I have a neat little fireplace job right now where I have to rip down some horrendous stone veneer and rebuild the raised hearth. I am building the hearth top with a hand pressed concrete top. I am doing this because the immediate area is completely lacking a good stone source. There is a small supply yard that has some stone (I got my veneer stone there)but no large flat stock. The pressed technique is a nice alternative for now...but I was wondering if anyone else crosses over into doing this kind of work. Also, I am going to seal the concrete and was curious what products you use or can recommend that are specific to GFRC concrete.
Ahh Pepe's, I haven't been there in years. I can't wait 2 hours for pizza anymore lol. It is some damn good pie though. Modern Appiza on State St. is pretty good brick oven pizza too.
Not a brick oven but still great pizza and fun for a summer party. :thumbsup: The Big Green Truck Pizza
I got the hearth in with my Dad's assistance a the week before last. The concrete cured really nicely, with no shrink cracks or cupping.
I had to open my center joint to just under 3/16" because the width of the fireplace was 1/2" more than I had originally intended. The reasons will be clear in the upcoming fireplace post/blog. I also had a joint that was larger on one side because of the stonework...but I grouted with the counter top mixture and it blends, so I can live with it.
There is no sealer on the hearth yet..its going on after I get the mantel finished and apply enhancing sealer to the FP stonework.
Personally, the only thing I would do differently next time is wait until the stonework is done before fabricating a piece. I didn't have that choice on this project and since this was my first pressed concrete job I'm pretty pleased with the finished look.
Here are some shots. The lighting is bad and my camera sucks..I'll put more up after the mantel and sealer.
That looks awesome. The slight curve really makes a huge difference. How long is that overall?
I really like working with the hand pressed mix. I think in the future if I'm going for the exposed gravel I will try just seeding the form before filling.
Thanks Dave! I think the curve looks cool too. Since I dont have a customer to do a piece for, I am going to do some playing around. I'm planning to experiment with some veining and I want to make a ramp sink.
The overall length of the hearth is 8'4" plus the center joint...3/16". Its 26" at the center.
I was asking about the length because we figure 8' of counter top to be about the limit for handling. There are 3 of us for delivery day and a 4th we can call on.
We made an exception for that black 37"x9' island top. We built a special cart to wheel it in. Being a replacement piece means we wheeled out a like piece. The wheels caved about the time we got to the van. The stuff is definitely heavy.
Yeah...It's a two piece because I didn't want to risk breakage and we had to handle it a couple times before install. Plus, it's not like we would be laying it on a nice flat counter...having to set it in a mortar bed.
Thanks for the play by play on this thread... we have a kitchen reno of our own coming up... I think I will follow your lead and do a little playing around with casting some counter top 'samples' this summer... after I tackle the oven that is...
That is one thing I highly recommend. Dial in your mix design before committing to a piece...or use a commercially available pre-mix. When I have a chance I am going to post some recommended reading.
I plan on messing around with some more pressed pieces soon...I'll just post it here.:thumbsup:
I know I'm not alone when I say that the stonework on your oven is highly anticipated....which gives you a chance to mess with everyone and do a stucco finish!:laughing:
It's been awhile but here are the final shots of the hearth. I put two coats of penetrating/ enhancing sealer on it, then wax & buff. I'm really happy with the finish...a little shine is good I think.
Mocking up some bench tops. I used the same products and methods as the hearth...only the colors will be different.
The brown top is Walnut and will get Redwood colored veining. The other is Terracotta and the veining is Autumn Brown. In tonight's pics I have unmolded the tops and applied the first slurry coat.
I profiled only one top because I am experimenting again. The Terracotta top will get a concave surface ground into it so I wont profile that one until the grind is done.
The small slab pieces you see are another experiment. I am using them like cladding around a block or poured concrete support.
The Walnut top. This combo is a little more subtle than the Terracotta at first but I think the accent colors will look cool...I hope. The colors match the color palette of the project.
Mock ups for some benches. These pieces are 16"x30"x2.5" I'm not sure exactly what the final dimension would be....I'm guessing at least 4' long though.
I like the walnut. The terracotta not as much but that's just me. Terracotta always makes me think of "southwest" and that's just not me. I really like the technique. I'm going to have to stop saying i'll do it and just do it
That's cool. I felt the same way until I put the Autumn Brown veining in...I like it now. It toned the brightness down quite a bit. I think the second slurry will help a little more too.
The pieces are pretty much done. Polished to 3500 then buff.... two coats of enhancing sealer. Tomorrow I'll wax them and that will be it. The Terracotta really grew on me because the Autumn Brown veining and the polishing toned down the orange color. The Walnut is nice but I wish the Redwood veining stood out a little more...it's more noticeable on angles. Click on the pics for better views.
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