How to Build Custom Concrete Countertops | Ask This Old House

This Old House host Kevin O'Connor learns how to create concrete kitchen counters. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)
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Shopping List for How to Build Custom Concrete Countertops:
- Latex gloves [], worn while mixing and working concrete
- 1/4-inch plywood [], for making template of counters
- Hot-melt glue sticks [], for glue gun []
- Melamine-faced particleboard [], for building the concrete form
- Silicone sealant [], to seal inside corner joints on the form
- Beeswax [], for lubricating the inside of the form
- 3/8-inch-diameter plastic dowel [], used to smooth the silicone
- Sand [], cement [], polymer [], and powdered pigment [], mixed to create concrete
- Acetone [] and clean rags [], for cleaning the form
- Stone aggregate, used to add bits of color to the countertop
- Glass fibers [], added to strengthen the concrete
- 1-inch-thick polystyrene foam [], used to fill concrete form
- 1x3 furring strips [] and 1 5/8-inch screws [], for holding down the polystyrene foam
- 80-, 100- and 220-grit abrasive disks [], for random-orbit sander []
- Concrete sealer [], to seal countertop
- Steel wool [], for applying concrete sealer
- Construction adhesive [], to adhere counter to cabinets
Tools List for How to Build Custom Concrete Countertops:
- Hot-melt glue gun [], to assemble plywood template
- Table saw [] and miter saw [], for ripping and crosscutting melamine-faced particleboard
- Caulking gun [], to apply silicone sealant []
- Dust mask [] and safety goggles [], to wear when mixing and dry-sanding concrete
- 1/2-inch electric drill [] with mixing paddle [], to blend concrete
- Wet/dry vacuum [], for removing dust and dirt
- Air sprayer [] and compressor [], to spray concrete into the form
- Hand roller [], for compacting concrete
- Utility knife [], to cut polystyrene foam
- Cordless drill []
- Right-angle grinder [] with diamond-impregnated cut wheel [], to smooth the cured concrete
- Pry bar [], for removing the polystyrene foam
- Hammer [] and chisel [], to tap apart the particleboard form
- Sanding block [], for rounding over sharp corners on the countertop
- Wide-blade putty knife [], to free countertop from form
- Wet grinder with pad [], for smoothing countertop surface
- Random-orbit sander [], to smooth the countertop
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Build Custom Concrete Countertops | Ask This Old House
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