Do-it-yourself artificial stone countertop for the kitchen – review, classification, photo gallery with the best ideas. Do-it-yourself tabletop made of sheet acrylic stone How to make artificial stone countertops

The acrylic kitchen countertop serves as a work surface and also complements the kitchen design. It should be made of high-quality material, but at the same time remain a beautiful element of the kitchen space. You need to think about choosing a countertop first, because this is the place where all the cooking work is concentrated.

Artificial countertops

One of the main advantages of countertops made of artificial stone is its spectacular appearance and a variety of colors. If the design of the room dictates its conditions regarding the color and texture of the working surface, then it will become a relevant solution.

Countertops made of artificial stone have a unique natural range that cannot be found in nature.

The main advantages of this type of countertops:

Environmental friendliness. Artificial stone does not contain substances harmful to health, it does not provoke the formation of mold and mildew, and does not absorb odors. An artificial stone countertop does not absorb moisture, grease and all kinds of chemicals when using detergents to care for it.
Easy to care for behind the surface. Almost all types of contaminants formed on the countertop during operation are washed off with water using a sponge and soap, leaving no streaks.
Ease of repair. not as durable as natural, but any damage to the surface that occurs on it can be easily repaired. Thanks to this, the artificial stone countertop will look like new after repair.
Impeccable look. Thanks to special technology, seams and joints are eliminated during connections, which allows the tabletop to look flawless.

Acrylic in the interior

An acrylic worktop will easily fit into any design style of the kitchen. Its aesthetic properties combine well with the high quality characteristics of the material. Since the scope of acrylic is not limited in any way, the countertop easily complements the interior of any kitchen. Find out how to choose an artificial stone sink for your kitchen, its advantages and disadvantages.

Products made from acrylic stone can be given absolutely any shape, so when designing a kitchen you can use unusual solutions.

Characteristic

During intensive cooking, the countertop copes with a lot of surface work. Hot pots and pans are placed on it, vegetables and meat are chopped, boiling water is poured on it and grease is splashed on it. The quality of the material from which the countertop is made determines how long it will retain its original appearance.

Advantages

Acrylic countertops, in addition to their relatively low cost, are in demand due to their ability to accurately imitate natural stone.

Kitchen acrylic countertops are produced by casting. They are made using powdered white clay. The binding components are polymers and acrylic resins.

Few people can afford to purchase a real malachite or onyx countertop, but it can be successfully replaced with an acrylic countertop. Find out about the pros and cons of acrylic black countertops for a white kitchen.

The ease of working with a plastic polymer base, which is used to make an acrylic tabletop, allows you to create unusual geometric shapes of the tabletop, choose any texture and color scheme.

Flaws

One of the disadvantages of acrylic countertops is the low hardness of the composite, which can cause scratches and cracks if handled carelessly. This disadvantage can be successfully compensated for by good polishing of the material. Read about kitchen design in our article.

Their main disadvantage is their poor resistance to mechanical abrasion, which can cause scratches and abrasions to appear on the surface during intensive use.

Constant contact with high temperatures will also gradually deform the acrylic tabletop. This can be avoided if you use special stands for hot pots and pans while working in the kitchen. Another disadvantage can be considered the cost of acrylic countertops when compared with.

How to choose

A high-quality countertop must meet the following requirements:

shock resistance;
resistance to high and low temperatures;
resistance to mechanical stress;
ease of care;
moisture resistance.

Don’t forget about the decorative function that the tabletop performs. It should fit organically into the interior of the kitchen without attracting undue attention.

How to do

If you wish, you can make a countertop from artificial stone with your own hands. Read here how to make a drawing of a kitchen corner. Before starting work, you need to design the future tabletop by making a drawing:

The tabletop layout must be made in real size; it is best to use hard cardboard for this;
You can make a tabletop based on the layout; for this you need to purchase a ready-made sheet of acrylic;
to make a tabletop, you need to make a plywood frame that will serve as the base;
any two-component glue will help connect a sheet of artificial stone and plywood;
after the glue has dried, the ends of the tabletop need to be leveled using a block of coarse sandpaper;
The finished tabletop can be attached to the desired location using screws.

