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We got the call to remodel a fireplace, hearth and full wrap mantle. Unique in many ways, this full wrap fireplace mantle would have a pair of arched recessed panels in the center below the crown top sitting above the columns on both sides of the fire box.
No exotic wood species here though, my clients wanted it painted white. So we built her out of 3/4″ MDF [multi-density-fiberboard] with some various El & El moldings to create something extraordinary!
Any above average painter can fau out this resin flex molding too, so even all the real wood lovers can enjoy a radius molding appearance without the extra shop tools and mind bending , wood bending tasks. Whatever the type of molding you are using, IE., baseboards, casings or even a 5 1/2″ crown molding , then the flex mold can bend – curve or wrap around to meet up with any other common or custom molding your using.
MDF full wrap mantle with Flex Moulding
Underneath the arch , a piece of flat stock was implemented to return and butt into the face of the travertine stone that was used on the wall and hearth areas of this fire place.
This resin pour custom flex mold is highly pliable and very much paintable or stained. Acts like wood when cutting – nailing – sanding or glueing , for any DIY ‘er thats ready to make a difference!My-diy.net
Flexible flat stock to aide in the return
Why call the guy? When YOU can DIY!!
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 left 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 countertop 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
- Tupperware or similar sandwich containers to make concrete samples
- concrete mixer- concrete vibrating tool (can be rented)- dusts masks
- eye protection- ear protection
That’s why it’s a good idea to make sample pours first so that you can get an idea what you’re working with and how small variations in the concrete mix can make a difference.
Many people start with a premixed concrete countertop mix. They are specially formulated to be flowable and high strength with plasticizer that makes it flow well even at a low water / cement ratio.
A low water / cement ratio is important for a good result that resists cracking. The Quikrete mix has high enough flow that the need for mechanical vibration is minimized, and it’s made for minimal shrinkage.
Alternately, you could start with regular bagged concrete mix that is rated for a hardness of 5,000 psi or greater, available @ Home Depot or most of your home improvement centers.
Here is a counter top mix you can make “from scratch” that’s enough to make a small test block and that can be scaled up by weight.
You can use a kitchen or postal scale to weigh out the sample measurements. It is recommended that you use white sand and white cement to maximize your color options:
Product / Weight in Grams
Portland Cement 210g
Sand 625g
Nycon G nylon fiber 1g
Metakaolin 30g
Fritz-Pak FR1 Water Reducer 5g
Water 80-90g
If you’re using Quickrete Countertop Mix or Sackrete 5000, or some other pre-mixed countertop mix, start with about 875 grams of dry mix and about 85 grams of water to make a sample.
Whether you’re using a bag concrete mix or my “scratch” concrete countertop recipe, use the smallest amount of water necessary to craft a mix that you can work with.
Of course, you can only estimate how it’s going to look once it’s cured, but again, you have to start somewhere.
Write down how many grams of colorant you use in every batch so you’ll have a basis for guessing how much more or less you need in subsequent samples and so you’ll also know about how much you’ll need for the final product once you get the color you want.
If you want a darker concrete countertop – all the way to a dark charcoal gray – start with Home Depot’s Quickrete Countertop Mix, which is darker than the scratch recipe above, and add charcoal colorant.
Start with one bottle per bag of concrete countertop mix when mixing the final countertop.
Of course you can still experiment with the colorant in your sample slabs.
After you’ve poured your sample, allowed it to set and removed it, ask yourself what’s right and what’s wrong about it. Color will likely be the thing that determines what you should try next.
In fact, you should keep all of your samples so you can try out your concrete polishing and sealing techniques on them. Once you have your sample smoothed to the finish you want, you can seal it, according to the directions or you can seal it with beeswax (which may not be the best at standing up to what the average kitchen countertop endures) or even pure tung oil (like what is used on wood). It depends on the final look you want.
Before installing kitchen cabinets you must devise a plan. Simple or not the execution of your kitchens new remodel needs a plan of attack to make and use the most of your options as well as the choices and particular design. On a blank sheet of paper draft, draw or just jot down the dimensions of the kitchen IE 16′ x 14′.5″ with the individual wall lengths as well as the ceiling height’s.
The more measurements you use the better, IE center of kitchen sink and center of any electrical outlets for example. If the left side wall has a door in it then by all means get it on paper. Any island in there? Is there a drop ceiling with lighting causing a loss of an extra 1 foot of height? May this can be updated and removed for more storage. Once this has been completed the major home improvement centers have people in store that can put you in the system and design your dream kitchen with those dimensions. It may take a few minutes but you’ll know much more about what it is you hope to get done, and they have lots of models and different designs to compare with for your ultimate decision. A first step in the right DIY kitchen cabinet venture!
