Kitchen Counters That Leave Lasting Impressions

 

Concrete is a widely used material in modern construction as it can easily be made to resemble other materials in building, including roof shakes, natural stone and wood siding. In recent years, concrete has also been gaining notoriety in the interior design world as it is capable of creating a very distinct look in kitchen counter tops, cabinets and islands, in addition to other indoor uses especially when it comes to tables and bathroom vanities. After being properly colored and finished, a concrete counter top can look just like natural stone, or even a solid-surface material. You would not even know that the material your counter top is fashioned from also functions as sidewalk and garage floor material.

There may be much easier ways to create and install counter tops, but concrete materials are inexpensive, and when done right the pay off can be huge because concrete counter tops can last a lifetime. Additionally, you can expect for your new concrete counter top to become a conversation piece and something of great interest when guests are in the home. Concrete counter tops may be old news in other parts of the world, but in the United States, the idea is relatively unheard of.

The form for a concrete counter top can be created using melamine-coated particle board. The concrete will dry slower using this plastic facing, which will ensure the maximum strength of the concrete. Concrete counter tops can be formed with center voids in order to be compatible with under-mount sinks, which allows you to brush spills directly into the basin, rather than trying to sweep them over a rim. This is what sets concrete counter tops apart from counter top products like solid surface, and plastic laminate.

Bags of pre-mixed concrete can be used for colors that match ordinary concrete, or are darker. On the other hand, you will want to mix your own concrete for lighter colors, by mixing Portland cement (white), pea gravel and mason's sand. Try to test various colors on square foot samples before deciding which effect to go with.

Once the counter top is built, you cannot drill or cut it. Because of this, you need to make sure that you have created voids for everything that must be added afterward. When creating block outs, use plywood because the edges of other wood, especially particle board, can swell when water is absorbed. You can use screws to secure the plywood block outs to the bottom of the concrete counter top form.

By Arturo Ronzon