How to Gloss a Concrete Countertop

Whether you want a just-buffed matte look or a high gloss shine, all put concrete kitchen counters gain from an extensive sprucing up before they're put to use. With an electric damp concrete polisher and also a collection of coarse- to fine-grit diamond brightening pads, coupled with a healthy dosage of patience as well as elbow oil, you'll have the ability to achieve a beautiful surface on your kitchen counter. Not just will polishing get rid of bumps as well as rough sides, yet it can expose some of the appealing accumulations within the concrete mix, leading to an unique piece. [1]


Part
1
Cleansing and Covering Holes
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Protect your work space with decrease fabrics as well as plastic. Wet brightening concrete can be an incredibly untidy procedure. Cover your floors with decrease towels to stop sprinkles and also stains. Consider covering your walls with plastic also. [2]
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Load tiny openings in the concrete with a patching mix. If your concrete kitchen counter has any small openings or minor defects, you can fill out the openings with homemade or store-bought patching combination prior to beginning the polishing procedure. [3] Picture titled Polish a Concrete Countertop Step 3
3
Enable the concrete to completely treat for at least 10 days prior to polishing. Don't try to polish your kitchen counter till the concrete and any type of succeeding patches are completely cured. For finest outcomes, the concrete needs to have been cured for no fewer than 10 days as well as no more than one month. [4] Picture titled Polish a Concrete Countertop Action 4
4
Clean off the concrete surface area with water as well as a squeegee. Put water over the leading as well as sides of the fully-cured concrete countertop. Then run a squeegee over the entire item to get rid of any type of particles from the surface area of the concrete. [5] Any type of remaining particles might dig into the concrete as well as leave deep scratches once you start polishing it, so ensure to get rid of all deposit during this procedure.

