An honest account of how to DIY concrete countertops over old tile (or laminate) counters using Henry’s Feather Finish Micro-cement. I will walk you through my before, during, and immediately after experience of the whole process and result. By the end of this post you will hopefully have some solid perspective on if this is a DIY you want to tackle.
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Since you are here it seems like you are interested in transforming your kitchen on a budget. Brand new countertops would eat a big chunk of that budget, so you are looking for alternatives. And I bet you stumbled on some video, reel, or post on concrete countertops that you don’t have to pour.
DECIDING ON THE DIY
My project began much the same way. We have this big spacious kitchen with lots of cabinets…and then 12″ floor tiles with thick grout lines for our countertops. Ugh! Not to mention they go up the backsplash, too! I have lived with these counters for over 8 years and was very motivated to change them. But new countertops are not in our budget. So, after lots of research on Pinterest and YouTube, I landed on micro-cement to cover our tile counters. The backsplash is another story, but we landed on PVC headboard and I love it!
I spent several hours watching tutorials and reading blog posts. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I felt inspired and equipped to give it a go. My sanity saver was, “This will automatically be better than tile and grout lines, even if it doesn’t look perfect.”
GATHERING MATERIALS FOR CONCRETE COUNTERTOPS
Overall, you don’t need a whole lot to work through this project. Some of it you may already have on hand.
Items:
6″ putty knife
10″ taping knife
3 – 7# box of Henry’s Feather Finish (adjust according to your square footage)
mud pan
grout sponge
latex/nitrile gloves
sandpaper/sanding sponge/random orbital sander (with different grit papers)
impregnator sealer
4″ foam roller
I also found very useful:
1″ chisel (very helpful for shaping tight spots once the cement is dry)
blue painters tape
plastic drop-cloth
shop vac
Since we are being honest, as you go through this process you will get a “feel” for the medium you are working with. I felt like an artist playing with paint or clay for the first time. You can be a little brave in adjusting the consistency of the micro-cement and “playing” with it as you work it over your countertops. Just remember to move quickly and not to overthink it because it dries fast!
PREPARING YOUR CANVAS
Preparing your canvas, er, a, countertops is crucial for a good-looking finish. If you have laminate, start with degreasing with a cleaner like Simple Green. Then give it a light sanding to scuff the surface. Make sure you thoroughly wipe up the dust from sanding! Since I was working with ceramic tile, I thoroughly scrubbed our counters TWICE. Once with dish soap and a rag, then with Simple Green and a scouring pad. Then I wiped it all down to make sure there was nothing left behind.
We also had ripped out the tile backsplash, installed fire resistant drywall, and prepped that surface for the PVC headboard backsplash. If you are leaving your backsplash consider taping a couple inches up the backsplash to protect it from any of the concrete.
Next, you will want to protect your cabinets and floors. I taped plastic drop-cloth under my counter ledge and let it spill down the cabinets and out over the floor 12-18″. This can be a very messy DIY. I am usually not one to tape and tarp when painting, but I sure glad I did for this project!
TIME FOR CONCRETE MAGIC!
Your prep work is done and you are now ready to transform your countertops! It’s time to start mixing and spreading. Remember, this product dries quickly. So you will want to find and make a mental note of natural breaks in your countertops. Work in one section at a time. And I have a little tip for helping to blend it all together!
Using your pan, 6″ putty knife, a quart jar of clean water, and the Henry’s Feather Finish, you will mix your first batch of micro-cement. There is a recommended ratio, but I worked best by feel. I mixed the FF and water until I got a yogurt-like consistency. Be sure to mix it very well so there are no lumps.
SIDE NOTE:
Because I was working over grout lines my first layer was filling the grout lines with micro-cement. I worked the mixture over the grout lines and then pulled the excess off, not worrying about covering the tiles just yet.
SHOULD’A, COULD’A, WOULD’A TIP:
If I were to do this part over I would try using Bondo to fill my grout lines, then sanded them level, and then proceeded with the micro-cement. I have a smooth countertop, but there is a shadow of my grout lines still. I could probably do a couple more layers of the FF and cover them up if I want to.
