How to make a Concrete Counter Top in 1 hour TIPS AND TRICKS

[@derekgleue3679]

Just made some countertops for my kitchen using this method. Biggest advice-tap those edges for a lot longer than you think you need to. Once I stopped seeing bubbles pop, probably after 5 minutes, I stopped. The edges of mine have tons of craters still, so keep tapping for at least 10-15 minutes

[@robbiebooth2980]

I absolutely LOVE your personality and videos! How do you not have 5 million subs or your own show on television? You are one of the best on youtube and thank you for all the little tips and being so informative!

[@MichaelBuilds]

That is a very good question! Hahaha. Well your comment definitely made my day Robbie! Thank you so much!

[@sancop]

Agreed!!

[@shirleymorales3161]

Michael will you PLEASE do a video on making concrete sinks square and round that sit on top of the counter ! ? ! I saw a wood countertop with a sink on top thought how cool a concrete sink would look 😎

[@jmbarris8780]

We did it! we made an outdoor kitchen countertop. EVERYTHING worked just like Michael said. Next we are going to polish it following his polishing video. Thanks so much.

[@Holdfast]

I just made my second countertop after the first one cracked in 2. It was then that I learned all about how concrete has compressive strength but very little tensile strength - you really have to reinforce it with rebar, or smaller metal rods or fibre. I can see in the video that this was added but think it should have been mentioned!! Another tip that I have is make sure you have enough support under the melamine. Although my countertop was only 4 feet long I ended up with a slight bow because the melamine flexed under the weight.

[@stevenmorris2293]

I must of missed the rebar or mesh going in . I did not see any . 🙂

[@paulmaxwell8851]

Use mesh, not rebar! Rebar will cause 'ghosting': you'll see a faint outline on the surface of the cured concrete. Rebar is only suitable if you're covering it with at least two or three inches of concrete. Been there, done that.

[@Holdfast]

@@paulmaxwell8851 I used welded wire fencing inside and 1.5 years later it still looks great.

[@jacksonschmidt6487]

exactly what I am using! 4"x2" welded fencing works wonders. @@Holdfast

[@paulinehunt4069]

Did not see any reenforcement used.

[@ledhed5717]

That kitchen looks absolutely fantastic. Great build!! Another great video Michael. Funny bloopers too. 🤣

[@MichaelBuilds]

Thank you so much Eric! I had so much fun edit this one LOL 😂

[@kevinsatz1110]

There were probably an hour's worth of bloopers. My wife said we're children in men's bodies. Could be a whole video/episode itself. LMAO 🤣

[@cowboycrna2811]

@@MichaelBuilds how did y’all make the long form? As in... how did you connect two pieces of melamine seamlessly like that? Thanks!

[@mjo8856]

Are you kidding me? Those countertops look amazing! Good job!

[@jman3732]

I did a similar project, but as i didn't have that much help I rented two electric cement mixers and attached and old bench grinder that was off balance to the form. It acted like shaker table so I didn't have to spend any time tapping the forms or spreading out the concrete as it self leveled . I did use two of the set control per bag and just waited to the next day to remove it from the forms. It all worked great and my wife loves the look.

[@msmtnsunny958]

I really like the Cheng countertop sealer, it worked great for my bathroom counter top. What I'm excited to do on the kitchen counter top is the grinding and sanding to bring the cool look to it. Thank you Michael for another great video! :) Getting really excited for this project, darn winter has put me on hold at the cabin, but come spring. ..it's on! I need to take a photo and send it to you of the bathroom. So thankful I can even do that after the Cameron Peak Fire knocked at my cabin door . A shout out to all the firefighters that work hard to save our homes, cabins and everything else they do for us. :)

[@samthompson1270]

First of all...WOW!!! That was like a well oiled machine. You guys make a great team. I know it was a lot of work, but I'm sure you all had a blast working together. Good on you and the Rapid Set Team for helping a guy out. That says a LOT about a product as well as you Michael. Love your videos and LOVE your channel man. Keep em coming.

[@SteveC38]

Awesome Job EveryBody! What a Nice Thing To Do!

[@evarogers8775]

That is one awesome kitchen! Fantastic job guys! And it looked like SO much fun!

[@dmartinnj]

what an AWESOME job... I'm still thinking of doing the same thing with my kitchen. I have a smaller kitchen. The biggest counter top would be 80 x 42 for an island sink area. All the rest would be smaller counter tops... However, I still might go with plywood and laminate because it would be significantly lighter.