Component
2
Honing the Surface with a Coarse Grit Pad
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Put on an apron, safety and security goggles, as well as earplugs prior to functioning. Shield your clothing from the mess of concrete slurry with an apron or one-piece suit. Your eyes should be covered with safety and security goggles, and you can use earplugs or building and construction earmuffs to safeguard your ears from the harsh audios of the grinding device. [6] Be sure any kind of loosened apron ties are concealed. Similarly, connect back lengthy hair away from your face and also ensure it will not hang before your shoulders.
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2
Connect a portable wet concrete brush to a water source. You'll be using a portable damp concrete polisher with variable speed settings and also ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) closed off capacities. 9 concrete grinding wheel making use of may have an integrated water tube, or it may have a receiving tube that you can twist a yard hose onto. Regardless, attach the hose pipe from your water resource to the device safely.
The device needs to launch water regularly as you grind the surface of the concrete. This will look after all the concrete dirt that would typically form without a stream of water stopping it. It also cools the grinding pads which will certainly warm up promptly from the friction.
7 concrete grinding wheel needed to accomplish a smooth surface however will give you more control over your development. [7] Image labelled Polish a Concrete Kitchen Counter Step 7
3
Affix the coarsest grit ruby grinding pad to the brush. You'll be using a suitable set of ruby grinding pads ranging from coarse (concerning 50 grit) to extremely fine (up to 3,000 grit). Many tools as well as grinding pads featured compatible hook-and-loop accessories, making it easy to change from one pad to another. Area the coarsest pad (50 grit) on the polisher as well as connect it safely. [8] Ensure the device and also grinding pads you have actually selected are particularly developed for use on concrete. Stone brushes and also pads intended for use on materials like granite won't stand up to this project.
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4
Hold the device degree and use also pressure to the concrete surface area. Starting with the biggest straight surface area of the counter top, placement the grinding pad touching the concrete as well as start up the tool. Function your means around the surface in fanned or direct strokes at a moderate pace.
The brightening device should not be hung on an angle, and you won't require to lower on it really hard. If you do, you'll trigger it to dig into the surface as well as the concrete will certainly be entrusted to unwanted divots, swirl marks, as well as an irregular finish. [9] Photo entitled Polish a Concrete Counter Top Step 9
5
Buff out bumps to achieve an even surface structure with the first pass. With your 50-grit grinding pad, you'll be able to obtain the whole concrete surface area to the same texture. It will absolutely be rough to the touch, however the important point is that it's also. Discuss the surface as often times as you require to erode any kind of staying lumps in the concrete. [10] You ought to wind up with an absolutely flat surface area.
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6
Attach a protective skirt to the tool and polish the upright surfaces. Clip on a protective skirt around the 50 grit polishing pad to ensure that when you hold the device up and down, the water that's streaming out as well as catching all the concrete dirt doesn't spray throughout the floor as well as ceiling of your work area. As soon as the skirt is attached, brighten the sides as well as corners similarly you brightened the counter top's straight surface area. [11] Whichever grit you're using, complete a full overlook the straight surface as well as vertical surface areas prior to changing out to the next finer grit pad. This will certainly save you time in the long term and also will make certain that the texture corresponds throughout all sides of the kitchen counter.
Part
3
Making Use Of Finer Grits to Develop a Luster
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Switch to the next level grit and look at the entire surface area once more. If you started with a 50-grit pad, tip down to a 100-grit pad, which is designed to rub out the texture developed by the 50-grit pad. Follow the same procedure of applying even pressure and operating at a modest speed till the horizontal and also vertical surface areas have a regular texture.
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Wash as well as squeegee the countertop periodically in between passes. As you polish the concrete, some debris and slurry may be leftover. Wash off every surface as well as press off any kind of bits of debris. Make use of these intermittent stops as an opportunity to examine your creation and see how close you're reaching the wanted surface. [12] Image titled Polish a Concrete Kitchen Counter Step 13
3
Use handheld diamond grinding blocks to polish hard-to-reach locations. Just like the electric concrete brush, you'll start with the coarsest block (around 120 grit) and work your method up to the finest grit (around 1,500 grit). Make certain you obtain any type of hard edges and smooth out the edges running around the border of the countertop. [13] You ought to make use of handheld blocks in the very same sequence of grit degrees as those you used with the electric polishing tool. If you miss any grit degrees you will not achieve the exact same surface. [14] Image labelled Gloss a Concrete Counter Top Action 14
4
Development from the coarse-grit pads to the medium-grit pads. If you have actually already used a 50-grit and also 100-grit pad, you'll use a 200-grit pad for the following pass, complied with by a 400-grit pad. Whatever you do, don't avoid any kind of grit degrees! You'll require to slowly proceed from crude to medium to fine considering that polishing pads are created to smooth out the surface developed by the previous grit.
For instance, a fine 3,000 grit pad won't offer you a nice looking finish if you most recently utilized a 200 grit pad. Stick with the progression and also you'll see lovely results! [15] Image entitled Polish a Concrete Kitchen Counter Step 15
5
Usage medium-fine grits to create a smooth surface area. When you're finished with the 400-grit pad, switch to an 800-grit pad. Repeat the procedure of polishing all surface areas of the counter top. You'll start to see a smooth surface create as you function your means with these medium-fine grit pads. [16] Picture entitled Polish a Concrete Counter Top Action 16
6
Make use of the finest grits to attain a glossy finish. After the 800-grit pad, you can stop with a 1,500-grit pad which will provide a smooth-to-the-touch surface as well as a subtle shine. For an additional shiny surface, finish the last pass with a 3,000 grit pad. [17] Part
4
Dealing with as well as Securing the Concrete
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1
Provide the counter top a last rinse with water. When you have actually achieved the preferred finish, rinse and also squeegee off the counter top one last time. See to it you have not missed out on any kind of areas and also that all surface areas have a smooth and also complete. Permit the concrete to air completely dry entirely.
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2
Treat the concrete with any type of paint or acid spots if desired. You need to apply any kind of paint or acid stain therapies at this stage-- after you have actually polished the concrete as well as given it a final rinse and also completely dry, but prior to you secure it.
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3
Apply 1 layer of concrete sealant to the surface with a dustcloth. Acquisition a penetrative concrete sealant that's developed for countertops as opposed to floorings. It ought to be waterproof, low-odor, and also food-safe. Saturate a clean cloth with the item as well as wipe on 1 total layer of sealer to the concrete. Ensure to layer all nooks, crannies, and corners of the counter top. [18] You can select from the range of gloss levels readily available, from high gloss to a matte surface. [19] Picture labelled Polish a Concrete Counter Top Action 20
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Let the sealant fully cure before appreciating your new counter top. Enable the surface area to completely dry entirely. Relying on the sealing item you've made use of, it might take a couple of days or a few weeks to treat. After that you'll have the ability to utilize and also maintaining your new concrete counter top!
Although securing won't protect against all scratches, places, discolorations, as well as various other problems from accompanying normal usage, it is an important action in stopping the development of germs within your concrete. [20]