The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
Precast or poured on-site, concrete countertops can be made in a wide array of colors, finishes and textures in any shape imaginable with endless embed options, imprinted features and edge treatments.
Thicker pads will last longer, but are stiffer and commonly prone to cupping when they dry out. Cupped pads don’t wear evenly, and often the outer area doesn’t actually make contact with the concrete. Photos courtesy of The Concrete Countertop Institute
At first glance, you’d think you were looking at a distinguished upholstered bar done in a style that many attribute to a sofa designed for the fourth earl of Chesterfield, Philip Stanhope (1694-1773), that featured the now iconic buttoned leather look.
Custom countertop design evokes the look of a lakeshore with integral color and acid stains, plus the homeowners’ collection of beach glass used as a creative custom aggregate.
Southwestern Paint and Supply’s Hydro Guard, a sealer designed 22 years ago for secondary containment of chemicals and for sealing exterior stucco, has been discovered in recent years by decorative concrete fabricators who appreciate its thinness and praise its stain resistance and durability.
Concrete artisans are adept at dovetailing different techniques to amplify the impact of their finished work. Bill Kulish, owner of Quintechs LLC in Wilmington, Del., had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity last year to combine a couple of the special effects described in this feature (and a couple that aren’t) in a highly personal kitchen counter.
Aggregates that glow and sparkle. Scented concrete. Salted concrete. Cremated ashes in concrete … Just some of the out-there options that are only offered by this industry.
Bag mixes for countertops share some characteristics: They are designed to minimize cracking and shrinking, they are strong enough to be poured in thinner slabs and they are optimized for workability.
Maurer, who has been doing masonry work in Pennsylvania for close to 25 years, specialized in stone patios until rising prices for materials forced him to explore other avenues. About 10 years ago, when he was in his 30s, he discovered the world of decorative concrete.
From "food-safe" to "sacrificial coating," kitchen concrete countertop maintenance will have you upgrading your vocabulary along with your tool kit. Here’s how to speak the language.
A beam is a horizontal structural member that spans some open space and is supported near the ends. The beam can then support some weight placed on top of it somewhere between the end supports. A floor joist is a beam. Concrete countertops are also beams.
