How to Make a Hand Pressed Concrete Countertop

Learn to craft a hand pressed concrete countertop using the same methods made popular by the concrete legend Buddy Rhodes. This approach to concrete countertop making requires a craftsman’s hand and a potters eye to produce fantastically variegated finishes.  Dry-mixing and pressing Surecrete fiber-reinforced products into a form, while creating voids which later receive contrasting slurry, is a fun way to make light-weight countertops with unlimited color options and finished aesthetics.

One: Mixing

Mix Surecrete’s Face Mix and Packing Additive to create a stiff mix that can be pressed into the mold. The mix should crumble in your hands.

Two: Press Method

Press approximately 3/8″ layer of crumbled mix onto the bottom and side walls of the countertop mold before placement of the backing mix.

Three: Structural Backer

A 5/8″ layer of backer mix is now placed on top of the pressed face mix. The backer mix provides necessary structure to the fragmented face mix.

Four: Demolding

Roll the casting over onto foam strips before lifting the base off of the countertop to reveal a randomly pitted surface. Ready to slurry?

Five: Slurry

Mix a contrasting-colored slurry with water to a toothpaste consistency. Spread the slurry around the entire surface, pressing it into the larger voids.

Six: Sealing

XS327 Polyurethane Sealer by Surecrete is one of the most exciting new sealers to hit the market in a while and we were excited to try it out.