nlb333
Junior Nomad
Posts: 29
Registered: 9-18-2009
Location: San Bruno, BCS
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need cabinets and countertops, in concrete, help please...
When we moved in our kitchen seemed fine, not the dimensions I would have used, the cupboards seem too deep. The i decided to paint the cupboards,
while taking the cabinet doors off, i can see a very poor job was done adn was done in untreated lumber. We have major termite damage. We now just
want to have open cupboard space and use blocks and concrete to redo the kitchen, has anyone else done this? could you give us some pointers and if
you have some sort of instructional guide, where did you get it? we will be hiring someone to complete this job, but we want to know whats going on
every step of the way and we want to get our hands in it as much as possible, as much as our 17 months old son will want to too.
Thanks
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
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It's common to use block though that uses lots of space and is not really cheaper than better alternatives. Other common solutions are panel WU which
is foam panels and wire mesh about 3"-4" inches thick with a thin coating. Another solution which I think is excellent is to use rebar into the walls
and floor and pour a form made from wood, the result is thinner, stronger, cheaper, and likely permanent.
Basically, you need to free design your open shelves perhaps even mark the walls exactly as you would like and begin to drill for re-bar attachments,
build forms from wood to pour shelves around the rebar, typically about 2.5"-3" thick with a smooth finish poured of either tinted white cement or
you will need to paint the cement which is not so wonderful.
These poured cement shelves, base walls and counter-tops are quite common and you will certainly find someone in construction in your region with
experience.
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Santiago
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3512
Registered: 8-27-2003
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Send Shari a U2U as she has photos of the entire process that was done in her kitchen. Most people tile the counter tops but you can trowel it smooth
and then stain. I did this on my outside BBQ and it is very trouble free but concrete is porous so I put a coat of beeswax ($$$) a few times each
year.
By the way, one of the guys that does work on my place in Baja told me of a fool-proof way to get rid of termites. One a new moon (must be pitch-dark
as termites hate light) go to the area of infestation and hold a mirror up about 6" away. The termites will see their reflection but think that it's
another tribe and leap to the 'new' wood to defend their territory. When they land on the mirror simply squish them. He swears that in 2 or 3 new
moons they will be gone.
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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nlb333, while Santiago's mirror suggestion might  have some merit to it.....a faster & quite possibly more permanent
solution might be to switch to a different material other than concrete, it's called muro block, can be cut to any depth, width, length,
shape you need. I can't resize pics to post here, but you can see the product I'm talking about at:
http://www.talkbaja.com/showthread.php?t=447
There's a post # in the upper right corner of each post within the thread, the finished product is shown on Page 1, posts #19 & 20....the raw
material is shown on Page 2, post #59.
It's a clean, durable product & best of all, it doesn't attract termites. For my bookshelves, I just put a coat of latex sealer on & then
painted them in latex, but you could glue counter tile on & put a more permanent finish on them for kitchen use.
Santiago...
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nlb333
Junior Nomad
Posts: 29
Registered: 9-18-2009
Location: San Bruno, BCS
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thanks everyone, now Dustin and I have a bunch to talk about
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