Concrete is the fundamentals of urban civilization . You drive on it , walk on it , common on it and probably work inside of it . Your house stands on it . And you no doubt anguish yourself on it as a kid .
But did you ever imagine a concrete countertop ? Many people are choosing concrete over granite or upstanding - surface composites for their kitchen remodels . Sure , concrete is heavy and perdurable . But why would you want to make this rough , gray industrial workhorse a major feature in your kitchen , the heart of your home base ?
First of all , forget gray and unsmooth . What started as a common , blockish , low - budget experiment of the 1970s trapping industry has ripen into an industriousness in its own right . Today ’s concrete journeyman individually handcraft countertops to their client ’s exact specification of form and function . Each one is an original work of graphics , an facial expression of the homeowner ’s personality .
Concrete countertops describe for only a small dowry of countertop replacements , but they ’re pull in popularity both as gamey - end upgrades and as do - it - yourself projects . In the following pages , we ’ll explore concrete countertops and the electric potential for a do - it - yourself project .
What is Concrete?
A composite of cementum , gumption , pebble andwater , concrete is the oldest manmade building cloth . The Romans used it as early as 509 B.C. They establish extensively and imposingly during the Roman Republic era . The ruins that people cluster to see – thePantheon , the Coliseum , Pompeii – were built of , and stand in will to the durability of , concrete .
After the Roman Empire cave in around 400 A.D. , concrete construction disappeared from Europe . Not until 1754 did concrete technology resurface . William Smeaton , founder of civil engineering in England , grow a mortar of limestone and clay that hardened under water . He used this on the limestone footings of the third Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth in Devon , England .
Seventy eld by and by , another Brit , Joseph Aspdin , patented an improved version of Smeaton ’s hydraulic lime trench mortar and call it Portland cement . Still , establish with concrete did n’t take off until 1871 , when David O. Saylor , an American , patented his own well - researched and test formula of hydraulic cementum and built a manufacturing plant to produce it in bombastic amount .
Today , concrete is the most widely used building material in the earth . Because of its hydraulic nature , concrete can be used as underwater support forbridges , docks and piers . Its compressive posture makes it ideal for route andskyscrapers . And its smooth versatility lends itself to architectural grace in bridgework arches and plaza fountains .
So how do these qualities translate into concrete being a desirable countertop material ? Keep reading to find out .
Decorative Concrete Countertops
In the sphere of form and function , laminates , square - surface and granite do n’t measure up to concrete . It ’s hard , undestroyable and heat - resistant , and it ’s impressively self-coloured . Furthermore , it ’s not the same , tired climb granite . No other kitchen will have a countertop that ’s anything like yours .
If you ’ve always stargaze of prepping dinner on a field of ocean blue , you could achieve that with a concrete countertop . Ditto if you want your countertop to match an antique pitcher , a speckle of color in your floor or the shade of your first love life ’s eyes . imagine of the color selection in a pigment store ; the range of colors for concrete countertops is just as wide .
supply pigments to concrete during the mix phase produces a solid colour countertop . Mixing in the pigment unevenly or using a trowel to contribute it in after the concrete is in the mold can accomplish a vary event .
For more semitransparent color , substitute battery-acid stain or dye for pigments . These colorants are applied topically to the concrete after it has cure . The penetration into the concrete is highly shallow , but acid stain and dyes distribute color shades and hue across the countertop surface in a style that mimics nature .
The aggregates you prefer , combined with a grind - and - polish finish method , are a great way of life to influence the final coming into court of a concrete countertop . Aggregates are stuff that bond with the sand and cementum to add together enduringness to concrete . For lumbering - duty applications , like roads and building foundations , the aggregate is usually coarse gravel . Finer materials supply both strength and beauty in countertops , where appearance is as crucial as single-valued function . Grinding the countertop surface allow aggregates to glint through , unwrap crude river pebbles , luminescent marble chips or colored glass confetti . Polishing afterward gives the countertop a smooth , sleek finish .
For a sincerely personal tinge , many people choose meaningful artifacts or objects to engraft in the concrete . These items melt down the gamut fromfossilsand geodes toCDsand transmission parts .
Imbedded items are n’t just decorative ; they can be functional , too . A permanent trivet next to the stove is always quick to obtain a raging commode . A pastry slab of marble beckons bread maker and protects the concrete from oil and Elvis in dough . A obliterable cutting board rest firmly in place while you form .
Because concrete starts as a fluid mixture , it require the shape of its mold . Through the complex body part of the mold , you’re able to desegregate other functionalities into a concrete countertop , like a drain board that slopes to the sink , a trough to hold bollock and convenient repositing for knife .
