Concrete Countertop Products
Decorative Concrete Product Manufacturing Manuals
Memphis Area Acid Staining and Concrete Countertop Contractors
(901) 730-2479

Decorative Concrete Instructional Manauals are right here.
Learn to make your own Decorative Concrete Products.
All in just one ebook. Hard copies are available, or just pdf files. We hope you'll get yours now.
 
O.K. If you are just getting into the concrete countertop business or even if you're an experienced contractor, you can never get enough information.
  
I don't claim to have all of the knowledge. The best thing is to surf the web and gather as much information on the concrete countertop business as you can.
  
You can template countertops from lluan, corigated plastic used to make signs and even card board. Make sure you make notes with a marker, no matter what you use.
  
You can pour your tops or projects on top of other concrete if you seal and used release agents. You can pour on seal plywood, melamine, aluminum and plexiglass. Make sure what ever you pour on is water tight.
  
Framing can be made from plexiglass, melamine and regular wood provided you place tape on the wood or have it sealed.
  
Pouring tables can be made from steel, wood frames and even palletts that you nail together. Make sure your tables are braced to handle the weight.
  
Sinks can be poured with the concrete if you have a sink mold. Cutouts can be made out of styrofoam or plywood for undermount sinks. Styrofoam slabs in small thicknesses can be purchased from stucco supply houses.
  
Countertop mixes and pastes can be purchased from several locations and from several manufacturers. Shipping has become a huge factor when buying from out of town suppliers. Some poeple make their own. Some times it can be costly experimenting with the mix designs. Most of the time you won't know if the design is working until 30 days has passed. Just as you think you got it, you're blown away by a crack. You can purchase design manuals from our website and save all that time and expense. By the time you think you have it and you don't you could have purchased the manuals and moved forward. The same goes for the pastes.
  
Colors are confusing sometimes. Some individuals think you have to stain all of your countertops. Wrong. You do not. Pigments are available that can be mixed with the water or the mix to acheive a desired countertop color. Different looks can be acheived by adding the color at different times in the mixing process. A solid color, a marbled effect and a veined look.
  
Sanding and/or polishing can be done in many ways. A nice smooth top can be gained simply by doing a trowel finish on it either by casting in place or precast. Sanding and polishing are primarily done on precast tops that are poured upside down. You can actually get a nice finish with sand paper. Then using quality sealers, finishes and waxes to add the beauty to the countertop. A more popular method is the wet polishing where diamond pads are used. Diamond pads start at 50 grit and go up to polishing grits. The more you polish, the tighter, smoother and more shiny the tops become. many times a top be so glossy that only a peenetrating sealer is used and then a beeswax to protect it.
  
Experience will determine the outcome of your top. You'll begin to master things like edge profiles and corners. The more you work with concrete countertops, the better you'll become. Just remember, don't give up. A top looks mucch better installed than it does in your shop. Thats just the way it is.
  

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