Then, using your 6″ putty knife begin working the cement along the back edge and sides of your countertops. Be generous here, because you will PULL the cement across the countertop, creating a smooth coverage. Work your knife at a 45 degree angle with gentle pressure. Too much and you will scrape it off, too little and it will ball up and scuff the top, creating markings.
You may have mixed too little or too much for your first section. That is okay! Use your best judgement to proceed. You will need to either mix more and keep working on this section, or stop here before moving on.
ANOTHER TIP:
I found using a tile sponge after the cement had set, but not dried, allowed me to smooth the surface without leaving trowel lines. The trick is to have the sponge damp, not wet, and the concrete to be set, but not wet. Then there is just enough moisture between the two to buff out any bumps or ridges. Don’t overwork it though! Remember, you will be sanding once it dries, so you can “erase” other high or bumpy spots.
HURRY UP AND WAIT
Continue working through your sections until all your countertops are covered.
But Casey, what about the side edges?!
These took some trial and error for me until I found what I liked best. And I liked using my hands. Donning some nitrile gloves I just got my hand in there, scooped up the cement, and worked it over the side of the countertops. As long as your mixture isn’t too wet, you will have not problem with it dripping. Then, just like on the surface of the countertops, once it set a little I ran the damp sponge over the edges to smooth out the bumps and ridges.
Now that you have it all covered you need to let it dry. Dry time will depend on the variables of your home: temperature, humidity, thickness, etc. I gave each layer 20-24 hours of dry time between coats, just to be safe.
Then, sand the countertops using a sanding sponge, sandpaper, or an orbital sander. Just be careful to not over sand and take the concrete off down to your original counters. You are just trying to smooth things out before your next layer.
“BUILD ME UP BUTTERCUP”
How many layers? This depends on you, your process, and your timeline. I was on a deadline and had to keep things moving. If I had known about the grout line shadows I would have done 1-2 more layers. But I ended up doing 2 and half coats, not counting my first grout filler layer. The half coat was spot treating some thin areas.
SEAL IT UP!
Okay, here is another thing that I feel like the research lied to me about. Or maybe I missed something along the way. I used a 511 Impregnator Sealer, and it does a good job. BUT, we use our kitchen all day, every day. And either I need to account for the learning curve of going from virtually indestructible tile to porous cement when it comes to cleaning, or we are going to have to come back with a film-forming sealer that will create a barrier on the cement to protect from oil and stains better.
One kid got mayonnaise on the counter and left oil spots, another with some noodles that escaped his bowl, and sweet hubs added some polkadots one morning as he fried up some sausage for his breakfast. So, our counters got that lived-in look very quickly. I’m not even mad about it, though! Do you know why? Because I no longer have tile or grout on my countertops!!!!
So, when you go to choose a sealer, do some thorough research to make sure that what you choose will serve you and your countertops for your situation. I think I am going to do one more coat of the impregnator. Then, we may end up doing an acrylic or epoxy over the countertops. I am nervous about it yellowing though, so if you have any ideas I would love to hear them. Oh, and I have seen concrete wax as well. Maybe that is an option.
Sorry I didn’t have more process photos. I was flying solo on this project, and like I said, I had to work fast!
A RECAP OF THE DOs and DON’Ts
DO:
watch lots of application videos to see different techniques
spend the time to prep your surface well
research the exact sealer that you want (even call the company and ask questions!)
enjoy the process…ITS FUN!
DON’T
overthink it too much when you are applying the cement
try to shorten the process by applying a thick layer of cement
wait to clean up any drips or dribbles
be lazy about vacuuming up the dust and debris as you work each layer
STILL MORE TO DO
That picture doesn’t look quite finished does it? Because it isn’t. Real life DIY projects take more time than hiring a contractor to do these things. That’s one of the trade-offs to saving money. So what’s next? Open shelves.
Our kitchen used to have upper cabinets, and then we installed these DIY Open Pantry Shelves in our dining nook. Now, we want to move those open shelves here into the kitchen. This will keep going toward the cottage Americana style that I am going for. I also plan to paint the base cabinets, change the hinges, and the knobs.pulls.
And, maybe someday I will paint the tile floor. I am really vibing a taupe/cream checkerboard pattern. Don’t worry, I will bring you along on all the phases of our kitchen transformation.
In the mean time, tell me, how did your concrete countertop experience go? Or are you planning to do it?
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