Concrete ’s malleability also allow you to intend beyond the typical rectangle countertop with a bull nose edge . frame in concrete , your countertop can take on curves , angle and a vertical cesspool fount . The edges can show a Florentine rest period , geometrical formula or spell out a favorite saying . If you’re able to craft it into the mould , you’re able to retroflex it in your countertop .
Concrete countertops deliver knockout , individuality and gamy - office . So what should you think about before pouring concrete ? take on to observe out .
Concrete Countertop Factors
TheNational Kitchen and Bath Associationrecommends 132 " ( 330 curium ) or 11 ' ( 3.3 m ) of usable tabulator frontal for kitchens under 150 solid feet ( 13.5 straight meters ) and 198 " ( 495 cm ) or 16.5 ' ( 4.95 m ) of sideboard frontage for kitchens over 150 square feet [ source : Farris ] . Countertops are typically 24 to 26 " ( 60 to 65 cm ) cryptical , and if you plan to integrate functional features like a incline drain board into your concrete countertop , it will demand to be 2.5 " ( 6.25 cm ) thick . Concrete of that thickness weighs around 30 pounds per square animal foot ( 150 kg per sq . m ) [ informant : Cheng ] . In a small kitchen , you ’ll have over 650 lbs ( 300 kg ) of countertop sit around on your cabinet ; it ’ll be almost 1,000 lbs ( 450 kilo ) for large kitchens .
The weight unit of concrete is a decisive physical consideration . countertop made of concrete are heavier than countertops of any other stuff , including granite . You ’ll need to evaluate the condition of your cabinets and floor to limit if they ’re solid enough to bear the weight of a concrete countertop . Factors admit age , strength and stipulation . Location also comes into play for storage locker ; are they against a paries or freestanding ?
you could reenforce cabinets with 1/2 " ( 1.25 centimeter ) plywood glue and sleep with to their side of meat and back . To distribute the weight over the widest possible area , put 3/4 " ( 1.875 atomic number 96 ) plywood over the cabinet cover . Keep in mind , though , that reinforcing stimulus changes the property and perchance the appearance of your cabinets and upgrade your countertop acme .
Beyond weight , you should also consider whether a concrete countertop is desirable to your lifestyle . Like all countertop materials , concrete has strong suit and weaknesses .
firmly and durable as it is , concrete need more frequent maintenance than granite . It must be dismantle and resealed with wax every three months . Even with tending , concrete changes in appearance with age . It accrues hairline cracks as it expands and narrow with temperature changes . It wo n’t melt if you put a hot pot on it , but it might break off if you put the pot down too hard . And none of the available sealant provides perfect protection fromstainsand dough .
Concrete is not the best countertop stuff if you live in a seismically active area . Its posture is compressive , which is why it can take the free weight of tractor - trailer andskyscraperswithout shattering . But it ’s not near on a twist . If the supporting complex body part shift from level , concrete cracks .
While the materials to make concrete are not dearly-won , the expertness of a concrete artisan is . Expect to devote around $ 70 per square foot of countertop for a unproblematic professional fabrication and instalment . If you want to contain special features , contrive to branch over $ 200 or more per square pes . you’re able to do the work yourself , but it may be you in other surface area . Read on to see what we imply .
Making a Concrete Countertop
project for a concrete countertop start just like other countertops : with measurement and a guide to betoken the sizing , Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe , seam arrangement , location of the sink and faucets and other features .
While other countertop fabric are thin out from a slab , concrete countertop are shape in a stamp . So the next footstep is building the mold . If you choose the pour in shoes method , the mould is built on top of your console . mould for precast countertop are built elsewhere , and the countertop is hauled to your kitchen after finishing and seal .
After the mould is work up , leak - sealed , clean and secured to a uncompromising , level backing surface , it ’s time to mix the concrete . The proportion of cementum , sand , aggregate andwaterdetermine the daintiness and strength of the concrete . Admixtures such aswater reducer(an additive that allows you to mix viable concrete with minimal water),retardant(an additive that retard setting time ) , fibers ( for added strength ) and pigments are flux into the concrete at this time .
When the slopped concrete loosely hold its form in your ( laborious - responsibility synthetic rubber gloved ) hired man , rally your strength for the pour . After test the consistence , orslump , of the concrete , you ’ll transfer it by the shovelful from the mix vessel to the mold . You ’ll have no metre forcoffeebreaks here . Concrete starts arrange , or losing its malleability , about 30 second after mixing .
Shovel the wet concrete into the mold until it covers the bottom , then resonate the mold withhammertaps or a laurel wreath sander to help the mixture rate of flow into corners and around reinforcement bars . restate the layering / vibrating process until the mold is full . Use a fair , straight 2x4 toscreed(level ) the bottom edge . If you are pouring in spot , this will be the top .
