Countertops made of artificial stone with their hands

Countertops made of stone gives the interior solidity of the kitchen.She is beautiful and practical.At the same time, natural stone is very expensive.A good alternative - an artificial stone.We consider in this article how to make a table top made of artificial stone with their hands.

artificial stone?What it is?

What is a man-made stone?This is such a composite material, which included are:

• fillers;
• mineral pigments;
• polymer resin that binds it all.

The type is determined by the kind of resin and artificial stone.The most commonly used resin:

1. Acrylic.It - sheet artificial stone.it can not withstand very high temperatures - all to 180 degrees C, so using it in the kitchen, you need to take precautions and not to put on the table a very hot dishes.A good place for it - private.
2. Polyester.Artificial stone with a polyester base.Able to withstand temperatures up to 600 degrees C. This material is available as individual components, which is prepared from a liquid suspension.It is applied to the future or countertop, or rather on the basis of particle board or liquid stone is poured into the mold.

Advantages of artificial stone

Artificial stone is not the last place among the finishing materials.Of the merits of may be called:

• relatively low price;
• high mechanical strength;
• moisture.Due to this, no stains from coffee and tea on the surface is not fixed;
• absence of pores;
• easy care;
• resistance to high temperatures;
• variety of design solutions;
• environmentally friendly;
• opportunity to take any form;
• no background radiation;
• in acrylic artificial stone color palette contains up to 100 colors.In liquid - up to 120.

Manufacturing countertops made of artificial stone

If you are familiar with joinery firsthand, the worktop made of artificial stone, you can make yourself.To get started, you need to equip a small workshop, and in addition, to get:

• sheet of artificial stone.The sheets, which will offer you in the store typically have dimensions 3,66h0,76 m and a thickness of 12.0 mm.There are also very thin sheets - from 3 to 6 mm;
• substrate in the form of waterproof plywood 30 mm thick.Sometimes use fiberboard or particleboard, but it's not a very good solution - swelling due to moisture, they can destroy the sheet artificial stone;
• two-component adhesive.On average, a single sheet of adhesive is required the artificial stone up to 150 ml, and better in the tube;
• pencil and ruler.

set of necessary tools

Manufacturing countertop requires a long list of tools and equipment, which includes:

• grinder;
• jigsaw;
• disk saws and an end;
• orbital sander;
• drill;
• vacuum cleaner;
• cutter, but keep in mind, not any, but only of excellent quality;
• glue gun;
• router;
• cutter equipped with carbide blades;
• guide bar;
• instruments to perform measurements.

Workflow

When using artificial stone countertops manufacturing technology consists of a series of operations:

1. begins with careful measurements of the place where the countertop will be installed.
2. think through all the subtleties, make up the cutting map or drawing.
3. Cut artificial stone on the necessary elements:

proper countertop.The standard of its dimensions: length - 0.76 m, width - 0,605 m;

• strips for processing ends in height from 3.5 to 3.7 cm;- Near the wall or baseboard skirting with a height of 3-6 cm These dimensions are recommended, and you can choose the other..

1. Using router tortsuem edge contours of the workpiece and cut-outs under the sink and hob.
2. Handle profile, which countertop billet turn over the wrong side facing up and using the router, perform the groove under the lip.its depth -. 0.2 cm
3. Cut the plywood strips width of about 7 cm to form the frame, and if the thickness of the artificial stone plate minimum, ie,3 mm, the carcass is cut continuous, sufficient rigidity not otherwise be provided.

It is important not to forget: edge is set on a clean surface, so spend degrease using alcohol or acetone .

Finalize countertops

Further work on the worktop is sizing edges and frames made of plywood:

• take a tube of a two-component adhesive, equip his mixer, squeezing in a plastic bag, mix, then cut the pack tip and extrude the adhesiveon the edge or on the 2 mm groove;
• worktop with the edge clamp squeezes.As the glue dries very quickly, we do everything quickly;
• after curing adhesive cleans speaking chisel;
• around the perimeter of the workpiece sticking silicone adhesive strips cut from plywood, forming a frame on the edge of the lagging by 0.2 cm;
• worktop if an L-shape, the place where the two elements are joined, glued plywood strip also as a stiffener;
• stifle construction in the clamp and leave for 7 hours;
• silicone residues are removed with a chisel;
• at the site where a plywood frame behind the edge of 2 mm, yet we put silicone and leveled up as long as the scope and level of silicone do not match.To align the cutter used with the lower bearing;
• grind plywood using sander;
• placing the countertop face up, rounded edge, using the router;
• places where there are cutouts for cooktop and sink on the back side are strengthening by sticking the second layer of artificial stone;
• grind the surface of the artificial stone to semi-matt;
• left to do rounding the wall rim and countertop can be installed.

described embodiment, the manufacture of simple rectangular table tops.When the L-shaped artificial stone countertops, ends the processing technology is a bit different: the ends are milled mirror.

Mirror milling ends

Tabletop L-shaped and has two elements joined them in a straight line.To perform a docking both elements need to be milled at the same time.This is called the mirror milling.Running it in order to make the most inconspicuous seam adjacent parts.

whole process of manufacture of artificial stone countertops sheet shown in this video material:

worktop liquid stone with their hands

Liquid stone in the interior looks very elegant.If you can not allocate enough funds for the purchase of the formulation and the liquid stone, try to do it all by hand.

Liquid Stone produce themselves

To do this supply of components for liquid stone:

• clay;
• fiberglass;
• pasta of different colors;
• chemical resin;
• filler;
• hardener;
• acetone;
• kaltsinita;
• transparent epoxy gelcoat;
• hot melt adhesive;
• need more sheets of wood and voloknistostruzhechnye.

