Counter Tops-Concrete or Epoxy?

[Ki-ri-n]

It's time to update my bar with new cabinets & counter tops. Old top has a mosaic tile top that is a PIA to clean. I'd like to do concrete or epoxy because the shape will not be standard. I will under mount the sink & incorporate a glass rinser into the counter top. My brewery is adjacent to my bar/sink area so it does see a lot of use cleaning keggels and other equipment. So, heavy use is an understatement!

I've made a concrete counter top for a different area in my basement. It turned out OK but not what I was totally expecting in the end. Big down side is how heavy it is. The bar top will be at least 5x heavier. Kind of a pain especially when doing an inverse mold. And I don't know if I'll be able to re-create the same look when I do this one.

Anyone have any experience with either or both of these methods? Am I leaving another option out?

 

[225]

Maybe a epoxy top with pennies under the epoxy?

 

[Soulshine2]

It's time to update my bar with new cabinets & counter tops. Old top has a mosaic tile top that is a PIA to clean. I'd like to do concrete or epoxy because the shape will not be standard. I will under mount the sink & incorporate a glass rinser into the counter top. My brewery is adjacent to my bar/sink area so it does see a lot of use cleaning keggels and other equipment. So, heavy use is an understatement!

I've made a concrete counter top for a different area in my basement. It turned out OK but not what I was totally expecting in the end. Big down side is how heavy it is. The bar top will be at least 5x heavier. Kind of a pain especially when doing an inverse mold. And I don't know if I'll be able to re-create the same look when I do this one.

Anyone have any experience with either or both of these methods? Am I leaving another option out?

concrete is heavy , yes. epoxy can be tricky if you are fully prepared on how to use it , mix it correctly . then theres the grinding ,sanding , finishing ...the dust.
how do you feel about a mosaic tile top? you can make the substructure out of marine grade or form grade plywood ( no voids) so it'll be a lot lighter than concrete and easier to cut to your shape. covered in various tiles of varied colors , you can find a lot of different colors and textures or boxes of inventory close outs really cheap, you can tile in a design or if you have a logo of your "brewery" and then fill in around it with broken pieces of more tile. grout it in with a contrasting color ,then once cured , seal it.

My bar is outdoors by our pool and primarily made of reclaimed oak barnwood . I made the top out of basic 2x8s I got at the home improvement store , stressed them with hammer claws, chains,rocks , etc . and even though I biscuit joined them , I also included a few dutchmans (butterfly edge joints) for looks, then stained the whole thing and coated it with marine spar varnish because it does get exposure to the elements and I dont have to worry at all about water rings from beer glasses. The top looks as if it could have come out of an old barn or ship. Rustic .

 

[cubalz]

Epoxy scratches very easily. At the brewery I work at, 8 months ago we built a new bar and epoxied the top, already it is scratched. Bad.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

concrete is heavy , yes. epoxy can be tricky if you are fully prepared on how to use it , mix it correctly . then theres the grinding ,sanding , finishing ...the dust.

I've already worked with concrete. It's a pain to build one & to polish it to make it look right, but it's doable. Is concrete more "durable" than epoxy? I can see the edges possibly breaking out when bumped with a kettle. The top itself, maybe not so much, not sure.

how do you feel about a mosaic tile top?

That's what I'm replacing! A mosaic top, by itself, leaves a lot of sharp corners & crevasses. Mine could have been grouted better to alleviate some of that but it's still a PIA to clean. It chews up sponges every single time, little "bits" (grain/hops) get left behind in the recessed grout lines, and the grout can get stained (even when sealed). To much work for me and not the appearance I would like.

Epoxy scratches very easily. At the brewery I work at, 8 months ago we built a new bar and epoxied the top, already it is scratched. Bad.

Is this with ALL epoxy in general or are there certain grades? Do you know what stuff was used?


Anyone have examples of what they have and recommend if they'd do it again or try something else?

 

[BrewInspector]

How about pour in place concrete?

You may not get the perfectly level top of a mold poured counter without some work but you can come close. You can also make the surface thinner saving overall weight if that is an issue.

I did a pour in place countertop for the kitchen. The countertop was too large to cast without joints. It is thick enough to be solid. The edge has chipped here and there over the years but the imperfections work with the overall look.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

That's an idea. Only problem I see is how do I incorporate the provisions for an undermount sink and glass rinser?

 

[BrewInspector]

I poured directly over the original sealed OSB after removing the laminate. Mounting hardware for the drop in sink is attached to the wooden structure under the concrete. I assume you could do something similar.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

View attachment 665588

 

[BrewInspector]

Umm... those are the clean dishes in the drying rack

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

That's an idea. Only problem I see is how do I incorporate the provisions for an undermount sink and glass rinser?

