Kitchen Renovation | Concrete Countertops
When you’re DIYing your own kitchen renovation on a very tight budget, there are some things you have to get slightly creative with and some things you compromise a little. So we knew we couldn’t get all new cabinets and a new countertop wasn’t really something we wanted to spend a lot of money on just in case we decided to do new cabinets and counter somewhere down the near(ish) future.
The existing granite counters were old and not well cared for by the previous owners or us…granite actually takes maintenance over the long term for it to continue looking good. There were also three separate slabs seamed together; two areas where separate pieces of the counter were seamed together. One seam was in a corner and another seam was smack in the middle of the counter. Over time you could tell these two areas had the most “wear and tear” as they felt uneven.
We loved the look of concrete countertops. We found a product at a local concrete store that is a thin concrete you can overlay on existing surfaces. And, yes, it works over existing granite countertops!
HOW TO GET CONCRETE COUNTERTOP ON EXISTING COUNTERTOP
Prep:
The existing granite counters still had a shiny finish to it, so we needed to rough it up quite a bit so the concrete had something to really adhere to. We used Diamond Sawtec Abrasive Grinding Discs to grind down the granite stone to an unfinished layer. The discs attach to an oscillating multi-tool like this. This was the hardest step and very dusty. If you don’t have to sand down a granite countertop, you’re not missing out on something enjoyable.
First Layer - After cleaning all the dust from the granite, we mixed the first layer of concrete and used a trowel to lay a very thin layer directly to the rough granite. Patience and thin layers are key, especially for the corners and edges. After the first layer dried, we did a second layer of thin concrete.
Seal - When all was dry, we poured on the sealant which is included in the kit we got. We used a small foam roller to spread out and even the seal across the counters. The seal is approved for food prep use and heat, which is one of the reasons we chose it for the kitchen. It gives it a nice subtle shine but not super glossy. We are still really happy with how they look and even 5 years later they are still going strong.
RESOURCE LIST
EZ Top Concrete Countertop Resurfacing system from Mood Decorative Concrete. From their website, “EZ Top kit is a proprietary blend of Portland cement, quality graded aggregates and polymers that allow installers to trowel layers of micro-coatings over properly prepared substrates. Use EZ Top on Formica, laminate, Corian, tile, marble and granite to create a fresh, durable surface that can be customized in any color you choose.”