Watch a video tip on how to make a countertop from artificial stone with your own hands:

Installation, can you do it yourself?

If the kitchen surface consists of several parts, then each part must be adjusted to each other, and first measured on site before installation.

Installation of the countertop is the final stage of any project. If the product consists of a single part, the installation process consists only of attaching the tabletop sheet with glue to the base surface. You can decorate the tabletop.

After attaching the countertop to the kitchen base, you need to make holes for sockets and plumbing, then install the sink.

How to install a countertop with your own hands, advice from experts:

Acrylic apron (acrylic)

Since above the tabletop there is a place most susceptible to contamination after the working surface, many choose for the apron the same material from which the tabletop is made. The use of the same stone to decorate the countertop and backsplash gives the kitchen interior integrity. Read how to make a tile apron.

Thanks to the quality of the material, the apron is reliably protected from moisture and dirt. The disadvantages include the high price and complexity of installation (filling) without the help of professionals.

Caring for stone on the kitchen table

A countertop made of artificial stone is quite easy to maintain.

remove fresh stains immediately after they occur, so that dirt does not eat into the surface. This can be done with a damp cleaning cloth soaked in a soap solution;
Old stains are removed using a gel-based cleaner without abrasive particles.
You should not use a metal sponge to clean the surface of an acrylic tabletop, as this may leave scratches on it.
When cutting meat and vegetables, you should use cutting boards to avoid scratching the countertop with a knife.

Even in a luxury kitchen there is a place for acrylic

Typically, countertops with artificial imitation stone are made by hand either for the sake of interest and improvement of skill, or in order to master mass production. In any case, it is very important to know the technology, and we want to tell you about the production of “stone” countertops from chipboard with a polyester coating.

A few simple rules

You will need an enclosed area that is properly prepared. In essence, this is a so-called clean room 3x4 meters, the walls and ceiling of which are covered with plastic film, and the floor is cleanly swept, washed and does not form dust. The room must have good ventilation, and the temperature is maintained at least 25 °C.

Pay attention to quality control and safety. Work is carried out only in closed clothing with long sleeves. Since the polymerization process is accompanied by abundant release of styrene, you can only work in cellulose-carbon respirators and safety glasses; this gas is extremely toxic. All actions are performed only with rag gloves; there should be no greasy marks or prints.

To work, you will need a strong and stable table 2x2.5 meters and a height of at least 80 cm. Its tabletop is a sheet of chipboard 16 mm thick, from the bottom of which is screwed a crate made of wooden planks 15x60 mm, placed on edge and forming a lattice with a pitch of 35x35 cm. the surface should not have joints or traces of fastening, so the tabletop is leveled with acrylic putty and finely sanded. The table must be stable, you will have to walk on it, sit on the edge - the tabletop should not sag.

Mold making

First, a drawing of the table top on a scale of 1:1 is drawn onto the table surface with a simple pencil. The installation locations of the sink, niches for insertion, front edges and radius elements are marked.

Laminated chipboard strips with a height of 55-60 mm are installed along the straight edges of the sink. All corners and edges are strictly straight, so cutting must be done using professional equipment. The planks are fixed strictly along the marking lines using hot glue and wooden cubes from the outside. This forms the outer formwork, for the formation of the radius elements of which flexible plastic plates are used.

After the outer contour is formed, formwork for cutouts for the sink or hob is added to it. If you plan to use a cast sink, you need to purchase an acrylic matrix. It is glued exactly according to the markings with hot glue, then pressed to the table with its own weight. Excess glue that appears must be cut off with a shoe knife.

Sealing and preparation of formwork

The inner surface and edges of the matrix completely determine the shape of the future product, so there should be no flaws on vertical or horizontal surfaces. The gaps between the planks and planks are sealed with garden varnish, the excess of which is cut off or pressed through with a spatula. The edges of the chipboard and all kinds of surface irregularities are sealed with varnish; as a result, the shape should take on an ideal geometry and a smooth surface without flaws. Additionally, a washer made of garden varnish is installed on top of the sink matrix, forming a recess for the drain hole.