[@uke-earl-lele]

MIchael, this is a great way to do these things. It will be the countertops for a small project I have planned. The one thing I would like to know is "What mistakes have people made and what were the symptoms of the issues?" Thanks in advance.

[@trinakerr1095]

I love this project!! It would be great to have this in my Kitchen 😃 I'm glad to see your projects again!! I've been missing your stuff!!

[@MichaelBuilds]

I’m gonna keep’em comin for ya! 👍🏻☺️

[@jenniferkapp8069]

This is much more in depth! Very good to watch before a pour. The hubs and i made 2 different projects that turned out but man I wish I would have had this video prior! Thanks for the inspiration!

[@MichaelBuilds]

Thank you so much Jennifer! I really appreciate that. And thank you for commenting again!

[@olov244]

I so want to do this, need to start practicing on smaller pours though

[@ericb2247]

Nice to see a new video! - Ice water and citric acid will also buy you time for CSA cement. - I prefer modeling clay for sealing joints because it releases from the form much easier, but it sticks a little to the concrete. Useful if you want to preserve the melamine. A little more time consuming, but less messy. - Covering the concrete with plastic and a blanket helps retain the heat and moisture for faster strength gain, although this is a 1-hour video. CSA heats up a lot.

[@lechatbotte.]

I couldn’t click fast enough!!! Even if I can’t do some of the projects love watching and learning!!! What happens in rapid set stays in rapid set lol, that’s set in concrete lol

[@TheAlpine49]

That is funny!!

[@Schmetv]

Yes! What a great video Mike. You are constantly killing it. Keep it up man, you are amazing

[@living9377]

Very helpful video. You’re a good man for doing this for a subscriber. Great tips. Thanks for sharing!

[@brianandlynphilippines]

This is so enviably fabulous! My countertops are the bottom grade big box store, but if I ever get 3 or 4 friends, I would do this!

[@kevinsatz1110]

You can always do smaller section. We just wanted the L-top not to have a seam. Yes 600lbs was pushing it.

[@brianandlynphilippines]

@@kevinsatz1110 I doubt my big box particle board cabinets would support that, the quiver under my 340 lbs!

[@belavet]

@@brianandlynphilippines I wouldn't worry. That's 600 pounds displaced over a rather large area. Point loading 340 pounds is going to out all of that stress in one, maybe two, sections of cabinet.

[@johnterpack3940]

Pour it in place rather than having to move it. Can be a 1-man job easily.

[@MontyMcKinnon]

Great job and a lot of planning went into this construction and excellent video. Well done Michael!

[@MichaelBuilds]

Thank you so much Monty! It was a FUN ONE. I can’t wait to do this at your house when Canada opens back up LOL

[@smartjbrfd]

Great job guys!👍

[@bendall248]

Great video with a lot of helpful tips.Of course no matter how much info you put out, we still got more questions. How do you make the molds for long runs without seams? Suggestions about reinforcement such as how much, what type and hard areas like around sink cut-outs. Then there's the whole polishing and sealing thing. How long after you take off the mold before you start wet sanding? Tools and techniques used to do it. I saw your video about sealers but this seams to be on another level. You've got us hooked for sure. I will be watching for your videos (always do). Take care and have a Merry Christmas!

[@skiprope536]

A year later…my body is killing me from doing remodeling. This video is incredible. Great work Mike. Just a drive by buddy.

[@ForGoodnesSake]

WOW!! That looks gorgeous 😍 Great job Michael Builds team!!

[@MikeDayConcrete]

Great job. I use Rapid Set products for a lot of things also. Love em!

[@dwayneclairmont3908]

This is the best pouring I've seen thank you

[@HAL-dm1eh]

This kinda hits it for me. Very nice!

[@manningmade5761]

Love these and can’t wait to try it! Have you ever done a pour in place countertop? Did you use the same products?

[@gonzalopmolina]

Thank you Michael for all your videos. I have two or three questions: 1) What if your countertop needs to be longer than the melamine available? For example, 3 mts long when your melamine size is 2.6 mts long. 2) Dont you use fiber glass ? In case you use them, you can’t trowel the surface that smooth and easy. What can I do? 3) I the countertop shrink (like a banana) before you take it out of the mould, what do you think it happened? Warm? Cold? To much time inside the mould? Another reason? How to avoid that? thank you for all your help and videos! Gonzalo from Buenos Aires, Argentina

[@brentasher8148]

One of the best vids. Just excellent.

