Hi, friends! I finally tackled a concrete project! I have been wanting to do one for the longest time and my backyard mini flip with True Value seemed like the perfect time to do so!
Materials
- 1 – 2′ x 4 ‘ melamine sheet
- 1 – bag counter top concrete
- 1 – tube silicone caulk
- 4 – 2 x 4 x 8 pine
- 1 – 2 x 3 x 8 pine
Tools Used
- Master Mechanic Miter saw (I love this one with the forward rails)
- Master Mechanic 10″ table saw (optional)
- Drill
- Pocket hole jig
- Orbital sander
Cut List
- 4 – 2×4 @ 15″
- 4 – 2×4 @ 36″
- 4 – 2×3 @ 16.75″
- 2 – 2×4 @ 23″
- 2 – 2×4 @ 20″
The first step of making the inset concrete table top is to make the mold to set the concrete in to harden.
I used a 2 ft x 4 ft melamine sheet and trimmed 4″ off of the 2 ft side. Next, I cut the large piece down to 36″. This left me with a 20″ x 36″ size concrete slab to be inset into the wooden frame.
Once assembled, It is important to completely seal the box with the silicone caulk. I’ve had projects where I have sworn my box was totally sealed…and then cried when it slowly started to leak EVERYWHERE. Just save yourself and seal it. 🙂 Doing a quick smooth wipe once applied helps keep your mold smooth and sharp too!
I mixed my bag of concrete according to the directions on the bag. I had gotten a 90 pound bag and used just about half of it. With that said, let me tell you what I would have done differently. DIY is usually a learning process! I used Super strength concrete thinking it would be ideal for this project. Unfortunately, the mix was much more coarse than I had thought it would be and I ended up with some imperfections on the top i had to smooth out. Counter top concrete would probably solve this problem.
TIP – Make sure your mold is totally level. This is important because the top is going to be an insert into the wooden frame and needs to be even. I leveled everything out after filling the mold by sliding a 2×4 across the top in each direction.
I waited about 24 hours to take the concrete out of the mold.
The frame was a simple build, attached with pocket holes.
I started by assembling the top part of the frame with the long ends being 36″ and the short ends on the outside being 23″. I placed two 20″ 2x4s along the bottom once I found how high to set them to make the concrete flush to the top.
Next, I built the legs. Using the 15″ 2x4s and 16.75″ 2x3s I made two rectangles.
I attached these together using pocket holes. I added 4 pocket holes on both sides of the top frame on the 23″ pieces to attach the legs.
The remaining two 36″ pieces were attached to the legs as shown in the photo to add stability and support.
I found that the easiest way to ensure that the top is flush to the concrete is by clamping the concrete in place while the top is on the its side and place the 20″ supports directly up against the concrete bottom.
Side note – I trimmed all lumber to take off the rounded sides with my Master Mechanic table saw. It’s a personal preference that helps give the table a more sleek look when working with construction grade lumber.
I stained and sealed my item with Thompson Water Seal that I picked up from my Local True Value to protect it from various weather conditions.
(This is a Sponsored True Value post, all opinions are my own.)
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions and tag me in your finished projects so I can share them with others too!
Happy building, Friends!
