Using a cement board as a countertop

by LWellborn

Answered

Can you use a cement board (I.e. Hardie board, Duroc) on top of the original countertop and seal it to get a "cement" countertop? If so, will it be heat resistant?

8 answers

Gwp9042457 on Aug 28, 2016
No

Helpful Reply
Darla on Aug 29, 2016
It would be rough, not really suitable for a counter top. You might be able to skim coat and seal it though, and you would have to find a way to finish the edges.

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Anna on Aug 29, 2016
Cement is closer to drywall than it is to concrete. It has paper, top and bottom, like drywall so it would not be suitable for your purpose.

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LWellborn on Sep 02, 2016
Decided not to try it.

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John Biermacher on Jan 13, 2018

I used it years ago on a service counter and will check in with the client to see how it is holding up. I am considering using it for an industrial dining table for our covered deck. I will keep you posted.

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- John Biermacher on Mar 04, 2018
  
  I checked with the client and she said it has held up well And still looks good. I am going to use it again on another bar and then an industrial dining table. Can't remember what I sealed it with but suspect it was many coats of acrylic Varnish.
  
  1 marked as helpful
William on Jan 13, 2018

NO! It's made to be used as a substrate under a finish surface. Even a skim coat would be too thin for a countertop. It would just flake off over time.

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John Biermacher on May 21, 2018

I got around to doing the bars ( https://www.hometalk.com/diy/build/furniture/one-shipping-crate-equals-two-home-bars-35268069?r=2). The discussion will reveal some pluses and minuses, but for the most part I am quite happy. The one I sealed with acrylic varnish became blotchy and then had to be painted to look like concrete and then sealed with oil based polyurethane. The second one just has multiple coats of the urethane and looks like light colored concrete. Consequently it is only as heat resistant As the polyurethane.

5/8/2019. Please see my recent reply to Peter- I ended up replacing the cement board with reclaimed lumber, primarily for aesthetics.

One Shipping Crate Equals Two Home Bars.

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- See 2 previous
- John Biermacher on May 21, 2018
  
  i still plan to do a dining table and instead of wrapping the edge with wood, i am going to cover with copper leaf and varnish.
  
  Helpful
- Peter Robinson on May 06, 2019
  
  Thank you, Mr. Biermacher, for your comments here.
  
  I live in the Dominican Republic in a rented house. After seeing how the termites ate all the backs out of the kitchen cabinets, I want to build a house with no wood products.
  
  I was impressed with this countertop:
  
  https://youtu.be/cMtclPIMFUg
  
  They started with a piece of 3/4" MDF board before painting and applying epoxy. I'm wondering if I could substitute cement board for the MDF.
  
  TIA, Peter
  
  { "id": "5450351", "alt": "", "title": "", "video_link": "https://www.youtube.com/embed/cMtclPIMFUg", "youtube_video_id": "cMtclPIMFUg" }
  
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  Helpful
- John Biermacher on May 08, 2019
  
  Peter,
  i just wanted to let you know that I replaced the cement board with reclaimed lumber and then they sold. I think it was an aesthetics, not functionality. One I did with acrylic varnish- it was quite blotchy and I over sprayed it with some gray, silver, and black spray paint. It looked uniform and had the color of concrete, but didn’t really look like concrete.
  
  the other I sealed with oil base polyurethane and it really took on an amber hue- kind of an old Formica look.
  
  From a durability point of view, I don’t see why you couldn’t coat it with epoxy. I simply don’t know what it will look like.
  
  Best wishes.
  
  John
  
  1 marked as helpful
Peter Robinson on May 09, 2019

Thanks, John, for your quick reply!

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