes on the surface. It's easier if you use your finger. If you colored your concrete, add a dab of the pigment to your grout/filler mixture so that it matches the rest of your counter. See, I told you those few drops would come in handy :) I only filled the holes on the top and left the holes on the sides and edges of the top open because I liked the character that they added. Be warned that if you leave holes on the top, they won't seal and will collect food and dust. We've had ours for over a month and haven't had any problems with holes. The ones on the edges of the surface aren't deep and clean up fine with a towel.

The whitish stains on the left side are the milky spots I mention below. The dark spots are excess grout and color tint from filling holes.

SAND Here's where we messed up big time. We got a milky build-up on one part of our concrete (see above pic). According to the forums, this is unpreventable and just happens sometimes. I wiped it up with a wet towel but the stain was still there. You can wash your concrete with an etcher before sealing but I didn't want to spend the money buying a gallon of something I would only use once. Instead I tried vinegar, which I read was an all-natural etcher. I ended up with a streaky mess that was all faded (see above). To make it better, I tried rubbing leftover charcoal coloring on the surface but the streaks stayed. I was terrified that I would end up with a horribly ugly counter. I checked with our landlord's nephew who's a contractor. He's built several bathroom and kitchen counters out of concrete so he knew what he was talking about. He said to scrub the concrete (we used a bathtub scrub brush),  wet sand it, spray with water, and then use a squeegee to dry. I gave this a try using 400grit sandpaper for the wet sand and it worked like a charm! As you see in the pictures, there are still some lines because I got to a point where I liked the finish and stopped sanding and spraying.

The various stages of the concrete being fixed.  The left side is good.  The middle and left have yet to be touched.

So what SHOULD you do? Well this depends on the look you're going for. Some people use a grinder with a diamond blade but this will expose the rocky aggregate below the surface. If you like this look, then use the grinder. I wanted a smooth, less grainy surface so I stuck with 400 grit sandpaper. It's as smooth as can be and looks great! I saw that someone else used 80grit on their counter and got a great outcome. It's all up to you. I recommend wet sanding to minimize dust and give you a nice finish. Clean with a wet towel. If you're using a stain or etcher, follow the directions on the package.

Fixed!  We liked the color variations.  It looks like a natural stone that was plucked from the earth!

PLACE You can either place the counters before or after sealing, it doesn't matter. We did it after. Before placing the countertop in its new home, apply dollops of the silicone caulk to the cabinet top where the concrete is going. The silicone acts like a glue and will keep the countertop in place. The concrete will be HEAVY especially if it's large. It took four strong people (including me of course!) to lift ours. Grab your best friends and remember to lift with your legs...no need for anyone to get hurt!

SEAL As mentioned above, there are several options for sealers and they all have they're own drawbacks. This website has great info on the pros and cons as well as a handy chart. You also have to decide whether you want a wet, glossy, or naturally dry look. We went for wet-look which darkens the color but is less shiny than glossy. We saved $20 here because our landlord's nephew had sealer so we didn't have to buy any. Yea! He recommended spraying the sealer on and smoothing it with a roller. Awesome idea! I put it in a cheap, $2 spray bottle and used a foam roller to smooth. The foam from the spray dissipated on it's own so the foam roller wasn't really necessary but it came in handy few times. I've heard of people only using the roller and ending up with streaks. I definitely suggest spraying!!

The left is first coated, the middle in progress, and the right not yet done.

First coat done!

Third coat done.  We chose not to seal the sides because we liked the contrast.  We may go back and seal them one day if we decide the drip marks drive us crazy but for now, we like it.

WAX When the sealer's dry, apply the wax. Beeswax, carnuba wax, and paste wax are the top three used. We chose paste wax, though it does have a strong smell. The other two are also awesome options, however we couldn't find them at Home Depot and were too lazy to order them online.

SMILE  You're finally done!!  Aren't your new counters awesome?  Sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor :)

There were many awesome websites that helped me along the way. Here are a few:

• Concrete Countertops Forum - This was the most helpful place. It's full of pros willing to give advice about anything you can think of. 99% of the time, the question you have has already been asked and answered here 
• Buddy Rhodes - he's the master of concrete and a great resource for any questions or tips 
• Buddy Rhodes Forum - FAQs from the master 
• All Things Concrete - tips on picking a sealer 
• Cement.org - more sealer tips, including a handy chart 
• Fine Home Building - interview with Fu-Tung Cheng, another concrete guru. It's like 30 pages but it answers so many questions 
• Kelly Moore Photography Blog - pretty pictures of her DIY 
• Imperfectly Polished - She used the Quikrete countertop mix and went for the grainier/rockier look 
• The Natural Handyman - This guy DIY'd his countertop with knockouts for the sink and stove

>> For an update on our concrete counters or to see our concrete resealing tips, check out our new post

The (Belated) Weekender: Make Your Own Chalkboard Paint for under $5

We spent the weekend painting.  First we painted our kitchen an awesome turquoise blue and then we started painting our dining room rug.  If you're considering painting a rug, let me tell you right now that it's hard work!  With all the projects we have going on, I didn't get a chance to post last week's DIY...chalkboard paint!

