Anyone have concrete counters?

[trulygoofy]

We are redoing our kitchen and we are planning on putting in concrete counters. My DH can do them himself (yes, he is very handy) and it would save a lot compared to granite and we like how they look. I am wondering if anyone here has them and how they like them. I wanted something easy to maintain.

 

[elf]

I'm signing on because I would like to know also.
We are having a house built in NC and decided not to go with granite through the builder (extra $8,000). We decided to change the counter tops when we move in. I started to hear about many people using cement, it is supposed to be cheaper and they say it looks nice. I would love to see pictures.

 

[Donnask8pro]

Your not talking about man-made stone, right? granite like? But not.. I just had my kitchen completely redone, but I never heard of concrete countertops.

 

[budbeerlady]

A friend of Dh was doing this to his house. I will ask dh how it turned out. I know it was heavier than heck, Dh helped him lift them into place.

 

[mytwotinks]

I do not have them, but would love to hear someone's first hand experience. I have seen concrete counter tops that had the sink built in all in one piece and they looked awesome. The only downside I have ever heard about them is that since concrete is porous you have to seal them and reseal them fairly often to keep them from staining. It is my dream to find someone who knows how to do this and get them for my kitchen someday!

 

[trulygoofy]

My DH is going to pour them in place. We saw some at a kitchen design store, and they look great. We have picked out glass tiles for the backslash and we can make the counters match using concrete. We have been putting this off for years and now it is time to finally do it. I hope they are easy to care for. The kids and I will have to resist the urge to put my hand print in them while they are drying!

 

[Lisa_M]

I don't know about concrete, but have you thought about resurfacing the ones you have? There is stuff called Stone Mason E-Z Stone that you can put on your countertops that turns out beautiful. Check Home Depot or Menards they may carry it in your area. Here's a link to the website. They don't have any countertop pictures on here, but it's a great product. http://www.usehickson.com/StoneMason/DecorativeCoatings/EZStone_Detail.shtml

 

[littleshamrock]

But I am biased, since my boyfriend is a solid surface fabricator. I would never be allowed to like anything else (he likes what he does).

 

[elf]

After this I started to look up things on the internet. They had some interesting designs. You could put glass, stone, shell, leaf designs, etc in it.

TrulyGoofy-I don't think we could resist putting our prints in. I was thinking about asking if I could maybe put them on the bottom of the countertop in a place where you can't see readily.

 

[snowbunny]

That sounds awesome. I've seen them in some of the more interesting shelter magazines.

 

[Gillian]

We know people who have them -- I think they look great!

I've also seen concrete floors that look so cool. Very smooth, fun colors.

 

[stars75238]

I've read alot about them - they look very nice!

You can't pour them right on the counters - you make molds and they have to cure for a long time. Then they have to be sanded (wet I think).

try gardenweb.com and look at their kitchen forum for information - I'm sure several there have them and someone there can point you in the right directions

 

[trulygoofy]

I've read alot about them - they look very nice!

You can't pour them right on the counters - you make molds and they have to cure for a long time. Then they have to be sanded (wet I think).

try gardenweb.com and look at their kitchen forum for information - I'm sure several there have them and someone there can point you in the right directions

You actually can pour them in place, but most people make them at their shop and bring them in. Luckily DH is an extremely skilled guy. You name it and he can fix it. He does all the work on the house. His last project was putting copper (where it has a flat seam) on our roof where it has a funny curve and alway leaked and then a standing seam copper roof over a window. You wouldn't believe how much people charge for this stuff. He always gets to get a new "toy" like a metal break and tells me it is a small price to pay to save so much with him doing the work! He can do just about anything and has saved us a small fortune.

 

[crjack]

try gardenweb.com and look at their kitchen forum for information - I'm sure several there have them and someone there can point you in the right directions[/QUOTE]



Definitely go to www.gardenweb.com and check out the kitchen forums (under home forums) It is a great sight and we found it extrememly helpful when we were remodeling our kitchen. I have seen posts on concrete counters for years now. It also has a search function that should help you.

I love the finished kitchens posted in the photo gallery. It's really a great resource.

Good luck.

 

[daughtersrus]

I don't know about concrete, but have you thought about resurfacing the ones you have? There is stuff called Stone Mason E-Z Stone that you can put on your countertops that turns out beautiful. Check Home Depot or Menards they may carry it in your area. Here's a link to the website. They don't have any countertop pictures on here, but it's a great product. http://www.usehickson.com/StoneMason/DecorativeCoatings/EZStone_Detail.shtml

We're having delima trying to replace our custom sized bathroom counter inexpensively and I thought that this might be an idea. Do you know if it can be applied directly on to the laminate? I looked at their site and laminate isn't one of the surfaces listed.

Thanks!

 

[RockyMtnMaria]

Consumer Reports rated it above butcher block and limestone, but below all the other counter top solutions.

It's pro's are the unique look, and that it can be died and textured.

It's cons are that it is easily chipped and scratched, and needs periodic sealing.

The quality lays purely in the hands of the fabricater.

(not my experience, simply summarizing the consumer reports article)

 

[trulygoofy]

I was worried if it was easier to chip because I am the clumsy one. I would be the one to drop a can on it and chip it, not my kids! My husband would get tired of hearing, "Hey honey, you need to get the cement mixer out again".

 

[PatMcDuck]

I also saw the concrete counters on TV and I was fascinated.

While not as nice as solid granite, I have seen homeowners use the granite squares as a less expensive substitute. It seems to look best when they use a dark color with matching dark grout. I may do that before I sell my house (in 5-6 years).

It is interesting to watch the remodeling TV shows, so many ideas! But some newer ideas do not turn out to be as good as they look. I have recently read that those bathroom sinks suspended above the vanities are a real pain, water often splashes out, and they can be a mess to keep neat looking! Also, bamboo floors are no longer in favor......... those were 2 things I sort of liked and was considering someday.

 

[trulygoofy]

I like bamboo flooring. It is naturally water resistant and looks great. We put it in my Airstream that we renovated last year. I would not hesitate to use bamboo, actually we are going to use it in our house in small areas also. There are so many different looks you can get with bamboo. We had looked at cork, but it dents too easily. I don't care if something is trendy or not because everything comes and goes, and if we spent $ on something it is because we like it and it had better last!