[@hardworkingguy7419]

How long did you let the product setup before placing the rebar? Any concerns about it sinking all the way down? You make amazing videos and this project looks fantastic! Thank you

[@raventree2664]

First! Great job, cannot wait to try this in my house. Thanks for all the knowledge and tips!

[@bryanlloyd9664]

Great job on the counter tops!!👍👍

[@marielynn5234]

Heeeeyyyyy Micheeeaaaal! 😍 THAT IS AN AWESOME JOB! BEAUTIFUL!!! Love the new intro BTW. I'm playing catch up on your videos. It's not like me to miss them. Lol 😆

[@patrickradke1482]

Made my 1st counter, needed 2 bags. Mixed and poured desperate. Can see the differences between bags. Next time I suggest mixing after pour?!? That's Michael!

[@Debbyiamme]

@Michael Builds, First, nice videos, I love your positive, upbeat, happy go lucky personality and you're such an artist in your own right. Did you ever do the video on how he grind-ed that counter top, how he made it smooth and looking nice like that? I don't see it in the description above. You said that you would put it there.

[@wpb007]

Michael first off I love your videos! I have a question/ possible video request. There are quite a few “make your own concrete weights” videos, however I’ve yet to see any that use rapid set mortar mix. How do you think the durability of a rapid set mortar “weight “ would compare to a quick Crete 5000 as far as chipping/crushing? It would be awesome to see your take on this project.

[@ehickey73]

Looks incredible

[@skodengaming2477]

Looking forward to the sealing. I did concrete, rapid set, countertops in our house. But I sealed them with stone and granite sealer for being food safe. I am very interested in this look though. Thank you for the videos and how to dos

[@kevinsatz1110]

You can always do a light wet sanding with the Stadea 200 or 400 on an orbital then seal with the Cheng's.

[@natdog35023]

Awesome pour, I’m my experience set control is a must for any more than 1 bag , also flow. I also figured out to pour each bucket in the mold and move it around and you want have pour spots.

[@kevincollins7102]

absolutely awesome JOB!!!!! from burien washington

[@ChrisColangelo]

Would love to see a video on color pigment like white and ultra smooth finish countertops

[@drhenderson40]

That looks awesome!

[@butterfly2385]

Wow, awesome build, looks really nice..✌❤😁.

[@EasyFirePits_]

Awesome fun video again Michael! Wish i lived closer. I'd invite you over for some drinks, err a countertop!!

[@jaxx-_-123]

Great job! For each of those buckets, it was: one 55lb bag mortar mix, color, water, Set Control, and Flow Control. Was it just one pack of Set Control and one pack of Flow Control? And how much water did you use? Amazing how soupy it was and easier than smashing around a thick peanut butter mix and hoping you didn't have voids all over the place. Thanks for the info and the awesome vids!

[@kevinsatz1110]

Yes one bag mix, flow and set. 5 quarts water and half pound of charcoal colorant.

[@jaxx-_-123]

@@kevinsatz1110 thanks Kevin! You guys made it look super easy!

[@darrellgordon9224]

2 questions I haven't seen asked here. What size rebar are you using and are the molds top side down or bottom side down? Thanks and great video!

[@kevinsatz1110]

That was 1/2" rebar since we went with 2" thick top. Top side is facing down in the mold.

[@honeybee9161]

Wow, loved the video Michael. You guys all did a great job. Loved how the whole kitchen looked after. Would love to do that here, but Charlie always worries about weight on the house, floor, beams. So that is a no. Loved how you all worked together. Does that mean that it is a four man job? 😘

[@lovedags7880]

For sure,a lot of hard and quick work.

[@Richtow2n77]

Going to be attempting a concrete kitchen island this weekend --- will show the reults either way. Thanks for these videos brother... Do you ever use stain to color your products? If so, what do you recommend.

[@mistyvolinski2776]

how long did you wait to seal? Have you ever added powdered pigment to this mortar mix? If so, I am wondering how much per 55 lb bag for a very dark charcoal? We used powdered pigment (8 oz per 55 lb bag) and just unmolded and the pigment is coming off on our hands!