To form milling on the front edge, as well as for edging cutouts and sinks, you need to use a special steel plate, the corner of which is cut in a negative shape in the manner of a figured spatula. The task is not difficult: the corner of the form is filled with garden varnish, then the shaped transition is smoothed out with a plate. It is important not to tilt the tool and to press its edges firmly against the table with the formwork.

When the mold is completely ready, a layer of separating wax is applied to it, and after 20 minutes it is polished with a soft cloth and blown with compressed air. Next, the entire surface is sprayed with polyvinyl alcohol using a hand sprayer and left to dry completely. The form is ready to be filled.

Chemistry, resins, mixtures

To prepare a high-quality mixture, accurate proportions are very critical. Ingredients are dosed by weight and must be weighed using digital scales.

First, the base of the stone is prepared: 30% gelcoat is mixed with 70% loose filler. You need to mix it manually with a wooden stick; you cannot beat this mixture. After stirring, about a kilogram of base is selected and sealed in a plastic container as a repair kit. The amount of finished gelcoat is 3.5-4 kg for each m2 of surface.

The second mixture is polyester primer. This is an ordinary polyester resin, which is tinted with a coloring paste as close as possible to the base color. To strengthen the soil and reduce shrinkage, up to 40% calcite can be added to the resin. You will need from 4 to 6 kg of soil for every m2 of countertop; about the same amount is spent on an average cast sink.

These mixtures can be stored without oxygen for decades; to harden them, you need to add about 1-2.5% of a hardener (catalyst). If the room temperature is lower than recommended, after stirring the catalyst, a small amount of cobalt is added to the mixture. Chemicals for liquid stone are sold in kits and are accompanied by comprehensive information about mixing techniques, proportions and characteristics of the mixture; these are the recommendations that should be followed.

Pouring the countertop

First, gelcoat with filler is sprayed onto the prepared matrix; at each stage, about 1 kg of base is mixed with the catalyst. The average lifetime after the introduction of the catalyst is from 15 to 30 minutes. Application is carried out in as thin layers as possible to avoid the formation of micropores.

First, vertical surfaces are sprayed, and care must be taken that the composition does not slip, periodically allowing the surface to dry. Next, the gelcoat is applied in a maximally opaque layer to horizontal areas. Congratulations, you have completed your first application. After the surface has polymerized so that a fingerprint remains on it, but the resin has lost its stickiness, you can proceed to the second. A total of 3-4 applications are required, at the end an additional gelcoat coating of the vertical front edges is performed.

After 40-50 minutes, the countertop can be poured. A little more than a third of the primer is mixed with the hardener, poured into the mold and carefully leveled with a spatula. Then a pre-cut fiberglass sheet is laid on the ground, pressed down and smoothed with a spatula to ensure maximum impregnation. Now you need to leave half of the primer, and distribute the rest evenly over the fiberglass.

The sink is also coated with primer at this stage, but thicker fiberglass is used to strengthen it.

After gluing the first layer, when the reinforcing fabric is well smoothed and all air bubbles are squeezed out, a chipboard insert is placed in the mold. It is cut to size, 5 mm smaller than the form and each of its elements; for ease of movement, you can screw on several door handles.

A chipboard part does not have to be solid, but gaps of more than 5-6 mm are unacceptable. 8-10 holes per square meter with a diameter of 6 mm need to be made in the liner to allow excess soil to exit. A pressure of about 40 kg/m2 is installed on top of the chipboard for 10-15 minutes; you can also spread the liner away from the ceiling with thin wooden planks

While the bend is installed, all cracks and gaps are filled with soil. When the weight is removed, half of the remaining soil is poured into the mold, the protruding edges of the fiberglass are folded and another canvas is laid. The remaining soil is poured over it, they are leveled with a spatula and the tabletop is left to dry and harden for about 14-16 hours.

Sanding and polishing

The next day after pouring, you need to knock down the formwork with a hammer and undermine the tabletop by driving a flat spatula under it and pressing it with a pry bar. Afterwards, the sink matrix is removed and the entire countertop is installed on soft foam blocks. The contours are carefully cut off from the reverse side and the back side is sanded with P80 and P120 sandpaper.

