Concrete Countertops

More and more the modern home decor is incorporating nature motifs and one of the best places to feature the earthy look is with the installation of a concrete counter top.
The use of concrete to make your counter top has a number of advantages both practical and aesthetic. The durability of concrete means that with proper care the counter top will last the life of your kitchen. Concrete counter tops can be modified on site and made to conform to any special needs or odd dimensions in your workspace.

The natural look of concrete counter tops blends well with wood or stone to give your kitchen a warm natural look. By nature of their construction, a concrete counter top will be a unique creation and there are many ways to modify the texture and color to give you just the look you desire. The type of stones, glass chips or various types of pigments you add to the concrete for your counter top will determine its final appearance.

Whether your concrete counter top is factory made or if you build your concrete counter top yourself, the basic construction is the same. Once the area for your counter top is framed, a mixture of cement and lightweight aggregates are mixed into the mould. There are many different additives you can also incorporate to give your concrete counter top a specific unique color and texture. Various reinforcement methods are used, from steel support rods to mesh screen, depending on the desired final weight and thickness of your counter top.

It is very important that you allow proper time and a controlled environment for the concrete to "cure". This is one reason many manufacturers prefer to make them inhouse. But the home improvement do it yourselfer can create the same results with care. After your concrete is cured, it must be ground to a smooth finish and then a sealant must be added to protect the materials and surface of your counter top. This is a rather expensive and time consuming process, but well worth the effort in the long run.

Putting hot cooking utensils directly on the concrete counter top can damage the sealant, so many of these counter tops are built with trivets embedded into the material. Cutting boards should always be used rather than cutting directly on the surface as this can scratch the sealant and allow stains to slip into the material. While the concrete counter top will develop micro-fractures over time, these are a natural process of the material and are too small to worry about trapped food particles. The aging process can even add to the overall organic effect you are striving for when building and installing a concrete counter top for your kitchen.