Countertop in self-leveling compound with fibers sticking up.

[Exxi]

No major difference between regular mortar or expanding mortar in consistency, the only thing is that expanding doesn't settle on an undisturbed surface, whereas regular concrete would settle 4-5%, but if you are going to trowel or smooth, the difference is zero. A bag of expanding mortar costs about 140kr, while regular mortar costs 60kr, hold onto your bucks 🙂

 

[crusade]

Thanks for all the playful suggestions like tape and razor. Tape, unsurprisingly, did not work. I will try the razor for fun. But otherwise, I would like to inform you that the heat gun required half a second of presence to annihilate the fibers. Or, not entirely true. For some reason, they disappear in a flash, but actually leave behind a short stubble that doesn't disappear no matter how long you heat. This "stubble" makes the surface rough, but the problem is solved if I treat the bench with something that forms a hardening surface on top (like varnish or epoxy) instead of something that is absorbed by the leveling compound (like oil, wax).

However, I haven't decided on the surface treatment yet. I need to know more about water glass and epoxy before I can make a decision. There's a lot to read online, but if anyone has specific experiences with reasons, I'm all ears.

 

[Andreas_kalmar]

The coating depends on whether you want a glossy or matte surface on the board. Vattenglas is not enough, you'll probably need epoxy or an acrylic lacquer.

 

[Maxwells demon]

Start by "sealing" with Steinfix 100+. Expensive as gold and quite hard to find. I used it on the outdoor kitchen's countertop. The surface is like a lotus flower now. I can "roll" the water droplets away.

 

[crusade]

TotalControl, "Start with" you write, does that mean you think I should have something on top, like varnish or epoxy? Does the impregnation of Stenfixen serve any function if I then cover the surface with another treatment?

 

[Maxwells demon]

"Start with" I actually meant if afterwards you want a different look than the neutral one you get with stenfix. It doesn't become glossy or anything after the treatment with stenfix. Then I actually don't know what can be combined with stenfix to make it glossy.

For me, it wasn't relevant to have anything other than a neutral concrete look. I love that the slab got its neutral rough look. It fits well by the outdoor kitchen where you'll be standing and grilling and cutting animal parts with a machete-sized chef's knife under a moderate buzz. Wouldn't fit in the indoor kitchen where the girl serves scones and tea, at most...

 

[Andreas_kalmar]

If you're going to lacquer, it's best to avoid impregnating as it can cause adhesion problems. If you lacquer with clear epoxy, you'll get a glossy surface, whereas with acrylic, for example, it will be more satin matte. Test first on another surface.

 

[leek502]

Hello. I have cast a countertop in self-leveling compound with fibers. But when I sand the surface, the fibers stand up and give a fuzzy surface. What can be done about this? Is it something that disappears when you treat the surface with lacquer or water glass? Can the fibers be burned off with a propane torch? I don't want to ruin the countertop...or the house for that matter.

I also wonder what is recommended to treat the surface with? I have read many tips here on the forum but nothing for self-leveling compound. It might not be any different from concrete. I would prefer a relatively maintenance-free surface that provides a durable surface, like lacquer (but recently read that lacquer should be avoided as it is heat-sensitive) and preferably avoid oil and wax.

Have you carefully tried burning off the fibers? What happens?

 

[anders07]

Have you tried cautiously burning off the fiber? What happens?

Considering it was 6 years ago, I hope TS has already resolved it or learned to live with it...

 

[brumbjorn]

Hi. I have cast a countertop in self-leveling compound with fibers. But when I sand down the surface, the fibers stand up and create a fuzzy surface. What can be done about this? Is it something that disappears when you treat the surface with varnish or water glass? Can the fibers be burned off with a blowtorch? I don't want to ruin the countertop... or the house for that matter.

I also wonder what is recommended to treat the surface with? I have read many tips here on the forum but nothing for self-leveling compound. Maybe it's no different from concrete. I would like to have a relatively maintenance-free surface that gives a durable finish, like varnish (but I've recently read that varnish should be avoided because it is heat-sensitive) and preferably avoid oil and wax.

Burn them off.

 

[useless]

Burn them off.

Do you think the OP has waited 9 years for your advice?

Besides, it might be difficult to burn off glass fibers.

 

[leek502]

Hello. I have cast a countertop in self-leveling compound with fibers. But when I sand down the surface, the fibers stand up and give a fuzzy surface. What can be done about this? Does this disappear when you treat the surface with varnish or water glass? Can the fibers be burned off with a propane torch? I don't want to ruin the countertop... or the house for that matter.

I also wonder what is recommended to treat the surface with? I've read many tips here on the forum but nothing specific to self-leveling compound. Maybe it's no different from concrete. I'd like to have a relatively maintenance-free surface that provides a durable finish, like varnish (but lately, I've read that you should avoid varnish as it's sensitive to heat) and preferably avoid oil and wax.

I'll update with some pictures. It might be hard to understand what I mean otherwise

[image]

[image]

[image]

Hi! This is what I did. I believe in your idea to burn off the fibers... After I sanded the surface, I painted it with floor paint from Jula, there's also an epoxy variant. Before the second coat dried, I crumbled up and sifted flakes (Jula) to about 1-2 mm size. After the paint and flakes cured, I fine-sanded the surface further to make it smoother. Then I applied two layers of hard wax oil that doesn't yellow. Many exist, like Osmo or this one I attached. I'm super satisfied, nice and rock hard.

 

[Andreas_kalmar]

Nice