Looking into a slight kitchen remodel within a year or so… and really I was trying to gather information on what exactly we want before we go buy… I’m really interested in concrete counter tops… tons of finishing options and they are just ballertastic. Does anyone have concrete counters??? anyone brave enough to try to pour their own?
In the past the issues were being pores or easily stained… with more modern concrete mixes these issues are negligible… really my concern is with heat… weight on existing counters and, well the cost.
Just curious if anyone has experience with them… we are still a good year out, replacing all of our windows first, but will be looking to go with new counters, backsplash and potentially re-tiling the floor. Our square footage is around 70sq feet of really rough estimates.
They are all concrete… I like the idea of the integrated drain and possibly an inlaid cutting board. a lot of companies use recycled fly ash for coloring and rigidity… pretty cool.
Munster does concrete counter tops he could probably assist you in understanding options and pricing. Personally I am a big fan of concrete tops or granite.
I’m friends with a couple of the guys, and one of the former partners of Outlaw Studios down in the Strip. They were one of the first companies in Pittsburgh doing countertops, it’s pretty cool but costs roughly as much granite and can be more depending on what you mix into it…
If you get real serious, be glad to introduce you… a big trick to getting them right and looking good is to pour them seperate into a mold and then when released, polishing and filling an imperfections and polishing… and the sealer you use is extremely important. When they first started making them, the would stain easy with wine but the sealers available now are damn near impregnable
I’ve done tabletops and countertops. You got it right that the issues are with staining and heat. Honestly the weight is no more than granite. If you have modern cabinets…you’re fine. Something old maybe run a 2x4 along the wall to brace it. If you are going to put pots or pans on the top put stainless trivets in like the ones pictured above.
Sealing is another issue in itself, and it’s no concern to you. It’s the finisher. For the longest time it was damn near impossible to find a food safe sealer. Alot of guys are using polyurea sealers…I personally don’t like them because they take from the natural look of concrete. No matter what sealer is used I would use beeswax as a sacrificial layer to save the sealer.
You really need a solid idea of what you want for pricing. Color, thickness, nosing, aggregates, sealers, corners, sinks, trivets, etc are all options. I have a lot of books that you could borrow and some sites to look over for ideas.
Outlaw Studios is a great company, and they have tons of experience. Alot of great designs. I’ve seen their stuff at shows.
I do kitchen remodels for a living, but have bever touched on concrete counters. I do granite, laminate, quartz, and solid surface. Been looking into concrete though, I hear its just as versital as granite, but i like the modern feel of it. Whatever you find out about these Id appriciate it if you would pass it on.
shaggy, i wouldn’t’ expect you to be versed on things of such quality.
I will surely pass along my experiences! I am just getting a good list of vendors who have a history with it and we will see what plays out. I am still proposing the idea of making my own molds and having the concrete experts do the pouring and i’ll handle the sealing and buffing, but still not sure if that’s realistic or if I feel comfortable enought hat i won’t F it up.
Muster thanks! I might hit you up in the coming months!
Pouring isn’t even the bad part of the process. I would say 75% of your time is in forming. Making sure your forms are watertight is #1.
If you decide to tackle it yourself…there’s a pretty hefty cost in the polishing pads. You put alot of time into polishing, but not what you’d think. Just do your heavy cutting when it’s green (first 7 days) then let it cure out and final polishing after 28 days.
The industry secrets are getting rid of pock marks/entrapped air, sealing, and just forming creativity.
Hit me up whenever. I’m doing the window sills for my house in the next few weeks.
Damn idk now… Not sure my customers would appriciate haveing to wait a month to finish counters, as of right now I have a 2 week turnaround on a kitchen and people seem to be pleased with that
Exactly. Alot of people don’t understand. If you knew the layout prior to ordering cabinets and everything was square you could do them ahead of time and get them installed in time. That’d be super hard, though. Best way is to do your template on the installed cabinets.
Those concrete tops look awesome. Right now i think granite is just the latest fad, and in 10-15 years, it will make the kitchen look “dated”. Concrete, IMO, will not.
nice… Munster, i’m interested in the windows sills you are pouring… sounds wild. I am actually having some guys come out for a quote this week and next… we have 19 windows that need replaced… yikes. going to see this ‘project’ through first, then will move onto the kitchen. thanks for the links btw… once we get the project underway i’ll surely reach out for some advice and possible recommendations
No problem. I’ll post pics when I do the sills. I’ll probably get to them in the fall. I have a retaining wall and some other things to do around the house this summer. I already started on the forms. Just too many pots on the stove. haha.