Mixing all the ingredients, we obtain liquid stone.Now we have to decide which of the 2 options will produce the countertop.

Option №1 - direct way

This method is fast and not very time-consuming:

• after all the necessary measurements, cut out of the fiberboard or particleboard;
• preparing the mixture, which will be sprayed, which take 60% of the gel coat, 40% filler, 1% hardener;
• with a pistol, the liquid is sprayed onto the stone blank.The layer thickness of approximately 0.2 cm;
• dried product, and then grind.

Option №2 - inverse method

For this method takes more time, but winning at the expense of less consumption of materials:

• workpiece do 2 pcs.MDF, while compared with the finished worktop, they are 5 mm larger in the entire contour;
• glue blanks, and cut draws the hole under the sink, and laid them on the table;
• cut out strips of particle board or plywood, and with hot melt glue, fasten the contour of the workpiece, which in this case serves as a template for the matrix, setting them on edge;
• take out the workpiece and cut the 5-mm allowance;
• note the location where it will sink;
• take clay and gloss over the gap between the sink and the table;
• place where you plan to edge worktops are also coated with clay, and then give the desired shape by using a special template;
• process the matrix inside the separation wax or other release agent and wait for 15 minutes until it is absorbed;
• over all surfaces of the matrix liquid is sprayed stone;
• after 0.5 hours the composition hardens and we place fiberglass, whose purpose - to increase strength;
• potting soil was the turn, which includes a resin accelerator (6% of its mass), 1.5% of the resin colored pigment, 80% calcite, 1% by total weight of the hardener solution;
• blank countertops put in a mold and press down evenly on top, remove excess soil and air;
• we maintain 1.5 hours.During this time the ground freezes and the load is removed;
• we put on the table one more layer of soil;
• frezeruem edge;
• workpiece.

Note: per 1 sq.m countertop requires 8 kg of soil, of which about 5 kg is consumed at the 1st stage and about 3 - on the second.Mixtures of liquid stone to this area will take approximately 3,5-5,5 kg .

Here is another method for manufacturing the artificial stone countertops, and very liquid stone obtained from the available materials.

Produce form

from us made form depends outline future countertops, so come to the question of responsibility:

• measure countertop installation location, providing the holes for sinks and stoves, if they are there;
• make a strong stand for the foundation.Everything should be solid, because the liquid stone - heavy material;
• as grounds take Kronospan - a sheet of chipboard covered with plastic film.By the simple chipboard worktop stick and can not be removed;
• fasten the strap to the base, both longitudinal and transverse size of future countertops;
• obtained in the form of a paste form details to be mounted into the countertop: sink, cooking plate;
• in places where there is a tap, faucet or other plumbing, countertop should be thinner, so there is fastened a small wooden blocks;
• promazyvayut corners form a little rounding them.

Cooking mixture

For cheap liquid stone take:

• cement not lower M400 - 1 piece;
• 3 parts sand;
• 1 part water;
• color.

All mix in a suitable container.

Getting manufacturing countertops

To top in liquid stone was solid, keep the following technology:

• at the base form a grid put armirovochnuyu;
• introduce the mixture into a mold, trying to distribute it evenly.At the same time the air removed from the mixture using vibroshlifovalnoy cars, or at least the punch, in case of emergency.This - the first layer;
• armiruem metal wire layer over the first perimeter shape;
• spread the rest of the solution is hosted and let the product dry.Time to dry completely for different mixtures of different and sometimes can last for 3 weeks;
• take out the finished product from the mold;
• grind front side grind the sharp edges;
• well-polished, rub plane countertops, giving it a glossy shine.

Installing countertops

Installing countertops made of artificial stone in the base of the kitchen - it is not so simple, because it has a lot of weight, which means that one can not cope.

Inviting assistants:

• remove the countertop from the desktop, place it in the right place and fasten;
• perform plumbing holes;
• install the sink and hob;
• wipe the finished design.

manufacturers of artificial stone

going to do table top made of artificial stone, you are bound to ask the question - but what kind of a composite material to buy better?Consider the advantages and disadvantages of a material produced by different manufacturers.

MONTELLI and Corian

Manufacturer of DuPont (DuPont) of America.Proceedings under this title shall have the following qualities:

• durable;
• resistant to bacteria contamination;
• uniform;
• color palette - wide;
• seamless bonding;
• price - relatively low.

Acrylic Stone Tristone

manufactured by companies from South Korea LION CHEMTECH.Available in several collections:

• «CLASSIC» - tone monochrome;
• «ROMANTIC" - only natural colors;
• «BAROQUE" - material includes natural and transparent particles;
• «Byzantium" - premium artificial stone, has the effect of 3D.

Hi-Macs

Corporation Launches LG.Stone is composed of:

• 70% natural materials;
• basis of acrylic resin;

composite quality is high, the price is democratic.The sheet thickness of 6 to 12 mm.

Liquid stone companies ColGran (KolGran)

produces liquid polyester stone of excellent quality and has:

• color spectrum includes 150 colors;
• resistant to stains and scratches;
• easy to care for.Clean conventional household means.

Repair countertops made of artificial stone

Despite the excellent performance, it is sometimes necessary to repair countertops made of artificial stone.

Types of possible damage

on Countertops made of artificial stone, in the case of improper use, you may experience the following injuries:

• scratches;
• crack;
• swelling;
• white spots on hot dishes;
• chips.

cracks, scratches and eliminate

If you are tempted by the low price and bought artificial stone from Chinese manufacturers, the crack may appear due to the non-manufacturing techniques.Eliminate the crack so:

• cracks should be cleaned and degreased, slightly expanding it;
• enter into the formed channel adhesive, consisting of two components - the same as used for bonding the edges;