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A Guide to Concrete Countertops
Who would want concrete countertops?
Concrete countertops are the most unique, personal countertop option because they are made from scratch for each client. To determine whether concrete is right for you, think about whether you believe that:
- you want something unique and personalized
- you want something that looks natural and has character
- you appreciate high-quality, hand-crafted items
- you think granite is too shiny, too formal, too common
- you think synthetic solid surface materials look and feel like plastic
- you need a color or visual texture that's not available with other countertop materials
If so, concrete countertops may be right for you.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of concrete compared to other countertop materials?
Advantages:
- Custom: Concrete's biggest advantage is that it is completely custom. Your countertop will be unique to you and highly personalized.
- Versatile: Concrete is extremely versatile. It can enhance any style, from French Country to Contemporary. From Arts and Crafts to Industrial. From Traditional to Modern. The possibilities are endless.
- Practical: Customcretes' sealer system provides a surface that is stain-resistant and low-maintenance. The sealer does not degrade like some sealers, and therefore does not need to be reapplied every year. The sealer also exhibits great heat resistance.
- Imperfections: We believe that this is an advantage. Concrete countertops are hand made and hand finished. Since concrete is a heterogeneous mixture of many different ingredients, subtle variations in color, shade, texture and overall appearance should be expected. All concrete is susceptible to harmless hairline cracks. Hairline cracks can occur at any time during the life of the countertop, but are not a common occurrence. These should be considered part of the aesthetic charm of concrete, and not a defect. Concrete exhibits natural beauty rather than plastic perfection.
How much do they cost?
Even though it is a completely custom material, concrete is competitive in price with standard countertop materials. The price is competitive with high end granite, ranging from $79 to over $100 per square foot. We are happy to work with you and your designer to give you an estimate on your project, and we can help you with options to fit your budget.
Where can I use concrete in my home?
- Customcrete, Inc. makes concrete countertops for kitchens, bathrooms, fireplace mantles, tables, desks, and anywhere else countertops are required. Horizontal countertops are typically 1.5" thick. Customcrete, Inc. can make thicker countertops as well as thinner, and fabricate front edge returns up to 8" deep.
- Concrete countertops can be straight, curved, notched, multi-level, etc. Unlike granite, which would drastically increase in cost for curved shapes, creating curved concrete shapes simply involves some extra complexity and labor in forming.
- Concrete can also be used in vertical applications such as backsplashes, shower surrounds and fireplace surrounds. For vertical applications, concrete is generally 1" thick.
- Maximum slab length for standard depth countertops is about 10 feet. Seams are located around sinks and cooktops, or wherever required for structural reasons. Customcrete, Inc. will work with you to design seam placement that is both structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing. Seams are typically 1/16" wide, similar to tile grout lines. However, it is important to realize that concrete countertops are hand made and hand processed; they are not machine cut, so tolerances for seams are more generous than with granite. Seam appearance is minimized by using color-matched acrylic caulk.
- Integral and vessel sinks are possible. See the section on sinks for more information.
- Concrete countertops can be used both indoors and outdoors.
- Concrete floors are a different application. Customcrete, Inc. also specializes in various types of concrete floors.
What colors are available?
Virtually any color! Customcrete, Inc. offers 9 standard colors, but has developed hundreds of colors including the Benjamin Moore historical and preview color deck. Any of these colors can be produced in a solid, speckled or variegated pattern. And, you can specify embedded stone, glass, or other objects. You can specify the color, size and density of embedments. Coupled with the many color choices, you have myriad design options.
What is the process for custom colors?
Customcrete, Inc. specializes in custom color development. We can customize existing colors or compliment the color of an item such as a paint chip or fabric. The process takes about 3 weeks. We produce two or more 8" x 8" samples and submit them for your approval. The custom color samples cost $75.00 each, but will be deducted from the cost of your project up to $150.00. If you choose a custom color for your project there is a $300.00 charge.
How much color variation can occur?
