Wasted a whole weekend trying to make my own concrete countertop mold

I saw a video online about making a custom concrete countertop for a bathroom vanity and thought, 'how hard could it be?' I bought all the melamine board, silicone caulk, and release agent, probably about $120 worth of stuff. The video made it look so simple, but getting the boards perfectly square and sealed was a nightmare. My first pour leaked everywhere because my seams weren't tight, ruining the mix and making a huge mess in my garage. The second try set wrong and the surface came out super rough and pitted. I ended up spending two full days on it and still had to buy a pre-made slab for $400. I should have just bought the slab first. Has anyone actually had success with a DIY concrete pour at home, or is it one of those things that's never as easy as it looks?

2 comments

2 Comments

sagea881mo ago

Ever try to build a simple planter box? I used cheap pine that warped like crazy after the first rain, all the joints split open and spilled dirt everywhere. Ended up with a soggy pile of wood and a bunch of dead herbs.

wade_hall1mo ago

Oh man, "soggy pile of wood" really got me. I used to be one of those "pine is fine, just seal it good" people. I honestly thought I was saving money and being smart about it. But after watching a cheap box twist apart in one season like yours did, I totally changed my mind. Now I'm a cedar snob (pressure treated for ground contact if I'm feeling cheap) and I'll never go back to plain pine for anything that touches dirt or weather.