It is a pain, but worth it.Īfter everything was poured and dried it was time to remove the frame and get sanding….and sanding….and sanding. If the first layer dries before you can pour more, you will want to prime that first layer or when you pour the next batch the dry stuff will suck all of the water out of your fresh cement. If you can, I recommend trying to get all of your cement poured at once or there will be extra steps. I used a trowel to push the cement into the corners and edges. But, I poured a layer in and then placed my support ladders into the wet cement. I placed them about 1/2 inch from the edge to help support the cement and prevent cracking.īecause I had to work pretty fast I was unable to get photos of the pouring process. Once the primer was dry I cut down cement ladders to fit the area. I also recommend keeping some extra on hand just in case, I missed a small area after I poured and ended up having to rush to another room to grab the tape to fix the leak. This is a secondary fail safe to prevent leaking. While the primer was drying I went around the entire frame and duct tapped all of the seams. I used a basic primer I picked up at Lowes and it worked great. I would suggest you do some research and find one that works for you. I primed the main countertop board with cement primer. This helps with removal because the cement will not stick to it and it fills any seams to prevent the cement from leaking out. I then proceeded to caulk the inside of the frame. I used brad nails to tack everything together. I wasn’t able to get a good photo of the frame, but below is a diagram of how I built it. I cut the main piece of wood to size and then processed to build a frame so that I could pour the cement in place. I still need to do a little more sanding and one more coat of sealer, but so far I am extremely happy with them! I used to stock cabinets as my base and left over wood from when we raised the floors as my base countertop and the frame. I did it all on my own while the kids were at school and hubby was at work, so please excuse the lack luster photos. So, I opted to build my own! These DIY Concrete Countertops Using Self Leveling Cement was a fairly simple process, but time consuming. Not enough storage, counter space, and it looked tiny in our large kitchen. I had one of those small store bought ones, and it was just not doing the job. One thing that was high on my priority list was a new kitchen island. We really only have a few things that need to be touched up and we can finally say that this renovation is a wrap! I started my Bachelors degree program and hubby had to go back to work, but we have been weekend warriors trying to get everything done. There is really nothing blame, except lack of time. We are still at it, a home renovation that was suppose to last a month is going into month 5.

DIY Concrete Countertops Using Self Leveling Cement!

Concrete skim coat countertop