Concrete Countertops Start to Finish | Quikrete Mix, Stone Polish, Metal Trim #46 DIY Off-Grid Build 

How clever and innovative you both are. You have the confidence to try something new and out of your comfort zone, and isn't it a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when the outcome exceeds expectations. Your home will be testimony to your hard work, tenacity and diligence. Looking forward to more Red and April's techniques. Sit back now with a beer and stare at your lovely counter tops.

Cement is the glue that binds the aggregate. Concrete is cement plus aggregate (stones, sand). Your counter-top is concrete, not just cement. I'm being picky because I used to get it wrong before RU-vid. The front sink edge needs to be extra supported for cracking as it is a thinner strip and will snap under weight. Maybe not with concrete but definitely with a marble sink (ask me how I know!!). Great job, guys. Looks amazing.

Never seen anyone do a stone grind like that or use aluminum edging, looks incredible! Such a low cost and beautiful countertop!

You are very patient and careful to get the results you want. Well done!

Oh my goodness, it's beautiful. I was holding my breath the whole way through! You must be so proud of yourselves 👍👩‍🌾👍

4 or 5 cycles with paitence and time is the only way to trowel your concrete right and make it flat and smooth. Always keep a bucket of clean water and clean the tools after every use. You did it right!! I bought cement molds online and making concrete benches, flower pots, and tables.

Beautiful design the tone of the concrete goes perfectly with the mint/sage green

Love the look.

it turned out nice thanks for sharing and have a great weekend

You guys still amaze me. Everything you take on turns out great.

Wow, what a great project! And it looks great 👍

It turned out stunning. You must be so happy Thank you for sharing

That counter-top looks nice. Thanks for sharing it.

The countertops look amazing. I liked the trail Cam pics of the bobcat.

I’m planning to do the same in my kitchen. He just convinced me, and inspired me to port in place. You’re both very talented I really appreciate your video.

I absolutely love your kitchen and how it turned out it’s beautiful ❤ xxx

Wow that turned out awesome! I really like the exposed metal. Great job👍

I didn't know much about concrete counter tops till now ! Thanks !

Amazing, I have always wanted concrete countertop

Counter tops look awesome! Really good job guys

Looks like a long hard process but well worth it, looks amazing

Wow, they came out great. I love the permanent aluminum edges that also acted as forms. I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that. On that one side where you had to do plywood, maybe it would have been better to to that aluminum and the opposite side be the plywood, against the wall. We've thought of doing concrete countertops before, but in the end went with butcherblock. Tung oil yellows over time, so make sure to clean the aluminum really well, then possibly clear coat it with poly so it stays nice.

Looks great. Nice work!

Wow that came out really good thanks for sharing

Beautiful work! You two are amazing!

Looks great!

Your counter tops are so beautiful. Good job!

I really enjoyed all the details you mentioned in this process. So many videos leave out these important details! I need one of those sanding pads

It looks beautiful 😍.

This is beautiful!

Awesome!!

That's a nice see-ment counter top. Good job!

Beautiful 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Excellent video. Lot to learn, Both are hard working and the best professional

I was holding my breath as well. Well done it looks great! Like the aluminium edging and the rivets, it adds another layer of detail and unique use of materials.

Beautiful job!

These are absolutely gorgeous! Well done you two!!

i'm in the middle of renovating my place, working on the kitchen now. i really want to try concrete, but was also a bit intimidated by the idea. definitely going to give a shot.

cool work!

Pretty cool

Looks great! I really love the flowers you have! They are really beautiful. Last night we got hit by a big thunderstorm. Lots of crazy wind a heavy rain for about 30 minutes. I’m so done with the rain. Lol. I guess we need it though. ❤

Very nice work, I've seen a few attempts at this and they all fell short. Yours did not, I think because you worked it hard and had some idea what you wanted to accomplish. So thanks for sharing your fine project.

