The situation in the house provides comfort and compliance with your tastes. However, furniture stores may not always offer something that fits your vision of the interior. Yes, and standard solutions are by no means what suits people who strive for design individuality. It’s easier, of course, to order an exclusive and pay money for it. But it’s much more interesting to realize the idea yourself. For example, epoxy resin for countertops makes it possible to create any creative surface, moreover, unique and inimitable. Of course, have to work hard. But epoxy is a fairly easy-to-use material, and it will not be difficult to master the basics of handling it.
Material advantages
What is especially good about epoxy resin for pouring countertops is that it retains its original volume when dried. The varnish, for example, dries due to the evaporation of the liquid entering it. As a result, its layer shrinks, which often creates problems. The curing of the resin is caused by a chemical reaction. And if you require a lens design - you get it. Moreover, it will not be subject to chips, deletions, or deformations. And just a flat surface will remain flat without sagging as it dries.
Another advantage that epoxy has is its price. Material is cheaper than others designed to create durable surfaces. The cost on average ranges between 200 and 280 rubles per kilogram. And if you need bulk epoxy, the price will drop to 180-190, depending on the global party.
Guarantee of success: preparation
To mix the material you will need a vessel (the volume depends on how much epoxy you need), a mixing stick and two measuring containers. Before mixing, you need to carefully study the instructions: the proportions of the components are different and depend on the manufacturer. They must be strictly observed, otherwise the material will harden poorly.
First, an epoxy is measured, and then a hardener for the resin. You need to pour it into the base, and not vice versa. The combined materials are kneaded as thoroughly as possible, the solidification quality also depends on this. Upon achieving uniformity, it is necessary to wait until the resin reaches the desired consistency, after which it can be used for its intended purpose.
What stage for what to use
The epoxy resin for the countertop has several degrees of density, and each of them is suitable for different purposes.
- Liquid stage: the composition flows freely from the stick. Ideal condition for pouring forms - at this stage all corners and troughs will be filled.
- The density of the type of "liquid honey." It flows from the probe more visibly, lingering on the tip. Exactly what you need to create drops and lenses. Suitable for filling soft forms, for example, for a round countertop.
- Stage "thick honey." It is practically not suitable for pouring, but it is impeccable as an adhesive - the previous consistencies will drain.
- The next stage, in which the resin is difficult to separate from the total mass, is not very suitable for any purpose. They either are not brought to it, or they are waiting for even more thickening.
- The rubber phase allows you to create bizarre shapes, like sculpting from plasticine. However, in order for the epoxy resin for the countertop to retain its shape, it will have to be fixed in the right position, otherwise it will straighten.
The last stage is solid. When the epoxy reaches it, your countertop can be considered finished.
The subtleties of the process
Before you make an epoxy worktop, take care not to add yourself any trouble in the future. In particular, spread the table on which you work, or the floor under the workbench with polyethylene - the leaked resin is removed with great effort.
Until the surface dries, it will collect all the dust on itself. Provide advance coverage options. For example, low racks on which the film "roof" will be stretched.
Neither resin nor hardener should get water. Including from the air, so it is not worth working with high humidity. A certain temperature regime is also required: if the room is less than 22 Celsius, you risk getting a poorly frozen tabletop. It is possible to accelerate solidification by raising the temperature, for example, putting the product on a radiator. You should not heat the hair dryer: the resin will boil and give a great many bubbles.
If a bubble near the surface appears when the epoxy for the countertop is just poured, you can blow it through a cocktail tube, a thin syringe or even a ballpoint pen case. The ball will burst without ruining the craft.
The nuances of using
A self-made epoxy worktop has its own characteristics in operation. First, the material tends to turn yellow from sunlight, and sometimes from heat. If you plan to put a table in the southern room or in the kitchen, as well as in an insecure garden gazebo - buy a base with a UV filter.
Secondly, from the cold in the countertop flakes or grains are sometimes formed. You can return it to its original form by warming up to 40-60 degrees.
Thirdly, epoxy resin for countertops, used in kitchen conditions, is not at all very suitable, since it can emit toxins from heating. If you want to put such a table in the kitchen, cover the surface with a protective transparent varnish. Best of all - designed for yachts.
Countertop Mold
It will be needed if you want to completely make it from epoxy without using anything as a supporting surface. For the form, you can take the glass of the right size. It is thoroughly washed, wiped dry and degreased with acetone. Then the surface is rubbed with wax mastic, which after a third of an hour is polished with a dry cloth. The sides can be made of aluminum corners; if you want perfectly flat tabletop edges, buy polished ones. The inner surface is treated with a mixture of turpentine with paraffin. They are attached to the glass with window putty.
All these procedures are required so that the epoxy resin for the countertop does not stick to the mold, and the finished product is easily removed from it. However, if you intend to insert the surface into the "frame", you do not need to worry about the smoothness of the slices. In this case, the sides can be assembled from any material at hand and layered with polyethylene or rubber - the epoxy does not stick to them.
Otherwise, everything is simple: a solution is prepared, brought to the desired consistency and poured. To obtain a diverse structure, you can tint the resin with water-insoluble dyes or add inclusions such as small pebbles, shards of colored glass, etc.
Coin idea
Making a countertop only from this material is not necessary at all. Epoxy resin for countertops makes it possible to use a variety of additional elements. For example, having an old but strong countertop, you can actually make a new one out of it, and it’s very unusual. The surface is cleaned; You can paint it in a suitable color. Old coins are cleaned with a special solution. The countertop is evenly laid, low curbs are stuffed at the edges. Coins are laid out inside the “box”. There is no need to fix them. It remains to fill the mold with epoxy and wait for it to set. This idea is especially good for a bar counter.
Wood plus resin
A very elegant solution would be combining epoxy with natural wood. Either an ordinary countertop is made of boards with caverns, or they are artistically cut on the finished one. The surface is ground to smoothness; fluorescent dyes are added to the diluted resin. The composition is poured all cleaned caverns. After drying, the countertop is covered with polyurethane varnish in several layers with intermediate grinding. An unusual and colorful table is ready!