Concrete is a natural, handmade material. Many factors such as humidity, sand lot and cement lot can affect the final appearance of the concrete. All of our color formulas record the type of sand, type of cement, and exact measurements of pigments to 1/10th of a gram, and we use specially developed software to calculate mix design. However, colors can still vary because of the aforementioned factors.
Another factor that contributes to perceived variation is simply the size of samples. A 8" x 8" sample, or even a 12" x 12" sample, will look different than a whole countertop simply because the small sample does not capture all of the natural, random variations that will occur over a large surface. The color in a 8" x 8" sample may appear completely uniform, but a whole countertop in that exact same color will not appear as uniform. The same situation occurs with other natural materials such as granite. If you are looking for perfect uniformity, solid surface might be a better countertop option for you.
What edges are available?
For concrete, edging is formed and cast rather than cut like granite or solid surface. Therefore, edge choices depend on the availability of appropriate molds and trim. Our most popular edge profile is a standard eased edge, however if you have a specific look in mind let us know, and we can help create a custom profile for you.
What kind of sinks can be used with concrete countertops?
Customcrete, Inc. concrete countertops can accommodate all types of sinks including drop-in, undermount and apron front. The minimum lip of concrete around all sides of sinks is 3". Concrete can also accommodate drop-in cooktops. The minimum lip of concrete in the front of a cooktop is 3"; we recommend 3" for the back also, but 2" will suffice
Customcrete, Inc. can make integral concrete sinks of almost any shape. Bathroom vanities are an excellent application of integral concrete sinks.
Concrete vessel sinks are also possible, and concrete's versatility means that the sink can be any color and shape.
What about backsplashes?
Customcrete, Inc. can make integral concrete sinks of almost any shape. Bathroom vanities are an excellent application of integral concrete sinks.
Concrete vessel sinks are also possible, and concrete's versatility means that the sink can be any color and shape.
Backsplashes are cast and finished separately and deck mounted after the countertops are installed. Backsplashes are nominally 1 inch thick and can be from 3 inches high to full height. Outlet openings are cut on site.
Will concrete countertops stain?
Bare concrete is very porous and will readily stain. Virtually all concrete countertops are sealed to prevent staining; however the degree to which these sealers works varies significantly. Customcretes' sealer are different. We offer a reactive sealing system that chemically alters concrete to create a hardened crystal-like surface. After the sealer cross links with the concrete it will have high resistance to acidic products such as wine, lemons...its also extremely stain resistant. Depending on your counter top conditions the sealer may need to be rejuvinated after 5 to 10 years. No stripping is required. Exterior counter tops may require annual maintenance.
Will they scratch?
While our concrete and sealer is very scratch resistant, it can scratch if cut with a knife or subjected to heavy, sharp objects dragged across the surface. Cutting on the concrete may compromise the integrity of the sealer and allow stains to permeate the concrete matrix. Cutting on the concrete will also ruin knives, requiring a professional resharpening to reshape the damaged edge. Remember, concrete is made with stone, the same thing used to sharpen knives (and will therefore dull them just as easily). If you do scratch a countertop, it can be fixed and/or minimized with a touch up of sealer. Please contact Customcrete, Inc.
Can I put hot pots on the countertops?
As with almost all types of countertop surfaces, it is best to use trivets. The sealer is rated up to 350F degrees, however concrete can micro crack if exposed to high heat, and the sealer is not elastic enough to "absorb" these micro cracks.
How are concrete countertops made?
All of the slabs are precast in our shop and fully finished and sealed prior to installation.
When it comes to concrete countertops, there are two basic processes: cast-in-place and precast. Cast-in- place involves building forms and pouring concrete in place, directly on the cabinets. While this avoids the hassles of transporting heavy slabs, it does tie up the site for many days (or weeks), and it involves a messy process. In addition, cast (or pour) in place provides fewer options and less control over the finished product. Generally the only finish available is a trowelled surface, which is either acid stained or colored with pigments. The quality of the concrete, the finished appearance and ultimate performance of the countertop are all hampered by the fact that it's all being done on site under a rushed time schedule.
