egg table top

fishlessman

ive been thinking off building a permanent counter top/ egg table with colored concrete. something as dark as possible that will hide the grease gunk. has anyone used concrete with a color in it, how thick should it be to avoid cracking, it will be reinforced with expanded metal, and should it be sealed and with what. im thinking of a curved counter with a large and small on the ends and maybe a stainless jumping salmon inlay in the center. my summer project

bobbyb

fishlessman,
Please provide progress reports. Sounds like a project I would be interested in as well(probably sans a jumping salmon though).
Cheers, Bob

fishlessman

bobbyb,
the grills will be 10 feet from the lake, needs to have a jumpin salmon

bobbyb

fishlessman,
I fully understand where you are coming from. As I live on the Gulf Coast, maybe I should make mine a ground mullet(Biloxi Bacon)
Cheers, Bob

Chrispy Bob

fishlessman, Check out these finishes. I saw some this past week...they are fantastic.[p]CB[p]http://www.acidstainconcrete.com/

fishlessman

Chrispy Bob,
thanks for the link,its saved, while building my patio ive been digging out the basement, lots of free fill. that looks interesting for when i gett the cement poured in there for a rec room. ive got it down to 9 feet deep now and the patio is almost level. next years project

Unknown

fishlessman,
As a professional with concrete, there are a couple of things you need to know about concrete. The expanded metal sounds like a good re-inforcement. I would pour the concrete as least 3 inches thick. Make sure the expanded metal is near the bottom of the slab. If it is 3 inches thick, put the metal one inch from the bottom. This will insure the concrete will support any weight and not collaps. As far as color, there are several colors available but it can be hard to mix even. It takes a little work, but you will be able to do it. After you make the pour and the concrete makes it's initial set,(over night) you must keep it wet for at least 3 days, and I mean constant wet. This will keep it from dehydrating too fast and cracking. Sounds like a neat project you are about to undertake. [p]Jerry

fishlessman

Jwirlwind,
thanks for the info, my concrete experience is weak but ive done some. will need to build a nice rugged stand for it. would you recommend a sealer for outdoor use. the environment is usually wet with fog in summer, cold cold snowy in the winter