Solving Problems with Concrete Countertops Repair |
Posted: February 15, 2018 |
It’s been a long time that concrete has become the material that is used for standard construction works. Currently, concrete is used not only for building constructing, but also for decorating, furniture, making statues and other elements of design. Fillers of all kinds allow achieving necessary mechanical and aesthetic characteristics of this material. To make concrete countertop mix one will need:
Gravel and marble-granite chippings can also be a large filler. A good advice: for the look of the product to be effective, concrete countertop mix can be added with crushed glass, which is previously burnt. Its edges must be alloyed and not to have sharp edges. It’s better to use multicolored crushed glass; thank to this on the concrete countertops surface there appears a beautiful pattern. Also concrete countertop mix is added with colorings and all possible kinds of colors. If mix these fillers into concrete countertop mix while pouring concrete in form and distribute them, then concrete countertops will have a unique pattern. This is the simplest way to show creativity and create one-of-a-kind and extremely beautiful ornaments and color solutions. To form DIY concrete countertop, it is necessary to have a firm base, and preferably, a glossy surface. For this purpose either plywood or laminated particleboard is used. Material used as a basing should have characteristics of humidity resistance. But we won’t go in all details of building countertops. Let’s focus on mistakes that can lead to defects of countertops made of concrete countertop mix. Concrete is very popular nowadays for private and commercial interiors. Concrete is widely used, starting from walls and floors finishing, and to making functional sinks and other big elements like stairs, outside concrete furniture and etc. Building and exploitation of countertops, sinks and other furniture has its peculiarities. In both cases the mistakes are possible and they may lead to appearing of defects, which will show themselves during service period. Surface defects can undergo restoration, but structural damages are very difficult to be improved. For restoration of concrete countertops much time is necessary – for instance, to restore concrete countertops with deleting spots and renewing of protective coating one may need from three to seven days. To save time and money, it’s better to use services of experienced professionals. To find more information and see more pictures of concrete countertops made of concrete countertop mix, visit Concrete Countertop Solutions website. So, let’s make some analysis of the typical mistakes in the example of repair of DIY concrete countertop.
Spots Stains on sinks and countertops made of concrete countertop mix, shower basins, and etc. appear when protective coating was incorrectly selected. Concrete absorbs liquid, and without proper protection colorants and household chemicals (coffee, juices, red wine, vinegar, ketchup, etc.) will leave spots on the surface of concrete countertops. It is necessary to use special means for concrete or stone, which can resist influence of contaminants. In addition, protective coating must meet average operating conditions. Therefore, for example, for kitchen concrete countertops - lacquers and impregnations should be water-based; they should not emit harmful substances and have possibility to come in contact with food. It should be remembered that none of means gives 100% protection against aggressive liquids and the condition of your product directly depends on the conditions of its exploitation. Fortunately, with a shallow penetration of colorants and chemicals, spots can be removed from the surface with just concrete grinding. Scratches and chips The appearance of scratches is a natural process of wear and tear of the product. The intensity depends on mechanical strength of the protective coating and the strength of the concrete itself. If the quality of concrete countertop mix is low, the mechanical impact of sharp and hard objects will leave scratches on the surface of concrete countertops. For the restoration of deep scratches a special mixture is used to fill pores and scratches, which is grounded after hardening. If only the lacquer varnish is damaged, it is much easier to restore it by removing the old one and applying a new coating. Cracks Cracks in products made of concrete countertop mix appear when the composition of mixture is incorrectly selected or when the product is improperly reinforced. These defects are structural and will develop later. In building structures concrete, basically, works on compression. Concrete products for interior, having a complex shape, dimensional, thin-walled require proper reinforcement to increase the strength of bending and tearing. If the chosen method of reinforcement and improper installation of reinforcement is made, concrete will start to crack with time. In most cases, it is impossible to stop development of structural cracks, with time they appear again. If a crack in the concrete countertops do not develop after appearance - it can be restored with the help of special adhesives. Segregation and spalling of concrete This defect may be due to improperly selected composition of the concrete countertop mix and mistakes made at the time of manufacturing the countertops. The development of compounding formulas, regimes and conditions, the sequence of technological chain - all these issues should be tested by experience and worked out. The occurrence of such defects indicates on mistakes in the process and affects decorative and functional properties of the product. None of the repair both of the flat or a house can go without creation of living environment of the kitchen. To replace plumbing equipment, to apply new wallpapers, to make a new subfloor – this is a part of the trouble. The other part is replacement or repair of the concrete countertops for kitchen unit. Or replacement of the concrete countertop. But is it really necessary? May be just a small repair of scratches and chips is all you need to do without wasting money for buying a new kitchen equipment.
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