DIY Network

Concrete Vanity: Form Completion and Pouring the Concrete You'll be surprised at the results you can get with concrete and broken glass. From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-202

The concrete vanity.

After you've the general shape of the form finished, create knockouts for the vanity's hardware--the drain and the faucets. You already know where they'll sit on the vanity, but you need to create the knockouts themselves. The knockouts should be made to the exact depth and diameter of the hardware you'll be installing, the specifications of which should be included in the packaging of the products. If the specifications aren't included, precisely measure the hardware yourself.

Tools and materials:

melamine form
vanity template
PVC pipe (enough for creating knockouts)
high-density foam
duct tape
tape measure
measuring stick
screws (for smaller knockouts)
cordless drill
100-percent silicone caulk
caulk gun
utility knife
expanded steel lath
steel mesh
marker
metal snips
bolt cutters
glass, various colors
5-gallon bucket
safety glasses
sledge hammer
plumber's putty
level table

advertisement

	Figure A
	Figure B

Completing the Form

• Knockouts can be made of several things, but Dean and Dan make the knockouts from pieces of PVC pipe filled with the foam used for the outside curve (figure A). If the PVC pipe isn't wide enough to fit your knockout, expand the diameter with duct tape.

• Foam blocks create the knockouts where the pipes for the sinks faucets will run under the backsplash shelves.

• The hardware knockout needed for the vessel sink's drain pipe brings up a common issue. The pipe for the sink is an inch-and-a-half long and the countertop is two inches thick. To fix this problem, Dan rigged up a creative solution to make a larger opening in the bottom of the countertop by attaching a fist-sized one-inch thick circular disk to PVC pipe. This allows enough room to connect the hardware by hand.

• Take the location of your hardware pieces from the template. If you haven't finalized their location, you can map it out on graph paper (figure B) and then precisely transfer those measurements to the form – once you set these knockouts, you won't be able to move them. Secure the knockouts to the form with 100-percent silicone caulk; and for the smaller pieces, add a screw so they don't move when the concrete is added.
  

  Figure C

• Finish the form by waterproofing it with the same 100-percent silicone caulk. Pull a thin bead of caulk evenly around all the corners of the form (figure C) and around the silicone knockouts. Follow by running your finger across the bead. You're pushing the caulk into the corner to create a watertight seal. Run your finger in one continuous sweep; any stop and go marks will show up in the silicone and likewise onto the concrete. Let the caulk dry.
  

• We're using two kinds of steel--expanded lath and steel mesh-- to strengthen the concrete vanity. Lay the template underneath each type of steel. Trace the template onto both types of steel with a permanent marker and mark your cutouts (figures D and E).

  Figure D

  Figure E

  
  

  Figure F

• Make the steel template slightly smaller--about a half inch all the way around--so it will fit easily into the form and won't show through the concrete.

• Cut the expanded lath with wire snips (figure F) and the steel mesh with bolt cutters. Double check their measurements against the template before setting them aside.
  

  	Figure G
  	Figure H

• This specific project is adding colored glass to the vanity top as a design element. You can buy plate glass or colored glass from a hobby store or you can break up glass bottles that have had their labels removed. Place the glass you want to break into a five-gallon bucket, take a sledgehammer, wear your safety glasses, and break the glass into a variety of small sizes (figures G and H).

• Set the now-dry form onto a leveled table near the location where you'll mix concrete. Cover all of the screw holes in the form with plumber's putty – this will make the de-forming of the vanity easier. Next, add the colored glass to the base, spreading glass evenly into the corners and mixing colors and sizes for variety. The next phase is mixing and pouring the concrete.
  
  
  

  Page  1 | 2

  
  
  

  RELATED PROJECTS: Concrete Countertop: Making Template Concrete Countertop: Creating Mold Concrete Countertop: Pouring Mold Concrete Countertop: Completing Work

  
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Concrete Vanity: Design and Building the Form
  	Concrete Vanity: Form Completion and Pouring the Concrete
  	Concrete Vanity: De-Forming, Polishing and Installation