After this, the tabletop is turned over and carefully ground with an alternate increase in grain size from P80 to P420; the best quality of the front surface is achieved by using carborundum as an abrasive. For processing raised areas and washing, a foam pad is installed under the sanding paper.

Grinding should be carried out using a disk machine, in the last two stages the movements are exclusively circular. Angle grinders and band machines are not suitable for these purposes. If the project has a glossy countertop, the final stage will be polishing the stone with a foam pad and abrasive paste.

Today we will figure out how to do artificial stone countertops. The surface of such countertops is resistant to moisture, mechanical damage, and is also quite heat-resistant (that is, it can safely withstand temperatures up to 180 degrees Celsius). So, say the manufacturers... Let's not ignore their shortcomings.

When used in real conditions, knife marks remain on the acrylic surface, that is, you cannot cut on it without using cutting boards. It’s also not worth placing a hot pan on it (its temperature slightly exceeds the stated 180 degrees, and why, this is fraught with the formation of stains. Acrylic countertops should be washed with detergents without abrasive ingredients, and therefore, stubborn stains are quite difficult to remove.

But there is one big BUT. All defects, including stains, can simply be sanded off and then polished.

The article will be about sheet stone and the technology of working with it. So, such sheet acrylic is produced in the form of standard sheets 3660 x 760 mm, and the thickness can vary (3 mm, 6 mm, 10 mm, 12.7 mm, 30 mm).

Before starting work, you should take measurements and decide on the configuration of the countertop. If we take a straight tabletop, then no special problems are expected. If we are replacing an old laminated chipboard countertop, then we can take all the dimensions from it. Alternatively, you can first make a life-size template from cardboard. We put this template in place and make the necessary adjustments to it, so you can avoid almost all the inaccuracies that you will actually encounter later during the installation process.

Let's look at the most budget-friendly options for countertops, that is, the thickness of the stone that we will use will be 12 mm or less). Such a thickness in isolation cannot provide sufficient strength to the product, so a substrate or frame is required. The ideal material for it is plywood, or better yet, bakelite plywood, which is not susceptible to moisture or MDF.

Some manufacturers use laminated chipboard, but in my opinion, this is less reliable, because... During operation, the base may swell, which can lead to divergence of the adhesive seam.

The frame can be made either from strips of plywood, which are assembled around the perimeter of the tabletop, or you can use a solid sheet, which is much simpler, but somewhat more expensive.

To make the frame, we just need the cardboard template that we made earlier. So, we cut out a backing for the stone from plywood.

The stone itself is cut either on a format-cutting machine or using a circular saw along the rail.

The size of the acrylic sheet should be greater than the thickness of the substrate by the thickness of the edge (that is, the thickness of the stone sheet). For example, if we are gluing a countertop made of 7 mm stone, then the backing should be 593 mm wide (for a standard 600 mm countertop), and the sheet of acrylic stone should be 600 mm wide.

To connect the substrate with acrylic, we need any two-component adhesive designed for gluing acrylic and wood, for example, epoxy resin or Kleiberit, Solupren X2 adhesives.
The entire base should be covered with a thin layer of this glue, which is distributed over its surface with a spatula (some adhesives with a thinner consistency can be applied with a spray bottle - read the instructions). Glue is applied to the acrylic sheet only in places of contact with the substrate.

Then both parts are overlapped (don’t forget about the offset to the edge) and pressed tightly. To do this you will need a sufficient number of clamps.
If the base is solid, then having aligned the sheets, we begin to press from the center to the sides, first moving to one edge of the tabletop, and then to the opposite.

Let's move on to gluing the edges. It is served by strips of the same acrylic along the thickness of the future tabletop. Thin strips can be glued in half.

Radius edges (as in the photo) are made by heating the strips in a special oven and then applying them to a base, on which they cool, taking the desired shape.

It is better to use two-component adhesive for gluing edges branded from acrylic sheet manufacturers (LG, Samsung, DuPont), and its color should be selected according to color tables.
Before gluing, to obtain the best result, the surfaces to be glued must be cleaned with sanding paper with P60 grain. Then degrease with a solvent (for example, industrial alcohol).

