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This approach to creating counter space is growing daily and will give identical appearance as some of the other more expensive counter top options. Using concrete on top of cabinetry or even a pass through shelve, can certainly change the look in any room or office. Outside of the concrete color or veining techniques, the mixing and pouring is essentially identical.
Here in this concrete counter form image with reinforced steel or rebar, 
we have used 4″ lag screws to anchor the #3 rebar, staggered every 24″O.C. The counter or shelve here is formed to 2″ in depth and 12″ wide with the length being 10′ long between the two end points of the adjacent walls. Because it sits atop a 2×4 framed wall, it will cantilever 2″ to the kitchen area and roughly 6″ pass the other side of the same wall into the living room.
The image to the right here shows the importance of protecting the wood framing beneath with flashing paper to act as a moisture barrier and future dry-rotting adherent. The small spacers under our #3 rebar allows the new aggregate pour to completely surround the reinforcement steel for optimum strength.
- plywood or melamine, plus screws to build the mold
- bagged counter-top mix (or “scratch” mix below)
- dyes or pigment if you’re coloring your counter-top
- grinder / polisher with water feed (can be rented)
- diamond polishing discs of various grit
- concrete mixer- concrete vibrating tool (can be rented)- dusts masks
…… Now DIY your own Concrete Counter-Top over almost any applicable surface!
How to waterproof a masonry blockwall , with a stucco finish painted, often the paint appears to create bubble pockets and destroy the visual surface. Retaining walls in yards have garden beds that require weekly watering and irrigation, but even when french drain systems are implemented, the concrete masonry block wall soak’s up and absorbs the moisture. As the moisture filters through the wall it is slowly breaking down causing water damage and destroying the integrity of the structural block wall. 
Xypex crystaline Concentrate is designed to work as long as the is intact, we have used this process on either the positive or the negative side of painted block wall surfaces. For repairs of existing finishes, all the painted finish coat must get removed. Small jack hammer or pneumatic chisel, the paint and the finish float coat, as well as the brown coat gets demoed off. Any cracks or deteriorated openings need to be treaty and filled prior to the Xypex application. Hairline cracks won’t be affected, but any 1/8″ or larger cannot allow the Xypex formula to perform it’s magic.
Once the demolition process is complete, a slurry mix of Xypex concentrate can be sprayed or brushed on, the thicker the better. After curing is complete a finish stucco can be reapplied to desired appearance. If being painted again, the paint has to be breathable and not an elastomeric sealer or the like. Be sure to consult your local codes and read all instructions pertaining to products used.
The best is here and now, we use Xypex to waterproof from the positive or negative sides of block walls that have been painted and their products work like nothing else on the market. Read further that even the President agrees with this newer waterproofing method, who knows how much he may know about building and construction methods? But we know here at My-diy that its works, over and over ……….
Remarks by President Obama concerning:
“NEW CONCRETE MATERIALS THAT LAST LONGER AND ARE WATERPROOFED FROM THE INSIDE OUT...”
At a press conference on July 2nd, 2009 in the Rose Garden of The White House, President Obama, after meeting with CEOs from a number of “innovative energy companies”, spoke about a new clean energy economy and the importance of encouraging these companies’ efforts.
Based on his discussions with these CEOs, President Obama cited energy saving examples such as LED lighting and solar energy innovation. Most importantly, from our point of view, he also included comments about new concrete materials:
“New concrete materials that last longer and are waterproofed from the inside out, and that can mean that bridges and roads and buildings can last 20 or 30 years longer than using conventional concrete.”
His comment indeed represents support for integral concrete waterproofing as an alternative to traditional membrane or barrier systems, a challenge and opportunity that has been the very basis of the concept, design and development of Xypex crystalline technology. Xypex has, without doubt, led the way with integral concrete waterproofing in North America and, although The President did not endorse any particular product, we are very pleased that he is so clearly drawing attention to our type of technology and innovation.
D’Arcy Mainwaring
President
Here is a stucco no, no! In this photo, the simple project of combining a stair stepped yard border line, the walkway below the cedar 1×6 dog eared fence is poured in place and has the treated 4×4 fence post’s set during that concrete placement.
The public sidewalk was poured on the graded slope so 2 elevations are the challenge. Stucco exterior finish was the call at all the concrete below the fencing, the proper approach would have avoided this problem, cement materials cannot adhere to wood for any length of time, but the answer is adding some stucco lathe screen or wire fastened to the post to allow the stucco brown coat some tooth to grab and hang onto for life!
This property is located in Redondo Beach CA, where the homes median price range is over $700 k, and 10 years ago even in this current market the ROI has more than doubled. Location, location, location kids, but the name of the game is real estate anywhere has proven to beat any stock market over time…
Having been in this vocation for an awful long time, working mainly on high end real estate, estates on the southern coast of California, where quality and service is mandatory, the market is always changing. In this cyclical environment, the home improvement industries have to reinvent themselves to catch a lucky break. But some companies will survive without needin any such luck, by offering the best in there fields.
Stucco means little to most of us, but the artisans that use and perform exterior plastering on perhaps just about any type of dwelling, know the difference between La Habra products or Mission stucco produce many colors, lines and textures. Cal Dorado though has the purest smooth coating product out, that we have found. With there 30/60 ratio, the higher the numbers the finer the sand for a super smooth easy application over your walls brown coat. An 1/8″ covering of any color you can dream of. Cal Dorado is one product stucco line that we here champion for, the new rich in the world of quality built real estate homes.