[@keithusace4352]

I found that if you have access to a disc sander that the vibes make for smooth sides getting the airpockets out instead of using hammers on the forms

[@jgorell]

Someone recommended using a blade-less reciprocating saw as well. I used a combo of hammer taps/palm sander on my first couple of pours but none of these were as easy as the reciprocating saw. The variable speed of the saw allowed me to find the right amount of vibration for the mold.

[@demonspawnss2010]

Love to see you are back at it again as usual and loving the intro and editing.

[@K9Trooper]

Great video! I always suspected you were short. Merry Christmas! If you’re ever in the Milwaukee area hit me up. We’ll take you guys out for great beer.

[@emilcasas2707]

Truly marvelous!

[@c.p.2979]

LISTEN TO ME! I'm not kidding Michael you should get everyone's permission in the video, FIND THE CORRECT PERSON to send it to at HGTV. For consideration for your own show. You should make sure you have creative control of the show so they don't turn it into every other cheesy show on HGTV your videos are better than ANYTHING on HGTV. I wish they had a show like yours where you learn something USEFUL! I've done one of the projects from one of your videos it turned out perfectly. Really a great job on the counters, and what a beautiful home too. Well done! You need to listen to me and do it submit that video! Let me know if you do it. Regards, Carl

[@rchavez5056]

I would watch his show.

[@blamy1075]

Where did you find a piece of melamine long enough for the sink counter? I want to do this, but my countertop is 14' long.

[@derekbarrington667]

Just giving a second to this question. Mine is actually 98.75" long as in 1.75" too long for the 97" melamine. ANYONE have an answer? Is there a trick to connect two pieces without having a visible seam in the concrete?

[@gb6420]

Awesome looks great!

[@MrPedagno]

Really enjoy your content. Using your technique for an outdoor countertop next month, 40” wide x 10’ long x 2” deep with a 36” x 28” cutout for the grill. Do I need to use any type of reinforcement in my pour? I’ve never poured a countertop but have poured several slabs and always reinforced with rebar mesh, so I just wanted your input. I’ll be pouring in a form and then flipping.

[@bethaniwilson1120]

Well done! 👏 👏

[@jcabanaman5278]

Nice to see more video's. As usual, great content with helpful tips! If your looking for more project idea's, ive been thinking of doing a large concrete soaking tub. I know there are alot more variables involved with it, but it would be a cool transition from countertops and bowls.

[@1-Mr.F.]

Simply Awesome! Okay, not so simple but still Awesome!

[@dunep6465]

GREAT JOB!!! WELL DONE ALL... :o)

[@ronniestanley75]

I used this stuff to make my kitchen tops. But, on the inside of the mold, instead of just sealing the corners I cut the opening of the caulk tube and laid a huge bead of silicone. Then, I modified a plastic scraper to fit in the corner at an angle that left a fat bead with a huge mitered edge. It rounds the top edges over so well that it has a rounded feel even though it's just a 45° angle.

[@michellegoddard5710]

Love the video! How did they install the gass cooktop without a cutout? Did they have to drill into the countertop?

[@MichaelBuilds]

Kevin had to cut into it after the fact. He drilled the corners first and cut the straight lines with a diamond blade

[@JJVThou]

I love you Michele, I am short like you, and that start was far funny with the stand on....LOL..and yeh my first was cracked too, i didn't throw away, instead i rapid clue it back, it works just fine...

[@kevinsatz1110]

Yea, I had epic failures on different levels.

[@adamneesby7997]

Hey Mike! A question for you. If you have to pour the concrete in place, can you still use the same type of materials (55# mortar mix, etc) and just trowel it flat or do you think you'd run into issues? ( for example, would keeping the concrete wet for an hour like you recommend make it hard to trowel it smooth enough) Awesome videos by the way!

[@paulmaxwell8851]

DON"T pour in place! By pouring upside down in a form, you end up with a nearly perfect surface, as smooth as the form surface itself. I've seen poured-in-place counter-tops and they're terrible. They look amateurish. Eventually the homeowner comes to hate them and has them torn out.

[@apauln]

I know you are big with using wd40 as a release agent. But how do you seal the concrete with wd40? When sealers need a grease free surface. And what about the smell? Wd40 odor lingers for a long time.

[@justthisguy]

Michael have you tried making the concrete dark with glitter through it?

[@dcfrank1]

This is awesome! Can the be made to 1" thickness with this method? Which is stronger, the mortar mix or cement-all?

