Hyde Park Countertops Part 2

Studiobuild has officially finished the Hyde Park residence. The countertops got installed with minimal damage. After they got installed I spend a weekend doing one last grout and grind session.

The surface ended up opening a large number of bugholes and for cleanliness those had to get filled.
I made up a latex grout mixture and worked it into the surface with a trowel and squeegee.

The old aluminum grinding hood ended up getting chewed up by some walking pads and I broke down and bought a new dust buddie setup. It is clear plastic, lightweight, and very easy to use.

The concrete was so dry that even wiped down the grout dried very quickly. The latex helps with shrinkage and bonding and provides some strength even if the grout dries before curing.

The finished concrete got two very thin coats of soy-based primer epoxy. The glass is scraps from the owner's jewelry making business.

This was a quikrete mixture with black granite seeded on the surface, dry black dye at 5%, cellulose fibers, and 1:1 latex modification.

Hyde Park Countertops Part 1

Recently I have been consulting on a countertop job. Studiobuild is renovating a 1890's house in the Hyde park neighborhood of Kansas City. The owner has black concrete countertops in his current home and wanted them in the new home. So, I came on to coordinate placing the countertops for the new house.

Here we are with the molds setup in at the Studiobuild shop.

Damon, the owner, handled the dirty work. We used a modified quikrete mix with latex, fibers, and black dye.
Molds were standard melamine reinforced with plaster mesh.

Damon's wife makes Murano glass jewelry. He inlaid some glass rods and granite into the surface.

Jerad and Ryan of Studiobuild assisting damon's friends placing.

Mmmm, black concrete.

This kitchen had six pieces and took about 9 cubic feet of concrete.

Not a bad finished surface.