DIY Concrete Countertop Overlay!

Here it is! The post on our Cement Countertop Overlay project. It's been about five months, so I can tell you the good, the great and the really annoying stuff about it!
Would I do these again? Absolutely! Would I do it if I had a lot of money to spend on countertops? No! These countertops could cost you around $50 to $90 dollars. They are a pretty easy DIY (messy, but easy) and they look awesome! However.....they are not very durable!
Here's a good before and after. I love the way they look! I took this picture around a month ago. We've had these finished for approx. 5 months. As you can see, they still look really good. Even close up, they aren't too bad.
....but, they do get marked, stained and scratched EASILY! This is a coffee cup ring. I think the cup was sticky, someone pulled up on it, taking the sealer off, and without the sealer a mark formed. It actually doesn't look even close to this bad in person, but still, it's annoyoing!
I read through as many tutorials as I could find for using the Ardex Feather Finish Cement Overlay, and I stuck to completing every detail on the countertops, but I totally skipped steps on my desk top. It ended up not even mattering! I also sealed the desk with Polyurathane and not the food safe sealer and had MUCH better durablilty results!
A full tutorial and all of my thoughts and tips are in my blog post. If you are considering trying a cement overlay I would highly recommend it, but read through my post for my of my durability tips!
Creatively Living
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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3 of 17 questions
  • Alenardson Alenardson on May 26, 2022

    Is there a link to the step by step?

  • Tan68714170 Tan68714170 on Jul 28, 2022

    Good Morning, where can one find your blog, i would luke to read it step by step before i try it.

  • Jam100268917 Jam100268917 on Mar 11, 2024

    What polyurethane did you use on your desk?

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  • Brenda Brenda on Jul 14, 2018

    stunning redo! Beautiful kitchen. Imperfections and normal wear 'n tear make it that much more beautiful in my opinion.

  • Pamela Pamela on Jan 10, 2021

    Thanks for your post ! Your kitchen redo looks GREAT !!!

    I did a re do in my kitchen about 4 years ago , super happy with my results , and not only got the look I wanted , but saved a ton of money doing it myself !a

    I painted my countertops and they held up well , and are just starting to get some marks in them . I want to hold off on getting 1st one countertops for a little while longer and was interested in trying a concrete layered re do . I thank you for your honesty about how they hold up !!!!! I might just throw another coat of paint over what I have And get stone in another year or so. THANKS AGAIN !!!!!

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