After this, glue is applied to the end of the edge,
the edge itself is placed in the desired place, rubbed in a little so that the glue is evenly distributed over the joint, and then pulled to the tabletop with clamps. The top of the tabletop should completely cover the edge, with a slight overhang possible. You will need a lot of clamps))).

After the glue has dried (about 40 minutes, depending on its type - see the instructions), remove the clamps and proceed to removing excess glue, and at the same time the acrylic overhangs at the top of the tabletop. For this, a cylindrical copy cutter () with an upper or lower bearing is used.

Then a molding cutter of the required profile is installed and a roll of the required radius and profile is formed.

Then the final grinding of the surface of the tabletop and the joint itself is carried out.

This tabletop is attached to the kitchen boxes with self-tapping screws, which are wrapped into the base. You should make sure that the screws remain within the plywood and do not reach the acrylic sheet.

I presented the manufacturing technology for a relatively budget countertop in artisanal conditions. In factories, this technique is used when the edge is glued into a quarter cutout, which is milled into the lower edge of the top sheet.

This allows you to make the joint even less noticeable. An example of such manufacturers of acrylic stone countertops is Moscow company "Mos-kamen" mos-kamen.ru.

On the construction market today you can find any finishing materials that are used in interior and exterior work. These also include artificial stone. It can be found in all shapes, sizes and compositions. Such stones imitate natural rocks. Their production occurs by casting various building mixtures with all kinds of additives into arbitrary shapes, which are adjusted to the required dimensions. This kind of stone is called “liquid”.

Countertops made of artificial solid stone add special elegance and luxury to a bath or kitchen. Many families dream of such a countertop, but not everyone can afford it. In such cases, home craftsmen look for a solution to this problem and most often find it.

In this article, we will look at what types of countertops there are, what stone is best to make them with your own hands, whether these structures can be made from ceramics and concrete, and much more.

pros

The main advantages of countertops made of artificial liquid stone the following can be distinguished:

Acceptable price;
Moisture resistance;
Strength;
Durability;
Huge selection of colors;
Maintainability;
No background radiation.

Minuses

Of course, it was not without its drawbacks. Although they are insignificant, they are still there:

A countertop made of artificial stone is afraid of elevated temperatures;
Countertops made from some materials are often subject to scuffs and scratches.

What to make a countertop from

Necessary tools for work

To make a tabletop with your own hands, you need to have for this a specific set of tools, which is presented below:

Drill;
Grinding machine;
Jigsaw;
Fraser;
Excellent quality cutter;
Glue gun;
Vacuum cleaner;
Guide bar;
Circular saw;
Measuring instruments.

Tabletop materials

The tabletop can be made from several types of materials. Therefore, it is first necessary to determine what it will be made from:

Ceramic tile. It looks best in the bath. But, if you choose the right tiles, you can also make them for the kitchen.
Concrete. Most often, concrete is used for major renovations. But if desired, you can also get a wonderful concrete countertop. Various fillers and additives will give it beauty and grace.
Artificial finished stone. It is sold as an acrylic base with granite or marble filling.

Once the materials have been determined, construction of the countertop can begin. This process will be described step by step in order to better understand all the aspects of manufacturing the structure.

Tabletop design and measurements

Any serious business always begins with a written plan. This rule does not bypass the tabletop. Before you make it yourself, you need to decide on the configuration and all dimensions. After all, it’s one thing to design an ordinary rectangular tabletop, which is not difficult to make even for a novice craftsman. And it’s completely different when you need to make a single surface in the shape of the letter P, in which you also need to install a sink and hob.

Therefore, making a countertop with your own hands begins with measurements. . The depth of the working surface should be approximately 60 centimeters. The length is measured according to the existing basis.

To understand how the countertop will look, you need to make a rough sketch on paper. It is not yet necessary to depict holes for a sink, pipe or sink. After this, the actual layout is drawn according to the actual dimensions. For such purposes, you can use sheets of whatman paper. Or cut out strips from plain paper and glue them together. This will be a kind of mock-up of the countertop, which should be tried on at the intended construction site.