I’ve done several concrete counters, both mould and pour in place.

For cut outs (sink and washer) you just need to create a form the same size. When I do pour in place I use hardie backer placed directly on cabinets and pour on top of that. I used 1-1/2” pink styrofoam board and a razor blade type saw blade for my Sabre saw. It made very clean lines, I then screwed this to the hardie backer where the sink was to be located. For the glass rinser you could probably use pvc pipe to get the diameter you need.

Just remember to vibrate the edges of forms really really well when doing pour in place or you will get voids.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

I may try pour in place.
Did you pour directly against the styfroam? That would leave a smooth enough surface?
What about using Melamine as the edges screwed to the backer board? I would think that would be easier to use to maintain a constant thickness.
I get how to leave a hole for the sink or holes for the faucet, but what about for the rinser? I was thinking about making a "basin" to allow the rinser to drop into. How can you make different levels when doing pour in place. I get it with a reverse mold but can't get my head around doing in the "right" orientation.

I'm using the Krome glass rinser that is actually able to undermount to a counter top. I was going to cut the extension off and drop the "box" into the basin.

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

Yes directly against the styrofoam. The blade for the Sabre saw that I used to cut styrofoam was more akin to a knife edge than a saw blade, meaning there were not a bunch of teeth to make a ragged edge. The styrofoam was smooth after cut, so the concrete was too.

There is also a melamine form around the outside perimeter. I did not mean to make it sound like I used hardie backer and no forms. I make the hardie backer the same as the cabinet. Counter top over hangs the cabinet by an inch or so. I use melamine to make form for the exposed side, and the overhang (underside). This will give you a nice crisp and straight line. Just vibrate the bejesus out of it so no voids.

Most glass rinsers for bars are self contained units. Meaning the supply, drain and doo dads are built in to unit. You just need to make a form that is the exact same dimensions as the unit you plan on using. Some are round, some square, some a combination. If you are going to use concrete, make it easy on yourself and buy one in a shape that is easy to reproduce. (Completely round, or rectangle). You can use different thickness foam board to achieve depths you need.

Assume this rinser was 6 inches by 6 inches and 1 inch thick. You are pouring a 2 inch counter top. I would cut a piece of 2 inch pvc pipe to 1 inch length (for supply and drain) and a piece of 1 inch foam to 6x6. Hot glue the pipe to the foam, and then the whole assembly to hardie backer. Where you ultimately want it positioned. Then pour concrete around it.

Pull all your styrofoam forms after about 4 hours (or when concrete is set, but still soft) and you can radius the edges so you don’t have sharp corners. After 48 hours or so you can sand and polish finished concrete to get it glass smooth.



For my personal electric basement brew station, I used the cheap “wood butcher block” counters from the big box stores, and then used waterlox marine formula to seal the wood. It’s made for boat decks. Not made for interior use as it takes forever to cure. I sealed it outside in shop and let it cure for a month or so. The stuff is potent, and makes the shop stink for weeks, so I’m sure it causes cancer and other unpleasantries. Probably why they say not recommended for indoor use.

My liver is determined to kill me long before any chump cancer so I don’t worry too much about it.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

Yep. that's essentially the same rinser I'm going to be using. But I was going o put it in its own concrete formed sink, so to speak. Figured if there were leaks, it would be self contained. I did plan to silicone it in place to prevent water from getting that far, but thought it would be added protection. Not to mention a "hard" surface for it to rest on.

Thanks for the tips so far!

Evert thing "bad" for you comes off the end of your life, which usually is way down hill by then anyways, so might as well live while you can.....

 

[Tallgrass]

I did a wood countertop with an undermount sink and coated with waterlox in my kitchen. We used wood flooring and it has held up really well. I believe the waterlox cost more than the wood. The heavy cast iron pans don't seem to damage the wood but can put marks in the finish if you were to drag it across the surface.
The benefit of waterlox, I believe, is the ease of refinishing. A month ago I went over the counter with some steel wool and rubbed on a thin coat of waterlox. Looks new again. I didn't use the marine formula because I thought the only difference was a UV inhibitor.
Wood of course is not the most durable material but my countertop has gotten a lot of use and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It just looks and feels nice. It replaced a tile countertop and I don't miss that hard cold feeling at all.

By the way, lexel caulk has replaced the box store stuff in this old house. Its a bit tuff to work with but holds up a lot better.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

I re-did a corner in my basement. Previous owner had a full closet which housed the pressure tank for the well AND the window!

I cut it in half, finished the drywall, and added the concrete counter top. First sealer was way to thick and made it look like crap. So I removed it and started over with polishing. Then sealed it with a stone sealer rather than concrete sealer. Much better now.