Epoxy Cement Countertop Journey – From Plywood Base to Glossy Finish

The Base Camp: Building a Solid Start

Every adventure needs a beginning. Ours started with building up the countertop edges to hit a solid 1.5-inch lip. Instead of stacking three identical boards like a lazy copy-and-paste in Adobe Photoshop, we kept the top layer whole and lined the underside with slimmer 3-inch strips. Three staggered layers gave us the height we needed, while overlapping seams added strength to the structure—pieced together like a Jenga tower, only with actual purpose.

Glue, Screws, and Battle Scars

Once the boards were in place, we sealed the alliance with wood glue and particle board screws. After filling and sanding, the surface looked smooth, almost too smooth—so we roughed the surface up with a paint scraper, carving grooves like battle scars to give the cement something to hold and adhere to. Finally, we wrapped the base in plastic, readying the countertop for the next chapter: its baptism in Liquid Cement!

Curious about what else we do? Browse through our Handyman Services

Cement Layers: Where Texture Takes Shape

Now the real transformation began. Using Ardex Feather Finish (a DIY legend in the countertop world), we built up 4–6 layers. By the later rounds, instead of coating everything flat, we worked in thin patches. Each mix came out slightly different, leaving behind light and dark tones that gave the surface unexpected depth. It turned into one of those “happy accidents” that we proudly claimed later *cough* “yeeaaah, we totally meant to do that.”

The Rough Beauty of Imperfection

For the edges, we got creative: a sponge pressed in texture, while the top of a paintbrush added additional dips and pulls, making the countertop look like it had history. After a gentle sanding to tame the sharp bits, the stage was set for epoxy to do its upcoming magic.

View a step-by-step guide on a beautiful mess.

Dust Wars: Sealing the Space for Epoxy

Dust and bugs are epoxy’s worst enemies, so we gave the area a quarantine zone. Plastic walls went up, vacuums roared, and every speck and particle was banished. With the area sealed, we mixed and poured the epoxy (Magic Resin | Epoxy Resin for Table Tops). It flowed like honey—messy, unstoppable, and beautiful, all at the same time. Drips ran off the sides, but we weren’t worried; the floor was sealed up tighter than a burrito in foil! To finish, we passed a blowtorch over the surface, driving out air bubbles before they had a chance to set in.

Unwrapping the Gloss: The Big Reveal

The next day felt like unwrapping a present. Peeling away the plastic, we found a glossy, glass-smooth surface with epoxy hugging the edges. No bald spots, no disasters—just a countertop that actually looked like, well, A Countertop! And surprisingly, it looked both good and expensive, like a designerly piece of construction art. For a first-time adventure, we enjoyed this serious win.

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Sharp Edges, Soft Fixes – Final Touch-Ups

The only hiccup? The epoxy edges were a little sharper than we liked. A light sanding softened them up, and the rest we left untouched—because sometimes “don’t mess with it” is the best design choice.

Texture That Tells a Story

In the end, those patchy cement layers gave us something money can’t buy: Character. The subtle contrast between light and dark areas made the countertop unique, almost like a stone surface with its own fingerprint. And just like that, our plywood experiment ended in a one-of-a-kind epoxy-cement countertop—ready for everyday use, and maybe ready to inspire both yours and ours next big DIY adventure to come! On to the next challenge!

Final Notes: Looking Back

If there’s one thing we’d change with a time machine, it would be our choice of wood panels. Around a sink, water resistance matters more than we gave it credit for. Layered plywood panels would have been the smarter option. Particle board, on the other hand, has a dark side—once it gets wet, it swells and bulges like it’s holding a grudge. Over time, that can crack a sealed sink connection and cause trouble down the road. Lesson learned: the base matters just as much as the glossy finish.

Not every tool on the shelf is worth a spot in your precious toolbox. Skip the ones that slow you down, break too soon, or test your sanity more than your skills—the list below highlights a few worth avoiding.

Tous les outils sur la tablette ne méritent pas une place dans votre coffre. Évitez ceux qui vous ralentissent, qui cassent trop vite ou qui mettent plus à l’épreuve votre patience que vos compétences—la liste ci-dessous en présente quelques-uns à éviter.