Yooo so beautiful.smooth I lv that

Great job.👏👍🏠☘🙋‍♀️

Nice job!

Wax on! Wax off! Daniel-san more focus. LOL Looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing

Love the counter top. Never thought of cement top, enjoy

I just subscribe to your channel thanks to Ashley and family! I’ve been watching them remodel their home and their previous one and they mentioned you in their video today.

Well done :)

Wonderful video, I need to decide to do with my land in Arizona.

Good job checking the template.

Aewesome idea

One thing to remember on the "heat of battle" mix the concrete really well. If you don't it may start to set before you can float it properly. Also will ensure that any added color is homogeneous thru out.

Looks cool, consider using SS button head bolts and nuts instead of pop rivets(looks cheap) for the edging corner joints.

Looks great. To achieve a smooth surface when tooling concrete switch to trowels after the first pass. I only saw you using a float. Trowels have flexible blades that allow firm even pressure on the surface without digging in like a float.

Its a good idea to clean your mixer when the mortor is still wet,lol. And yes your first batch of the day is a little different because stuff sticks to the sides. The second batch is a little better.

Consider straight relief cuts at each of the inside corners created by the sink cut out to direct future crack development.

Like the idea of the metal on the edge. We had concrete counters in out last house and tiled the edge. Like your idea better.

I dry sand it... Not an aggressive sanding, just basically polishing with 400 grit 3M. Wet sanding at that stage of the cure is guaranteed to leave noticeable streaking and swirling in the surface. That may be desirable depending on the look you're going for

Great project and result! I was concerned as to your use of so much tung oil given the extremely slow cure time of it, but clearly you were allowing for that.

Another channel mentioned your channel as one they watch and like in their recent video. They are DIYfferent in Florida. I am in Az. I have added you to my view list.

$415 that are now $2,200 countertops. Great job!

I'd start calling that a moonrock countertop

17 feet Total cost $415 Price per linear foot $24.41

Fantastic! Cost effective, conquered your fear and did a beautiful job. What else can you ask for? ☮️🙏☯️

Coming over from DIYfferent . He mentioned your channel in a video.

i like the metal angle edge & 3/8"plywood @ walls-now I can do mine..those were the missing links to sucess.

The really nice thing about that counter top is it will never rot away like your standard laminate particle board countertops and if you ever get tired of how it looks you can tile over it. My only critique is, I'd do rounded edges instead of those sharp 90 degree metal edge, but that's personal preference. I know I'd end up smacking against it and getting a nasty gash.

When useing a drum mixer like you have, when you add the bag its easier to shut off the mixer for a few seconds.

Hello I hope the counters are holding up, I’m a concrete inspector and one thing not allowed in concrete is aluminum, it releases gas and overtime can crack the concrete. Just want to comment in case a DIYer is going to copy this method

Wow I would have thought aluminum would dent really easy...You'll have to keep us posted on how well this holds up.

I would like to see it after the final waxing.

Switching to a steel trowel would give you a smoother surface, only use the mag floats for first pass

Your concrete countertop looks amazing! Are you sure you guys never done before 😃?

Maybe try a finishing trowel next time instead of that mag float. Way easier to get it smooth once it reaches the set point that it can be worked. You only need to hit it at the right time once.

One thing I would do to save on cost is to throw a bunch of gravel in your forms down the bottom. You don't even have to worry about these showing through on the edge since you are using the metal edging. Not sure about those long aluminium edges with no adherence to the concrete (worried that down the road something heavy will knock the edge and it will dent, which will lead to separation of the concrete and aluminium and a small gap that can catch water. I'd probably throw a bunch of evenly spaced rivets along the long edges of the aluminium that stick out into the concrete to act as anchors to fix it in place. I noticed some bubbles coming to the surface that you had to keep dealing with on the big pour, if you had used a pice of rebar or somthing, and just stuck it down into the concrete, you could repeatedly tap it, (or use a hammer drill), vibrating the form and helping the bubbles riase to the surface (this would be even more important if you used space displacing gravel). I really like this concept!

