CONCRETE KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS DIY HOW TO BOOKS & PHOTOS

Q1: Why should I entertain concrete as a material for interior applications like kitchen or bathroom counters?
Concrete is an extraordinary material that is practical, expressive, and aesthetic all at once. From a primal and formless slurry, you can transform it into virtually any shape that becomes a solid mass. The possibilities for creative expression are endless. You can grind, polish, stamp, or stain it. You can embed meaningful objects within it.

Q2: What are the advantages of concrete countertops over marble and/or granite?
How does concrete compare to granite in terms of both cost (per square foot) and texture?
The biggest advantage of concrete is that it is completely customizable; you can sculpt, mold, and texturize it to your own desire. It's also a material that the average do-it-yourselfer can easily use — creating something original and meaningful while saving money. If you have a concrete kitchen or bathroom counter made for you, the cost will be based on the complexity of the form, the mold-making process, and the desired finish, rather than the size. Cost comparisons between materials should be done on a project-by-project basis.

Q3: Do concrete countertops have an application in more traditional kitchens?
Yes, absolutely. Style is dictated by design; concrete can adapt to any look. For example, edge detailing and decorative inlays can help a concrete counter blend into more traditional environments.

Q4: Can I use concrete countertops in a commercial kitchen?
In California, concrete counters are allowed in food-service areas, but you should check with your local health department official first before starting any commercial project.

Q5: Would concrete countertops be good for outside use—as in an outdoor barbeque countertop?
How will a colored concrete counter hold up in the sunshine?
Outside use is possible, but you need to consider and address freeze/thaw and efflorescence problems which can be tricky. In addition, there are issues of wear and tear from weather and natural elements. Most iron-oxide pigments are color-fast, including the reds, yellows, browns, and oranges (as far as black, synthetic black oxide is more colorfast than carbon black). Greens are a bit more unpredictable, and blues (except for very expensive cobalt blue) are especially unpredictable when subject to UV rays.

Q6: Can I use concrete countertops as a cutting surface?
As with marble or granite, we do not recommend cutting directly on a concrete surface, as it could result in scratches and gouges in the finish of your counter as well as harm the blades of your knives.

Q7: Can I put a hot pot directly onto a concrete kitchen counter?
Concrete is heat-resistant but is subject to thermal shock if a red-hot object is placed directly upon it. Like granite, the exposed area may flake or chip away if too much heat is applied. In addition, the heat could damage the sealer and wax applied to the surface. We recommend using trivets for hot cookware.

Q8: Can concrete countertops chip, flake, or crack?
As with marble and granite, concrete corners and edges can chip if struck by a hard object. Sealing and rounding the inside corners of the mold with silicone will ease the edges and prevent chipping. Hairline cracks can also develop, but these are not structural failures; rather, they are inherent characteristics of the material.

Q9: Do concrete countertops stain?
Concrete has approximately the same porosity as marble. Acids (especially red wine, lemon juice, and vinegar) will etch the surface if not cleaned up right away. The CHENG Sealer and CHENG Finishing Wax will help resist stains, but they aren't acid-proof and won't make your counter impervious to stains. Luckily, like aged butcher block or marble, a patina on concrete countertops can actually enhance the character of the surface, so a spill is not necessarily a disaster. Note, however, that while Concrete Countertops states that we use penetrating sealers (and at the time of its printing we were), we now use a "hybrid" topical sealer that also has penetrating qualities. We now use CHENG Sealer in our fabrication shop and is the best all-around sealer we have found for use with the concrete countertops we produce.

Q11 : Types Of Finishes
Ground Finish - Lightly or aggressively ground to reveal a light sand aggregate or larger marble chip aggregate depending on the extent of the diamond pad with water ground finish.

Hard Trowel Finish - Smooth and mono-chromatic in appearance, cast right side up in a mold, and steel-troweled to lightly burnish the surface with the cream rising to the surface of the concrete slab while it is wet.

Pressed Finish - Pressed finish is cast up side down in a mold, and appears veined. It may be tone-on-tone, with the voids created in the pressing process in-filled with a slurry paste of a matching color, or it may be finished with one or more contrasting colors filling the voids, creating a more mottled effect.

Concrete is an extraordinary material that is practical, expressive, and aesthetic all at once. From a primal and formless slurry, you can transform it into virtually any shape that becomes a solid mass. The possibilities for creative expression are endless. You can grind, polish, stamp, or stain it. You can embed meaningful objects within it.

"Concrete is an ideal medium to express relationships between art and craft, between architecture and contracting.

There is something powerful-something emotional-about projects that evolve from actual hands-on experience with the material, coupled with an understanding of the pattern language of design principles."

— Fu-Tung Cheng

Concrete has substance and mass, permanence and warmth. It feels earthy, and is at home in both traditional and modern settings. It assumes forms that irrevocably touch our daily lives-bridges, highways, floors, walls... even countertops. Concrete is also surprisingly tactile. Cast and shaped, it can feel like stone rounded by the sea. Textured and colored, it can echo the patina of timeworn tile.

It first occurred to me to make a countertop out of concrete in 1985, when a friend and I were hired to design and renovate a professor's house in the Berkeley Hills. He gave us a modest budget and announced, "This is all I can afford to spend; do whatever you want." Armed with this rare creative license (and plenty of youthful exuberance) we aimed to be as innovative as possible.

This invitation to imagine, play, and explore inevitably led me to experiment in my own kitchen, where concrete and I began what is now our nearly two-decade dance. My first countertop was a single piece containing 11 cubic feet of concrete. It weighed nearly 1500 pounds and took 10 people-and 2 engine hoists-to turn it over once it had cured. We barely managed it, but the piece came out beautifully and is still being put to good use today.

I have a fine arts background and have been able to channel my design energy and creativity through my firm, Cheng Design, and our residential design work. Our portfolio includes kitchen and bath design, interior remodels, and complete custom homes. We also happen to be licensed contractors, which means we balance design principles with an understanding and appreciation of craftsmanship. Concrete is our material of choice because its utility and durability are matched by its sculptural sensitivity. Hands-on experience has taught me and my staff how to simplify the process and control the variables that affect the finished product. The malleability of this material, and the techniques Cheng Design has developed for manipulating it, make it a perfect choice for any countertop.

Because of its adaptability, concrete finds itself welcome in all areas of the home, especially in the kitchen and bath, but also in fireplaces, patios, garden paths, or water features. Concrete can also be used as a floor material with enormous creative advantages whether seeded, stained, stamped, broomed or diamond-finished. It can be a sole performer or play the supporting role to tile, mosaics, decorative aggregates, stone, wood, or metal. It is inexpensive, durable, noncombustible, impervious to decay, and also very effective for passive solar gain in the right application.

With vertical treatments, concrete gives us an opportunity to recapture some of the feeling of the monolithic wall-the feeling of substance, of protection. Walls are also a great place to explore form. A wall doesn't have to be flat or straight, but can curve and undulate. It can be textured to be rough as stone or smooth as glass.

It's my hope that Concrete will inspire more homeowners, artists, designers, architects, and concrete professionals to get their hands dirty and play.

I invite you to use the ideas, techniques, resources, and products presented here as a springboard to explore the creative possibilities of this age-old material. We are pleased to share our extensive knowledge, built on years of design exploration and technical experimentation, and to offer our proprietary line of NeoMix System products — plus all the accessories, tools and instructional products you'll need-at our online store.

You can make a countertop that is unique, beautiful, and strong-a countertop that expresses your creativity and the pride you take in your work or in your home.

Surrender to the impulse... carve your initials in concrete.