The process of making artificial stone countertops

Table top made of acrylic artificial stone

After all the necessary drawings have been made, you can start building it yourself. . To start artificial The stone is cut into the required components:

The tabletop itself.
Strips for processing ends.
Wall side. A similar version of the plinth is also possible.

Initial work

The edges and contours of the stone cutouts of the workpiece are trimmed with a milling cutter. After which you need to process the profile. To do this, the tabletop blank is turned upside down. Using a router, a shallow groove is made directly under the edge.

To form the frame, you need to cut several strips of plywood. Their length will be 7 centimeters. Using acetone, you need to carry out the degreasing process. This is necessary, since the edge can only be placed on a clean surface.

Making countertops from artificial stone:

Now it becomes necessary to glue all the frames and edges. Therefore, the tube of glue is equipped with a mixer and is completely squeezed into a cellophane bag. You will need to mix the resulting mass and pour the glue onto the edge, after cutting the end of the bag.
The glue dries instantly, so the subsequent process of squeezing the edge with the tabletop must be done as quickly as possible.
The plywood strips cut in the previous stage of making the tabletop must be glued along the entire perimeter of the building. After that, the structure is clamped in a clamp and left in this position for half a day.
Using a sanding machine, you need to process the plywood, and then round the edge using a router.
The last thing you need to do is round off the wall skirting boards. After this, the stone countertop is ready for installation.

Making your own artificial stone

A stone countertop is made using “liquid” stone, which is molded and then allowed to dry.

Sometimes situations happen that artificial liquid stone does not appear on sale. In this case, you can do it yourself. The following components will be required:

Acetone;
Calcinitis;
Chemical resin;
Plasticine;
Hardener;
Hot melt adhesive;
Filler;
Epoxy gelcoat;
Paste in a variety of colors;
Fiberglass;
Wood sheets.

To get a liquid stone, you just need to mix the ingredients written above.

Concrete countertop

Concrete is used to make jewelry, furniture, and much more. If desired, you can also get a concrete countertop made by yourself.

Initially, concrete preparation is required . For this you need the following components:

Large and small fillers;
Cement;
Plasticizer;
Burnt glass cullet;
Colors;
Dyes.

To get started, you will need a moisture-resistant glossy surface, such as plywood. The outline will be drawn based on it. You need to screw the bars along it with screws. You can use plasticine to chamfer the entire perimeter, thereby making it easier for you to finish the job at the very end.

It should be taken into account that the thickness of a concrete countertop is on average 4 centimeters. Of course, more can be done.

The concrete solution is poured into the frame, after which coarse filler is used. It is compacted to the very bottom of the base. It will take approximately two to three days for the concrete to dry.

After the concrete has hardened, the frame is removed. The tabletop is placed on bars. The top layer of concrete, literally one millimeter thick, is removed with a grinding machine. The resulting surface is vacuumed. All small pores are filled with cement. The solution must dry again. The same few days are given for this.

The last stage occurs after the solution has dried. You need to go over the tabletop three times with a sanding machine. Now it can be attached to a base prepared in advance.

Ceramic tile countertop

You can also make a countertop from ceramic tiles with your own hands. But, unlike the previous options, it is more suitable for a bath. Her presence in the kitchen is very doubtful, although there is no dispute about tastes.

Laying tiles on a countertop is done quite quickly and does not require any special skills. You can find out how to do this yourself in our “Repair” section.

This tabletop looks like a horizontal surface with ceramic tiles or regular tiles laid on it. The basis is an OSB sheet 2 millimeters thick. An alternative would be ordinary plywood, which is not affected by moisture.

You can cut the base of the tabletop yourself . The end is formed from strips that are the same material as the base. After this work is done, the base is completely primed. Next, tiles are laid on it using any adhesive compound.

How to make a countertop with a stone sink with your own hands (video)

You can learn how to install it yourself from the video below:

Conclusion

So, we examined in detail the various options for making countertops, both from artificial stone and from concrete and ceramic tiles. Note that its production will require an average of no more than 3,000 rubles. While in a store you can buy a countertop for no less than 10,000 rubles. All you have to do is put in a lot of quality work and the end result will be a high-quality and beautiful tabletop, the service life of which will be very long.