PS: Don’t forget to ask about any blems or damaged goods, they do not want to throw these away and you may easily see how they will work for you just fine!!
Every single day, night we have something to discard, as humans we live and consume as we breathe. During a DIY kitchen redo why not configure a place for that kitchen trash can. With a bit of design effort it’s a cinch on how to install kitchen cabinets with a pullout waste basket as opposed to the classic under the sink approach. That lower profiled area down there can’t really accept to much before needing to be emptied again. But the all new and improved habit changing technology lets us rethink the fine art of disposal habits, plus being concealed helps with the artistry of decor for your kitchen. With the double waste bins we get a recycle can also. Open the door, undo the plastic bag insert, lift and off to the curb. The other new bags right there beneath the full bag every time. We love this stuff, really!
How installing kitchen cabinets with a 5/8″ ACX subtop. The subtop is the plywood surface that’s fastened to the top of the cabinet(s), so you can lay the counter top over and adhere to it. Most would say why not 3/4″ plywood. Because most fabricated counter top have a 3/4″ return bullnosed front edge. With a 5/8″ subtop, the front edge of the counter top IE marble/ granite/ some of your corian or cultured counter tops are fabricated for a 3/4″ return that’s not going to hide the front edge of the plywood.
Many installers want this plywood subtop to be primer sealed before install and some of the better fabricators will seal the underside of the counter as well. Some glues used are not recommended because the porosity of the stone’s suck’s up and into the material and stain’s or even eats away and corrodes it. Ask the supplier for any recommended adhesives before hand.
This will be a layout and cut, how to install kitchen cabinets with a full back panel. Some of the best installers on the job site iv’e witnessed, use a electrical remodel box before the installing of the kitchen cabinet. The wires are in place and the outlet has to come into the back of the sink cab for the disposer.
Because there is little to no play with outlet layout and the finish back ends up away from the face of the finish wall, ultimate perfection is executed in this manner. The outlet box can be pre-cut with a jigsaw and the retro remodel box installed while the cabinet slides in and gets plumbed and leveled, pretty much all at the same time. The most important fact here is to be sure any unsheathed wire is pulled and remains inside the outlet box.
When installing kitchen cabinets, general rule of thumb for most cabinets when they end at a wall. A small piece of molding is attach to the vertical side of the box at the wall. This enables the cabinet a finished appearance when the surface it butts against is not just right. Any out of plumb existing condition can be hidden for the sole purpose of eliminating extra work. Custom cabinet builders and installers run the wild side (side that ends at another surface besides it’s own group of cabinets) a little long, if they need to cut or scribe this side to make up the faults in the existing conditions.
Typically these are a simple 3/4″ x 1/8″ molding that can be forced into the wall, tight and take up the small imperfect gap that will show otherwise. When your order goes in, generally it will be shipped with the molding, in the same wood species as well as finish to optimize appearance.
Any DIY minded person can learn how to install kitchen cabinets, or just about any cabinet for that matter. When a box has been assembled square, IE equal sides and equal widths top and bottom. The one last conclusive but sometimes elusive quirk to the cube being set is the front or face.
Recap: Has the top from left to right, is level, and unless the kitchen cabinet has been built uneven or out of square this will mean with 100% certainty that both sides will be exactly plumb.
Now when that’s golden, your challenge is to pull the top face away from the wall because the face is out of plumb. But with it sitting on top of the finish floor, the reality is for the face to come forward the bottom front has to go lower. This may sound like hooey but im not hooing you by any means, just the fact’s here folks….
When installing kitchen cabinets that are butted together, depending on the style and or type, look for the obvious line up points. IE faces match or top of cabinets line up to be flush at the top. Set the largest box first, plumb and level. Or the middle cabinet to have access for clamping before screw setting.
A layout line can be made and a ledger board (1×2 piece of mat.) to hold your cabinet in place, so you can fasten to the wall to get started and follow with adjoining other cabinets. NOTE: some may not line up because the door will flush up the face as the image on left illustrates. Typically no glue is required here but some appropriate colored caulking may be used.
How to install kitchen cabinet doors, redoing the look with new doors. Several company’s offer custom cabinet orders, DIYers have access to sources of custom milled cabinet accessories, such as custom ordered doors in just about any wood species and style’s imaginable. To give a fresh new appearance to a kitchen at less than a fraction of a full blown redo.
Many give the added option of choices for prefinished staining.
Doors components vary to the point of raised bead board pine to a flat cherry slab with a detailed ogee edge. However you may choose the specifications of sizes will mostly depend upon your overlap coverage and what type of hardware being used. But in the end a venture well worth the research to make a decision to how the budget will be set.