Artificial stone - a beautiful and modern finishing material, not afraid of the impact of aggressive environmental conditions, as well as high temperatures or moisture. That's why artificial stone is often chosen for manufacturing work surfaces in the kitchen or in the bathroom. The tabletop made of artificial stone of simple shape can be easily made by hand, but for works with more complex geometry (if you want to create a worktop with rounded or U-shaped), it is better to turn to professionals, since the risk of spoiling quite expensive material with inept movements .
Making an artificial stone table top with your own hands
In order to independently manufacture a countertop made of artificial stone by our own hands, we will need: directly the artificial acrylic stone of a color and texture suitable for design to the kitchen, an adhesive for working with artificial stone, which can be purchased in specialized shops, plywood or chipboard for the base, countertops to the kitchen set, screws.
To join the joints, if they are on the countertop, you will need some moisture-proofing agent: liquid nails, PVA glue, silicone or acrylic glue. From tools it is necessary to get a router, a jig saw, a screwdriver, a chisel, clamps.
- A beginner in dealing with an artificial stone will most easily work when there is a visual pattern of what is planned to be done before your eyes. Therefore, when designing a countertop design, do not limit yourself to a reduced drawing on paper, but rather cut out the blank from the paper or several sheets of cardboard in full size, mark all the holes and dimensions.
- Transfer all significant parts of the template to the surface of the artificial stone (marking with a pencil, adding 5 mm on each side for further processing) and using the cutter, carefully cut the material into pieces. The corners of the countertop must be carefully processed so that they are not sharp.
- The top part of the table top is ready, it is necessary to make a base for which it will be attached to the base of the kitchen set. To do this, the template data is transferred to the plywood and cut it. At the same time, from the front side of the countertop, which will be located above the cabinets' facades, it is necessary to retreat approximately 3-5 cm so that the plywood does not interfere with opening and does not catch sight.
- Using a special glue for artificial stone, we join the plywood and the upper part of the table top. We thoroughly cover all areas of surfaces with an adhesive compound, and then pull together the clamps with an interval of about 10 cm. Leave the workpiece to dry for at least 8 hours, and if the work is done in a cold room, then for a longer period.
Mounting countertops of artificial stone with their own hands
The finished countertop must be fixed on the basis of the future kitchen set.
- To do this, the table top is well lubricated in places with liquid nails and carefully transferred to the substrate. You should also wait for the composition to dry out.
- You can additionally strengthen the table top with corners and screws, but with this work it is necessary to be extremely careful not to drill the acrylic stone through, thus spoiling the surface of the countertop.
- If the table top consists of several parts, the sides adjoining to each other should be cleaned, and then carefully treated with sealing means, which will prevent the moisture from flowing into the seams between the parts. Also, seal the joints between the sink and the countertop and between the hob and the top, if any.