Tabletop made of artificial stone (photo)

It is worth noting that artificial composite material is much cheaper than natural stone. However, it is not inferior in quality, strength and durability. You can save a lot on artificial stone. It is inexpensive and easy to care for. It has moisture resistance and mechanical strength. The material is resistant to very high temperatures and can take any shape.

It is important to know! During prolonged or improper use of the tabletop,
It may cause certain damage of various types. For example, pronounced cracks, chips of varying depths, severe swelling, stains and scratches. Therefore, it is recommended to follow the operating technology of the countertop.

To make a countertop with your own hands, you will need to choose a sheet of artificial stone. You need to decide on its color scheme and thickness of the product. You can choose a thin sheet up to 6 mm or a thick sheet of stone from 6 to 12 mm. It is also necessary to prepare a sheet of moisture-resistant plywood
30 mm thick. It will serve as a base for the table top. Experts recommend abandoning fiberboard and chipboard. These materials may swell when exposed to moisture. You will need two-component glue and a pencil with a ruler.

What tools are needed?

To make a countertop, you need a certain set of construction tools. It includes an electric jigsaw, a grinder, a router, a tape measure, a pencil, a ruler, a saw, a drill, a vacuum cleaner, and a glue gun.

Preparatory work

First you need to design the countertop design. Determine its optimal size, color, shape and choose the type of stone. If you choose a square or rectangular shape, then it won’t take much to make such a tabletop time. If a sink or hob is additionally installed in the countertop, then a lot of time and attention will be spent on the work. If you plan to install a sink in the countertop, then a recess of at least 60 cm must be prepared for it. Next, you need to apply a mock-up of the future product on the cardboard according to the required size. The made model should be glued to a sheet of artificial stone. After this, the tabletop is cut out according to the layout.

Method number 1 – acrylic

When making an acrylic tabletop, it is better to buy a sheet measuring 360x70 cm. These are the optimal dimensions; you can choose the thickness at your discretion. Initially, you should assemble a frame from plywood and make a mock-up of the future tabletop. The model can be made from cardboard. Next, it is attached with glue to an acrylic blank and
plywood and held together with glue. The acrylic base should be in close contact with the plywood. If after drying there are notches and bases left, then they are leveled with a milling machine. The sides are degreased and glued with special strips. The strips need to be heated. It's a good idea to use a hair dryer for this. After this, the finished tabletop can be screwed to the base with screws. If niches are needed for a sink or hob, they need to be cut with a jigsaw.

Method number 2 – ceramic tiles

To make your own countertop from ceramic tiles, you will need a moisture-resistant sheet of plywood, OSB sheet and tiles. You can use tiles instead of tiles. The thickness of the sheet should not be less than 2 cm. Using the template, a drawing of the required dimensions for the future countertop is made. Next, the end is formed and screwed to the plywood. The end is decorated with tiles. The tabletop edging can be made from any materials: metal, wood, laminated strip. The tiles are laid on the finished base on an adhesive base.

Method number 3 – liquid stone

One of the popular and modern ways to make a countertop with your own hands is the method using liquid stone. To make such a countertop, you will need certain components that are sold at any hardware store. For example, special paints, plasticine, fiberglass, filler, hardener, calcionite, acetone, epoxy, hot melt adhesive. You also need sheets of plywood and wood. All of these components are mixed together in a 1:1 ratio. Afterwards, a piece of chipboard is cut to the required size and the resulting mixture is sprayed onto it. Next, the product is dried and polished. The finished tabletop can be installed in a prepared place.

If cracks, scratches, chips or other flaws have formed on the countertop, they can be removed, returning the coating to its original appearance. Initially, the crack will need to be cleaned and degreased. A special glue must be injected into the damaged area to glue the edges. After this, the area is sanded and polished. If the scratch is not deep, then it is enough to simply go through it with a grinding machine. You can sand the damaged area with sandpaper. This is especially true if the countertop contains granite or marble chips. If noticeable stains or swellings appear on the surface, the damaged area must be cut out with a milling machine. You need to cut a patch from the remains of the artificial stone and insert it into the damaged area. Pre-lubricate the surface with glue. Next, the surface is rubbed and polished.