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How-To

Lightweight Concrete Countertop: Make the Sink Mold

Concrete artist Buddy Rhodes uses fabric, resin, and body filler to build a mold for a stylish concrete vanity basin.

By Buddy Rhodes

Making a custom, concrete countertop with an integral sink is an approachable project for anyone with decent carpentry skills and a willingness to learn. In fact, there are a few ways to tackle a project like this, so you can likely find a method that matches your skills and comfort level.

In this video series, concrete artist Buddy Rhodes shows us how he uses glass-fiber reinforced concrete, a material that is sprayed into the mold, to make a beautiful bathroom vanity top. You won’t see any rebar, but you will learn to make the concrete mold for the sink, build the concrete form for the counter, mix and shoot the concrete, and polish and buff the finished vanity top. The results are a gorgeous, durable, lightweight (and therefore easy-to-install) bathroom feature.

 

Read the companion article:
A New Approach to Concrete 
View more videos:
All Master Carpenter Videos
Master Carpenter

Still have questions about concrete countertops, we have the answer. Check out this Q&A with another concrete pioneer, Fu-Tung Cheng.

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Videos in the Series

  • Video Series: How to Create a Lightweight Concrete Countertop

    Concrete artisan Buddy Rhodes demonstrates his unique process for building a light but strong vanity counter with an integral sink

  • Lightweight Concrete Countertop: Make the Sink Mold

    Concrete artist Buddy Rhodes uses fabric, resin, and body filler to build a mold for a stylish concrete vanity basin.

  • Lightweight Concrete Countertop: Build the Form

    Join the sink form to a melamine box to create the final shape of your countertop

  • Lightweight Concrete Countertop: Spray the First Layer, Pack the Second Layer

    Learn how to build up the concrete in the finished mold using a spray gun and your gloved hands

  • Lightweight Concrete Countertop: Pop It Out, Buff, and Seal

    The easiest step is finishing the cured concrete countertop

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About This Video Series

Longtime readers of Fine Homebuilding magazine will recognize the name of Buddy Rhodes. For the last twenty years, he’s been at the leading edge of concrete design in both residential and commercial applications. Buddy was trained as a potter, but influenced by his builder father, he soon found himself working with concrete, a material that’s similar to clay that doesn’t need a kiln.  He soon switched from bowls to bricks, planters, tiles, and countertops. Lately, he’s been working… More about this Video Series

View Comments

  1. user-6800663 | Dec 01, 2019 11:55am | #1

    Hi Buddy, I have a question. I move to a house that have a kitchen concrete countertop. The countertop is damage: there are stains of darker color(the concrete is light grey). How can I retore it? By sanding ? With a chemical product ?
    Thanks for helping ...
    And thanks for the very easy to follow video: with them, I think I can do it !!!

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