Before I give the details, I have to state my position on chalkboards in the kitchen.  I think chalkboards (and dry erase boards) are a super handy way of jotting down notes in the kitchen.  We had a dry erase board in our last apartment and loved it.  The thing I DON'T like is that every house tour and magazine spread seems to have a big, black, chalkboard wall in the kitchen.  It's time to add some color!

That's why I was thrilled to find this super easy chalkboard paint recipe from Martha Stewart.  It takes about two minutes to mix and costs less than $4.  Because it's so easy, I didn't take any pictures...I think you're all smart enough to figure it out!

LAZINESS SCALE: 

TIME: 2 minutes
COST: less than $5

SUPPLIES:

• paint
• 2 tbs non-sanded grout (per cup of paint)
• 150 grit sandpaper (UPDATED 10/17/11)

MIX your grout and paint, making sure there aren't any lumps.  My paint got a little thicker with the grout added.  Once mixed, roll/brush on like normal.  Do a couple of coats so that it's evenly covered.  Let dry.

Once it's dry, (I let mine dry about 45min) rub a piece of chalk across the whole board to condition it.  Erase with a damp (NOT WET) sponge and you're all set!

The un-sanded grout ($4.50 at Home Depot, Lowes, etc) comes in a pretty big box.  You only need a few tablespoons of it depending on the size of your project so you'll definitely have tons left over to share with a friend or for future projects.

The paint doesn't store well so make sure you only make as much as you need.  For the green chalkboard (20"x24), I used a full cup of paint and had a lot left over that I threw away.  For the orange board (same size) I reduced the mix and used 1/4 cup of paint and 1/2 tbs of grout.  I just barely had enough so next time I might try 1/2 cup of paint and 1tbs grout.  Remember, you can always mix more if you need it so it's better to start off with a little so you're not just throwing paint away.  The green paint I used was actually glossy, gloppy paint from years ago.  I thinned it with water but it was still pretty thick.  In the end, it came out with a more chalkboard-like feel than the orange eggshell paint.  Both erase well so I don't think it matters what kind of paint you use.

Have fun :)

UPDATE 10/17/11 - WAIT!!!!  I forgot to mention, you need to lightly sand the board with 150 grit sandpaper when it's dry.  Afterwards, condition the board by rubbing a piece of WHITE chalk sideways across the whole board.  Erase.

After having our board for two months I've learned that you should NOT use dark chalk on light colored boards.  I tried using red, green, and blue chalk on the yellow board and it left a faint stain.  It's only noticeable if you get close to the board, but if you used the dark chalk continually you'd definitely end up with a ruined board.  Stick with lighter colors on lighter boards.  We use yellow, orange, and white on the yellow board without a problem.  The other two boards are fine with colors and erase well.  Every now and then, clean the board with a damp, NOT wet, cloth. 

PICTURE UPDATE 10/17/11 - The yellow board is fine as long as we use white and yellow chalk.  The other two boards erase fine with all colors.

NOW, have fun :)

The Weekender: Adjustable Toilet Paper Roll Cord Holders

The Weekender's back! With all the moving, painting, and (un)packing we've gone through this past year, I haven't had must energy or creativity left for the DIY projects I love.  Now that we're a little more settled with no plans of moving any time soon, I've decided to make a commitment to do at least one project a week for the next year, no matter how small.

To kick things off, we're going super basic.  I'm sure you've seen toilet papers turned into cord storage a million times before.  It's an old trick that takes just five minutes and some scraps of paper but it will keep you from going crazy when you're searching for the cords.  To shake things up a bit, I added velcro so you can adjust them for different cord sizes.  I also made some shorter just because :)

LAZINESS SCALE: 

TIME: 5 minutes
COST: Free!!! Just use scrap paper.

SUPPLIES:

• toilet paper roll(s)
• paper, fabric, or wrapping paper
• glue, spray adhesive, or tape
• scissors
• adhesive velcro

CUT  Scrape any leftover tissue off the rolls and cut them down the middle.  If you want to make shorter cord holders, cut them in half first.

Spread out the rolls on top of your fabric/paper/wrapping paper.  Trace along the top and bottom edges.  Add about a 1/4" to the ends so you have some to wrap around the inside of the roll.  Cut your paper/fabric.

GLUE  For paper, you can glue, tape, or use spray adhesive to attach your paper to the roll.  For my black and white paper, I used spray adhesive.  I tried using the spray for the brown fabric as well but it bled through and led to a sticky situation!  I'd recommend light glue for fabric.  Wrap the extra 1/4" around and glue/tape it inside.

VELCRO  Attach your velcro buttons.  Wrap the rolls around a cord to see about how big you want them and press the last velcro pieces into place.  For shorter rolls, one set of velcro will work.

To make adjustable rolls, attach another row of velcro to the INSIDE of the roll, for smaller cords like headphones.

ENJOY!   Use your new cord holders in a drawer to organize extra cords or to manage extra long computer and TV cords so they don't tangle.

BEFORE - messy!

 

AFTER - so clean :)