When you think of concrete countertops, does it conjure up images of a gray, dull "driveway in the kitchen" style? Well, no more! Today's concrete can be colorful and decorative and molded into a myriad of shapes, thicknesses, and patterns. In fact, concrete is fast becoming "THE" countertop for high end houses.
Concrete can be poured in place or poured in the countertop shop, delivered to your kitchen and installed like granite. The countertops are extremely heavy and care should be taken to reinforce the cabinets and floors below them.
Many custom touches can be added to the countertops to make them just the way you want.
- Color: There are three basic ways to color concrete: Adding dye to the concrete mix, acid staining cured concrete, or adding elements such as glass, marble or metal to the wet mix and grinding the top to expose the elements in patterns.
- Patterns: The countertops can be formed upside down with large veins formed by packing the concrete loosely. When the concrete has cured, the countertop can be flipped over and the gaps filled with one or more coordinating or accent colors. The resulting look resembles marble.
- Corners: You can add custom accents to the corners by pressing objects such as leaves into them for a special touch.
- Maintenance:Concrete countertops need to be sealed with a penetrating sealer, followed by a satin or gloss sealer. The countertops are then polished frequently with beeswax to keep them from staining.
There are many educational materials on concrete countertop construction available on-line and you can do it yourself if you are willing to put in a lot of time and energy. If you choose to have a craftsman do the countertops, expect to pay between $75-150.00 a square foot. You will pay less than half that if you do it yourself.
All in all, concrete countertops are extremely versatile in shape, size and look, and are as durable as any other type of countertop on the market.
