How to Make Concrete Countertops Using Recycled Paper
Countertops made from recycled paper and concrete can be stylish, strong and durable. You can color it any way that you want and form it to fit your needs. Custom designs are common with concrete Because it is such a versatile medium. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 4--by-8-foot sheet of plywood
- Drop cloth
- 3/4-inch thick Styrofoam
- Hot metal wire or heated knife edge
- Box of 1-inch wood screws and plastic bottle caps (one of each every three inches)
- Steel coat hanger reinforcement (enough to go around the perimeter and cross every 4 inches, depending on the size of your countertop)
- Fixtures, bolts, or other optional items to insert into the counter top
- Two 5 gallon buckets screwed to plywood at two places in the bottom
- Waterproof Shoe Goo glue
- Newspaper (one bucket full) to mix with dry concrete (one bucket full)
- Auger on a long shaft for drill (as used by some ice fishermen)
- Drill
- Nontoxic, nonwater soluble dye (optional)
- Concrete (one bucket of powder)
- Water spray bottle
- Stick vibrator
- Straight 2-by-4 board (4 feet wide)
- Concrete finishing trowel
- 800 grit sand paper
- Food grade sealer
- Food grade wax and polish
Instructions
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Make the form from a 4-by-8-foot sheet of plywood on your work surface. Coat the face of the form with the smooth plastic surface of drop cloth. Make sure that there are no wrinkles. Make edges of the form 3/4-inch thick, shaped from Styrofoam. The edges of the Styrofoam can be shaped with hot metal wire or left with a heated flat knife edge. Make sure that you attach the edges of the foam form to the plywood by screwing the edges down through the plastic at 3-inch intervals. Use a plastic bottle cap between each screw and the foam to keep the head of the screw from tearing through the Styrofoam when the cement is poured.
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Add reinforcement to the area where the concrete will sit in the form. The reinforcement can be made from steel coat hanger wire twisted together and placed in the form so that it forms a continuous frame that is 1 inch away from the outer edge of the form. Use more coat hanger inside the form to go from side to side and front to back every 4 inches. Use thinner wire to suspend the frame in place. You will trim that off after the concrete hardens. Place any bolts or connectors into the into the concrete that you will need for attaching it to the counter top. Cut holes for cord or plumbing access as well as for sinks or other accessories that you wish to add. Be careful not to move any of these "extras" out of position at any point.
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Tear newspaper into strips. This can be done using a paper shredder but is not necessary. Bolt two 5-gallon buckets to a sheet of plywood on the ground in two places. Make sure that the screws are tight enough that the buckets do not leak. Add Shoe Goo as needed to stop leaks. Soak the paper in two 5-gallon buckets for 24-hours, barely submerged by the water the entire time. Make sure that the paper soaks up the water. Attach an auger on a long shaft to the tip of the drill so that you can use the drill as a mixer. Drill the newspaper with the auger until it is pulp. Add any nontoxic, nonwater soluble dye that you want to have show up in your countertop.
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Add concrete into the paper pulp at a ratio of one part concrete powder to one part paper pulp and mix. The concrete should have a texture like soft hamburger. Clean the concrete form. Spray enough water on the form to moisten it but not enough to form a puddle. Work quickly to massage the mixture into the form without displacing the components that you placed in the form earlier.
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Make the mixture level at the top of the form by shaking the frame side to side. Use a stick vibrator parallel to the top and bottom of the frame to free any bubbles in the concrete. Smooth the concrete with a straight board (called skreeting) by sawing the board back and forth as you slide it across the form. Scrape off the extra concrete that is plowed away by the board. Keep moving quickly so that the concrete does not finish curing. Use a concrete finishing trowel to finish the top of the counter. Make sure that the concrete is smooth and level and that it fits the form.
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Gently remove the concrete from the frame after it has cured by first removing the screws in the bottle caps and then the Styrofoam that they were holding down. Gently (with more than one person) flip the concrete over and put a thin layer of concrete "slip" onto the top to fill in any holes so that the counter is easier to clean. After that cures, polish the countertop with 800 grit sand paper.
Wet the counter top. Apply layers of food grade sealer, gradually increasing the amount of sealer in water. Start with a 50:50 mixture of sealant and water that you apply to the counter top. Gradually increase the amount of sealant until the water is completely replaced by pure sealant. Wait for the sealant to cure before adding a second coat. After that has cured, wax the counter top to a bright shine with a food grade wax and polish.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure that you protect your countertop from etching. Etching happens when abrasion (in this case from an acid or base) dissolves the concrete. A high quality sealant will usually prevent this problem. Also remember that the sealant must be food grade. Read the label before your buy the sealant to see whether it makes the proper claims for what you will need it to do.
Always wear safety goggles and gloves. Wear a dust mask to filter the particles created by stirring up concrete dust or pouring concrete. Wash off any concrete that gets onto your skin and avoid inhaling toxic fumes (even with the mask on). Concrete is heavy and brittle. Wear steel toe boots and stay out of the way before it falls. Do not inhale the dust when sanding or get any in your eye.
