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Find a Concrete Contractor 24 Services in 221 Metros -- U.S. and Canada © 1999-2012 ConcreteNetwork.com None of this site may be reproduced without written permission |
Find a Concrete Contractor 24 Services in 221 Metros -- U.S. and Canada © 1999-2012 ConcreteNetwork.com None of this site may be reproduced without written permission |
A easy way to add razzle-dazzle to your concrete countertops, while also being environmentally friendly, is to incorporate pieces of recycled glass. Glass adds color, sparkle, and even a third dimension -- depth
-- to concrete countertops. And using bits of glass in
lieu of traditional aggregate conserves resources, since the glass often comes from recycled bottles that would otherwise end up in a landfill. You can add glass to concrete counters by mixing the pieces right into the mix or by sprinkling, or "seeding," the glass onto the surface of the concrete after placing it in the mold, says our expert Scott Cohen of The Green Scene. Below, he shares his seven basic steps for achieving great results.
Prepare your 
Spread the glass out evenly on your concrete surface using whatever quantity and mix of colors you like. The advantages of seeding the glass rather than mixing it into the concrete is that you use less material and you have more control over placement and color distribution.
Carefully tamp the glass down into the surface of the wet concrete with a wood float. Then lightly trowel the surface, gently pushing the glass into the mixture until all the pieces are covered with a layer of cementitious cream. Take care not to push the glass too deeply into the surface. 
Polishing is the essential finishing touch that exposes the glass and makes it sparkle. Use tools equipped with progressively finer grits of diamond-impregnated disks to gradually grind down the surface until the desired amount of glass is revealed. Using a multi-head polisher vs. a single-head tool will help you obtain a swirl-free finish.