I love the Color of your cabinets could you share the Color with me please. Great tutorial single Mom wanting to do this myself my countertops are in rough shape. ❤ thank you

They make kits specifically for this now. Comes in different colors as well.

The kitchen floor always has water, I think a non-slip mat can be placed to avoid accidents

Quik-crete pre-mixed concrete and mortors are the second best. The first best is spec-mix. Any of that Master-crap brand from menards is total garbage. Ive been a brick layer since 1985 so ive mixed a-lot of mud. Great job, i like it and it looks great. I dont think it wiuld have turned out though if it wasnt for april and your cool ass blue hat.😅

Very Nice!!! Can you stain the concrete to different colors before sealing it?

Top work guys. Any cracking since installation? I know with paths we put lines in to form smaller squares within the overall shape otherwise they always crack.

If you add a plastifier to the concrete mix like a carboxylate, then the same or even less water in the mix would give you concrete that would run and self consolidate.

I've been pouring and finishing concrete for thirty years your countertops look good! I just found out the hard way a couple of weeks ago that aluminum reacts with the alkalis found in portland cement and makes hydrogen gas. "Serious consequences can arise in situations of long-term contact. First, a significant corrosion of aluminum embedded in concrete can occur. The corrosion can cause expansion of the concrete and subsequent cracking of hardened concrete." I wonder if there is a coating on your aluminum you should have seen bubbles forming where they contact. I cut off an old aluminum threshold that turned down into my wet cement with a side grinder and finished all the flecks of aluminum into the slab only to have it start bubbling on me. Your aluminum is not embedded so I don't think it will crack anything. Hope it doesn't give you problems just thought I would warn you. Hopefully your oil seeping into that space may keep the two from reacting with one another. Maybe put enough outward pressure on the top of the aluminum when waxing to get a good layer of wax between the two.

I'am really glade i went to porcelain floor title over concert counter tops. Or even EPOXY Counter tops. looks and fells better! More durable to heat and cold> I can set a very hot skillet on it, Cut on it, Bang on it. If it freezes inside it want CRACK. My counter top with the title 👀looks like ITALIAN MARBLE~ Every one love it. I DO TO! 😉👍

I have just been quoted 750 euros for a piece of white quartz 90x70 cms with a cut out for the burner. No way. So I am here learning how to make one in white concrete, if I mess it up no big deal I can start over, that's how you learn. Thank you

The forms you are removing make a tad bit smaller and screw them for easier removal. That narrow area was a tough spot though because concrete always shrinks. Water drys up, ya know. The standard concrete guarantee is: guaranteed to crack and guaranteed that no one will steal it.

good job, will the tomatoes bear fruit all winter ?

Dry pour is all the rage now with regards to small patio slabs etc, has anyone ever done a dry pour concrete counter top ?

I love your calm voice. surprise by the color variation in the concrete. I don't like that. any way to prevent it? maybe sealer instead of the oil.

Very curious what exact tongue oil you were using, what wax, and what polishing stone grit? (I have to redo mine, the concrete countertop solutions products I used are not holding up). Thank you!

🙋👍

how is the tung oil and wax finish holding up after a couple years of use?

❤ this idea! I want to replicate this for a counter....1. did u make the corner angles by cutting and bending the aluminum or did u buy a thicker metal corner bracket? And what type of screws did u use on the underside? Thanks

Interesting, question though, had you thought of tiling it rather than oiling it before hand?

Why would you use aluminum vs stainless steel for a kitchen? Very impressive.

Fab. Would it be possible to put some color pigments in the mix?

I would worry about the aluminum edging. i think it'll trap stuff like spills.

can anyone share a link with me the concrete reinforcement they used? I'd like to get the roll out type in the video. Thanks you in advance!

Good morning how much is cost of 2.7mts_High and3.6mts size