2323 Project Part 2 - Placing

Well like usual scope creep has reared it's ugly head. Well since this is my project and money I guess that is ok. This project has now gone from six pieces in the kitchen to include some vanities a shower box and an integral window box.

I've seen some guys recently cover the melamine edges with painter's tape and am giving it a try. So far it seems to help with cleanup some and probably prevents some swelling.  

 

The first two pieces were a large plain countertop and the sink section. The mix is my el-cheapo  ($5.5/sf) GFRC mix with some Cheng integral color.

 

They were stripped after 2 days and lightly wet-ground. There were only a couple bug holes and prep was very minimal. The cell phone didn't take too good of pictures of the ground texture and I will have to remember to bring the real camera along next time.

The next step for these is burnishing and sealing. When GFRC works well it is unbelievable how little work is involved after placing. 

2323 Project Part 1-Molds

The next project is underway and will be moving quickly. It's a renovation with six pieces in the kitchen and two in the master bathroom. The original steel cabinets are being reused and have been powder coated turquoise. The countertop color will be platinum grey. I've modified my low-cost Type S mortar GFRC mix to use Cheng Promix for the color and don't need any additional admixtures. I could formulate my own pigments, but for the time and project size their kits are the easiest. I always have way too much pigment leftover when I do it myself and this cuts down on long-term storage. Tests on this semi-original mix were 5000 psi at 7 days so I think we are fine.

There are four standard countertop pieces and a 36 inch deep island with a waterfall edge.

 Those stainless steel ball tools make caulking a breeze and are one of the best $1.99 I have ever spent.

 

Here's a shot of the kitchen before cabinets were set. The wall are grey, white upper cabinets, some custom walnut cabinets, and turquoise lower cabinets. The bright grey countertops will look great.

I'm using a new sealer combination on this one. The three part Richard James system worked very well on the last big sink but it is film forming. The owner on this one doesn't want that look in the kitchen. I've been working with lithium silicate densifiers for curing conventional concrete and have been very impressed. They improve overall durability and stain resistance. I'm going to combine lithium silicate with a silane to get a finish that shouldn't need much attention over time.