Last weekend I placed the grill countertop using a fiber reinforced Type S mortar mixture. The mold had a knockout for a cutting board on the right. It is sloped to the front for drainage with some channels made from clay. The opening for the grill was split in half and wrapped with foam for easy removal.
The mix design was pretty simple, 1 bag of Type S mortar, 1 gallon of water, 1/2 gallon of latex modifier, and 5 pcy polypropylene fibers. The latex and fibers went into a bucket and then were broken apart using the mixing paddle on the drill. The water and mortar were mixed together by hand and then the latex and fibers were added.
All of those fibers gave it the consistency of wet manure. This was by far the cheapest countertop mixture I have ever tried.
The mortar was pressed into place by hand. It was very workable but needed pressing because of the fibers in the mix. I sprinkled some green dye here and there on the mold surface, just to see how it would turn out.
Finished, troweled, and resting. Since mortar isn't as strong as concrete I let everything sit 3 days before stripping the mold. Beforehand I rough ground the bottom and torched the loose fibers.
I have been impressed. The surface texture was as good as any countertop I have produced. It is curing a few more days under wet towels before a rough grind and sealer coat.
Hi, I am messing around with concrete furniture and I was wondering if you would be willing to give me some pointers on the best (and least expensive) mixtures, as well as sources for poly fibers. I live in Shawnee and am an Architecture student at KU, so local sources would be excellent.
ReplyDeleteHere is what I have done:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1257092386080.2039511.1192711514&l=e2d933899a
Here is my next endeavor:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1507365242745.2045974.1192711514&l=ba8f072846
I would be extremely grateful for any help you are willing to provide.
Oh, and my email is tmaine88@gmail.com.
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