After about half an hour , smoothen the aerofoil with a wooden float . Give the concrete a chance to put up , and then smooth the surface with the flat bound of a trowel .
The concrete may take anywhere from three Day to a week to cure . Curing fourth dimension depends on temperature , humidness and the character of cement you use . Ideally , your countertop will bring around in a climate - controlled field with a medial temperature of 75 stage Fahrenheit ( 24 degrees Celsius ) and eminent humidness .
The concrete isgreen , or not fully harden , when you take away the cast , so the countertop must be cautiously back up when it ’s moved off the mould and flipped for finishing . The incompleteness of the hardening crap it easier to grate and polish the concrete , but it also means it ’s easy to scrape or rout the Earth’s surface .
crunch begins with a coarse grate lodgings and come along to a very ok tablet . shining follow the same order . This is a labor intensive , clip - consuming and costly caper that ’s best finished within 10 Clarence Day of the pour .
When the airfoil is as smooth and sleek as you want it , you should practice several coats of a nutrient - grade penetrating sealant and top that with a pelage of beeswax . set up the countertop on inclined and leveled storage locker , and satisfy the seams with a color - matched caulk .
Dangers of Concrete Countertops
If you ’re planning a do - it - yourself concrete countertop , or contemplating hiring a pro for a pour in spot project in your nursing home , you ’ll need to take precautions to reduce health peril associated with several of the cloth of concrete industry .
These material must be handled with guardianship and proper safety gear .
And do n’t leave that concrete is very expectant . You ’ll be make a motion hundreds of hammer of textile in every stagecoach of the labor , from bringing home the raw ingredients , mixing them , pouring the concrete , and installing the ruined countertop .
make a lowly , unproblematic concrete countertop is an achievable do - it - yourself undertaking . produce concrete countertops for an full kitchen is a challenging task , especially if you have n’t work with concrete before . Potential hurdles include :
Even if you take an incredible amount of care in creating your concrete countertops , there are several things that could possibly go incorrect . You may encounterghosting , shadows of reinforcing rods that appear on the surface . This is because of insufficient vibration of the mildew . drudge to reveal the aggregate may denigrate the appearance .
The concrete countertops may also crack because of too muchwaterin the admixture or vaporization of H2O in hot , ironic conditions . Another pitfall may be efflorescence , a white coating that blooms on the surface of concrete . body of water stains may occur from discolorations in the concrete due to water pooling under the concrete or seeping through the mold .
Even without holes , cracks or chip shot , concrete is very porous . But a well - cook up , decent varnish concrete countertop should be resistant to moisture and innocent of pits or pinholes that can harbor bacteria . A 1999 study by the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management shows that a concrete countertop ’s resistance to bacterial taint when cleaned with dish detergent and urine is similar to that of stainlesssteel , and higher-ranking to wood , laminate and tile countertops [ root : Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management ] . Cleaning withvinegarkills importantly more bacterium than cleaning with soap and water , but the acid in vinegar corrode through wax sealants commonly used on concrete countertop .
Environmental Implications of Concrete Countertops
Environmentally speaking , concrete countertops acquaint a mixed bag of tough and good .
On the bad side , concrete utilize a lot of cementum . Cement production necessitate a great pile of energy for the high - temperature processing of limestone and other textile . Between the different stages of cement manufacturing , the cement manufacture is one of two elementary producer of carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) , creating up to 10 percent of worldwide emissions of this gas [ sources : van Oss andBrehm ] . Limestone , grit , clay and totality are mine from theearthby tons to make concrete , disrupt habitats and leaving huge craters in the earth . Additionally , making concrete removes freshwaterfrom the surround , currently at the rate of over 2.2 trillion lbs ( 1 gigatonne ) per twelvemonth [ source : van Oss ] .
Heavy metal , which can make wellness problems and contaminate filth , H2O andfoodsupplies , are part of the make up of some pigments , such as chromium oxide and atomic number 27 blue . acidulous stain and sealant can let go Volatile Organic Compounds ( VOC ) that pollute the melodic phrase , creating respiratory problem and contributing to the organization of ozone in the Earth ’s atmosphere .
On the good side , your concrete countertop plausibly wo n’t require to be replaced for generations . With care and alimony , it can last for 75 years . When it needs supercede , the countertop can be reprocess for unlike function or broken into congeries for fresh concrete .
Because concrete is so significant to our everyday life , legion institutions turn to reduce its negative impact . The Concrete Countertops Institute promotes the use of waste material fabric as aggregate and cementum supplements . Civil and environmental railroad engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are experiment with reorganise the nanoparticles in concrete to reduce CO2 emissions . And the U.S. Army has developed technology that wee-wee concrete repel weewee without harmful sealer .
For lots more information on concrete countertops , interior decorating and related topics , design your centre over the connexion on the next varlet .
