Concrete Countertops

Strong And Stylish Concrete Countertops

The most common material we see everyday is concrete. Our streets are made of concrete, so are all of the buildings in our cities, and most of our houses as well. Concrete is strong and durable albeit simply unattractive. But today, there are some innovations which made concrete beautiful and elegant, which placed it in the class and style of expensive gemstones.

Countertop manufacturers have made extraordinary improvements on the appearance of concrete that they are now used to build stylish concrete countertops. These countertops are the latest craze among avant-garde homeowners. They are not only tough and strong, but are exquisitely fashionable as well.

Unlike natural stones, concrete is easy to work with and very flexible. You can specify the structural strength, color and surface texture of concrete countertops any way you want. In so doing, you will also be able to control the cost. If you have unlimited budget, you can order for the strongest and most beautiful concrete countertops. But if your pocket is not too deep, you can just settle for a standard polished concrete countertop that is within your budget limits. Either way, you will have a pleasant-looking countertop that you can use for as long as you want.

How Concrete Countertops Are Made
The typical concrete countertop is made of cement, concrete aggregates, acrylic fillers and color pigments. Different ratios of these components distinguish various concrete countertops from each other. You can vary the structural strength of the countertop by varying the amount of cement and the concrete aggregates. Likewise, color variations are possible by varying the amount of color pigments.

Concrete countertops are usually formed in a mold or frame. This mold is formed according to the design of the countertop. The inside of the mold is lined up with reinforcing steel bars, wire mesh and fiberglass. These reinforcing elements are evenly distributed throughout the frame to ensure uniform strength. All the concrete components are mixed together and poured inside this mold. The mixture will be allowed to dry and set for the next 48 hours.

Once the concrete has dried, thorough sanding will be done on the surface. This sanding will make it even harder and stronger. Sealing the surface with an epoxy sealant follows. The surface is then polished until it attains a mirror finish. After polishing, you now have a final product which is classified as polished concrete. This is the standard concrete countertop available in the market. It is highly resistant to water, heat, dirt and grime because of its highly compact internal structure.

Cost Of Building Concrete Countertops
Cement and concrete is definitely cheaper than granite and other expensive stones traditionally used in building countertops. Therefore, concrete countertops will be definitely cheaper. However, due to the special aggregates added to concrete, the final cost will also increase. The cost of a regular polished concrete countertop ranges from $65 to $75 per square foot. This is relatively cheaper than granite countertops. If you want a more dazzling countertop, you can choose the diamond-polished concrete countertop. It will cost you from $180 to $200 per square foot to build one. But you will have a sparkling countertop surface just like diamond, and just as hard.

Caring For Concrete Countertops
Counters made of concrete are built with mirror finish. This surface finish can be ruined if you don’t use the countertop carefully. Placing your hot pots and pans directly on the countertop surface will destroy its finish. Therefore always use trivets or cloth pads for these items. Don’t allow water, dirt and other foreign items linger on the surface. Clean or wipe them off right away. If they cake or harden, they will be harder to remove.

Slab-Lab Concrete Studio A Boston artisan studio that can build bespoke concrete countertops, such as the one shown opposite. Contact them at: 260 Centre Street Holbrook Massachusetts 02343 Tel: 617.733.1240 www.slab-lab.com

Benefits of Using Concrete Countertops
Concrete countertops are strong, elegant and durable therefore you can use them for a long time. They are also built as a single unit, with no joints or seams. Therefore there will be no places where molds and bacteria can stay and multiply. Your countertop will really be a safe place to prepare your food. They are also very easy to clean and to maintain. Their surfaces are hard and tough so you can use them for heavy duty purposes. Just be careful about their surface finish.

Downsides To Owning Concrete Countertops
Concrete has a porous surface therefore you need to adequately seal and laminate the surface of a concrete countertop. Given reasonable time, the concrete surface will grow dull therefore you need to have a regular schedule of re-sealing and re-laminating if you want to preserve its mirror finish.