[@bbarney6139]

Amazing job guys! Can't wait to attempt something similar

[@yvonnetucker2599]

Great job you guys did wonderful

[@ericchin79]

Show us the dry pour method for counter tops please! Has to be easier than mixing and cracking right?

[@vera4799]

Beautiful job 👏

[@bradw6413]

After watching your videos I made an outdoor kitchen top with fiber optics throughout.

[@summere1609]

Well now you're going to have to make a video so we can all see! Sounds amazing!

[@kevinsatz1110]

I'd like to see that.

[@nicknolan8254]

That looks stunning!!

[@jonathanroy8105]

Great video

[@birdflysfast7547]

Love this!!! Been following for years and now ready to try my first one! Do you have anything on how to join melamine boards for a longer than the dimensional 8' length boards? I need to do a 12' run. Thank you for your channel!

[@badcarrera]

Very cool man, I live in Bath Michigan right next to MSU.

[@gagesukola269]

Very nice. I poured a few tops this past weekend for my kitchen(using your method), they turned out really nice. Were these countertops wet sanded or diamond grinded? I have wet sanded mine with 320 but I still have some white staining and the aggregate is not nearly as visible as these. maybe it will show better after I seal?

[@kevinsatz1110]

I wet sanded them using STADEA Premium Grade Wet 5" Diamond Pads (5 pack) on Amazon. Started with 50. Then jumped up to 200, 400 and finished off with a little 800.

[@Spad68]

Just got home for work an bamo . You posted a video . First . That clip of you stepping down from the step was hilarious . Second awesome team work . Third . No way that's a one man job . It sure looked heavy a F.... lol Keep them coming mike

[@kevinsatz1110]

For the L-top, about 65ish lbs per bag after cure x 10 bags....... you do the math lol

[@Spoiled4sure]

Have you considered offering training classes? I need it!!

[@patrickossowski5632]

finally back to the beginning awesome

[@rkcahagen]

Awesome job guys, but i would to hear more about what went wrong the first time just to learn more about what not to do. Did they just try to move it to soon or was it a bad mix, wrong mix?

[@green5sing]

Wow!! Loved and subscribed!

[@juliahunt4526]

Awesome job looks fantastic

[@jessezepeda3990]

Hey michael you do some awesome work! I wanted to ask if the Rapid set mortar you use can be used as a substitute for regular Concrete on a pizza hearth build? I would appreciate any feedback. Thank you bro

[@forestmorris2996]

Another fantastic video! Glad I subscribed some time back!

[@DrewNelles]

Great video. Beautiful result. Quick question: How long was it from the time you were finished with the water cure (you said that was “1 hour or until the heat died down”) until it was set enough that you could turn it over?

[@MichaelBuilds]

I think it was about 30 minutes that day because it was a little hotter that day. So in total it was about an hour from pour to de-mold.

[@bowers396]

Have you ever considered doing a pour in place video using Rapid set?

[@jamessadler7157]

Awesome job

[@donfrazelle7752]

Great video and great team effort ! Quick couple thoughts/concerns hoping you or your subscribers can address for me as I'm getting ready to do 2 end table tops and 1 coffee table for customers...in this video you mentioned (and I saw) the "pour marks" on the top side of the countertop once the form was removed. Are they avoidable with using different pour technique(s) as in maybe trying more entry pour points with less/slower volume ? Are they the result of the concrete solution pushing away the WD40 release layer and then coming into direct surface contact with the Melamine face ? With a full +/- 28 day cure will they be much less noticeable or not visible at all ? Do these pour marks show using this mortar mix regardless of color tint or standard (no color added) ? Thanks for your reply and advice !

[@michelleperkins7797]

Great video! I have a question; can the form be made out of ply or something else, large sheets on melamine are hard to come by in the uk. I want to make a concrete able top. Many thanks.

[@MichaelBuilds]

Yes you can but it will give the concrete a lot of texture and wood grain in the concrete

[@anthonycaldi7056]

Love the channel! Have you ever poured these tops in place? What are the benefits of doing is as you did in this video vs poured in place?

[@jefflachapelle4123]

How many bags of set and flow control did you use for each bag of mortar mix?

[@RhumRunner41]

How did I missed this one? I can’t find any Rapid Set in my area. Can you recommend an alternative?

[@debficken3035]

Great video!! Can the Rapid Set be used to pour a fish pond?

[@chewar7537]

Beautiful! Can this be used with Z-forms to pour in place?