Precast concrete countertops, on the other hand, move all of the processes off site into a controlled environment. Our Ultra high performance mix designs uses admixtures to produce concrete that yields compressive and flexural strengths that more than double traditional concrete. In the structural engineering community, it is well known that precast concrete is superior to cast in place concrete, mainly because tighter quality control can be exercised. Curing, which is a critical step that is commonly misunderstood, can be closely monitored. Moving the process to a shop allows greater flexibility in terms of the look of the concrete. Glass, stone and other objects can now be embedded; these require extensive wet grinding with diamond power tools to reveal the embedded objects and hone and smooth the resulting surface.
What is the lead time?
Although countertops are one of the last items to be installed, concrete countertops should be selected as early as possible. Here is an outline of the process:
- Color selection
- Customcrete, Inc. offers 9 standard colors that are in stock. Allow about one week for samples made from these colors.
- Customcrete, Inc. often performs custom color matching and submits samples for your approval. Allow about 3 weeks for this process. See the section on custom colors for more information.
- Templating
- Templating is done from finished and installed cabinetry, and it takes less than one day
- Fabrication
- The typical time required to fabricate most concrete countertops, depending on their size and complexity, is 2-4 weeks. Note that the fabrication process may not start immediately after templating depending on how full our production schedule is. A good guideline is to contact Customcrete, Inc. at the beginning of the project, or at the latest one month before cabinetry is scheduled to be installed, both to allow time for custom color samples and to secure a spot on Customcretes' production schedule.
- In the case of a residential project such as a complete kitchen remodel, customers are usually willing to wait longer for their custom-made, handcrafted concrete countertops. However, temporary countertops can be a way to minimize inconvenience. Temporary plywood countertops are one possible solution. Or, the contractor can preserve parts of the old countertop to provide some work surfaces.
- Installation
- Because Customcrete, Inc. concrete countertops are precast and prefinished, installation generally takes less than one day.
How are templates made?
Concrete countertops are templated just like granite. Templating is done after any existing countertops are removed, or after new cabinets are fully installed. Your contractor needs to arrange for existing countertop removal. Almost all concrete countertops require physical templates from the finished and installed cabinetry. In some cases, such as small or freestanding pieces, we can fabricate from CADD drawings instead of physical templates. We will advise on templating requirements for your project, and we provide your contractor with a templating checklist to help him prepare. All fixtures that penetrate the concrete, such as sinks and faucets, must be available at templating time.
How are the countertops installed?
Concrete countertops are handled and installed just like granite. Seams are caulked with a color-matched acrylic caulk. Your contractor needs to arrange for plumbing and electrical hookup no earlier than 24 hours after the countertop installation.
Are there any special structural considerations?
A square foot of 1.5" thick Customcrete concrete weighs about 16 lbs.; a square foot of 3 cm granite weighs about 16.5 lbs. Typically, no special considerations are necessary for standard kitchen or bathroom vanity countertops. Cantilevered slabs, bartops on kneewalls and similar situations sometimes require brackets or other structural supports for the countertops. Customcrete, Inc. can advise on support requirements.
Do you offer a warranty?
Yes. Customcrete, Inc. warrantees the structural integrity of the concrete for one year after installation. The countertops will of course last a lot longer than a year, but if any problems were to occur, they would occur in the first year. We subject the concrete to much larger stresses while handling it than clients ever could once it is installed. In addition, Customcrete, Inc. provides each client with an Owner's Guide and a direct phone number for support from Craig Stillman, President.
Whom can I contact with questions or to discuss a project?
Contact your designer, Craig or Grant, at 636.278.2218 or craig@customcretestl.com. See our website at www.customcretestl.com for lots of information and photos. Also, Customcrete, Inc. has displays at Siegler kitchen and bath in LSL, National Kitchen and Bath in Webster Groves, Ellen Kurtz Interiors, and Beck/Allen Cabinetry in Chesterfield.
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