Concrete countertops!!

Anyone ever see a concrete countertop up close?
I am beginning a new endeavor making concrete countertops. People are always surprised when I tell them its concrete!
They can be any color, any sheen, any shape. You can use inlays and decorative edge moldings. Very fascinating stuff!!
I just ordered some more color, a new wet polisher and various pads. Im excited to get this project off the ground.
Check it http://store.concreteexchange.com/
http://www.concreteexchange.com/gallery_cd.jsp

the pictures are not my own countertops. they are pictures I found on the internet. I am new to the concrete countertop industry and have only poured 6 as of today. I do have 10 scheduled over the next 3 months though, so Im pretty excited

vry nice man love the first pic how much does something like that run

u sure thats not granite? pretty much the samething.. but not...

timsatx1 said:

vry nice man love the first pic how much does something like that run

Click to expand...

I have seen contractors charge $50 per square foot. Thats mostly labor, I can get that cost down easy.

BackDoorMan said:

u sure thats not granite? pretty much the samething.. but not...

Click to expand...

Yes sirr mr. backdoor. Its is definately concrete. they are very similar in appearance when looking at a picture.

I will get some pictures of countertops I have done next week when I return to the shop. Then Ill post them here for you guys

I absolutely love the first one. Gorgeous stuff.

yeah it's good lookin stuff.. I installed granite countertops for awhile is why I was asking.. and carrying that shit would make you wonder what the fuckin difference was..lol..

I've seen people put down 1500 on just a kitchen counter top of granite.. but marble.. thats something else.. that shit's cool ashell..

That's some great work there! I love that first one. What else do you do?

This is really cool, I think you are on to something here! The second one is unique as hell, I would definitely put that in my kitchen. It is cheaper than the granite, does it need to specially treated like granite?

CanadianCoyote said:

That's some great work there! I love that first one. What else do you do?

Click to expand...

Hey my bad, I didnt mean to mislead anybody. Those are not countertops I actually poured myself. When I go back to the shop monday Ill take some photos of work Ive done and post those. I edited the first post so I dont confuse others as well.
And to answer your question I am a Landlord/Contractor/Student/Horticulturist

BudFrosty said:

Concrete is definately the way to go. You can pour it right on site, any shape, no cutting, any color or texture you want.

Click to expand...

Yes, the virtue of concrete is its virsatility.

SunnySideUp said:

This is really cool, I think you are on to something here! The second one is unique as hell, I would definitely put that in my kitchen. It is cheaper than the granite, does it need to specially treated like granite?

Click to expand...

Well concrete does need to be sealed with a penetrating sealer and then polished with a food safe wax. And even then you dont want red wine or lemon slices to remain on the surface. Just like granite or marble, acid can eat away at the sealer and cause dicolorations if left for a long time.

XD Sweet. Sounds like you keep yourself busy.

OH lovely!
I want one of those..... please

I have also seen concrete floors with different patterns and color. Looks really nice and inexpensive

So is it a form, pour and acid stain to get color and texture? Or is it an epoxy and colored sand followed with a food grade clear epoxy finish?

dahamma said:

So is it a form, pour and acid stain to get color and texture? Or is it an epoxy and colored sand followed with a food grade clear epoxy finish?

Click to expand...

Ohh that's sexy. Talk construction to me babeh. <3

We've got concrete countertops and stained concrete basement floors and LOVE THEM!!! I heard with the recession, the market is declining as people cannot afford them. However, they are beautiful.

dahamma said:

So is it a form, pour and acid stain to get color and texture? Or is it an epoxy and colored sand followed with a food grade clear epoxy finish?

Click to expand...

You can pour in place if you have a very large countertop, and dont want any seems. But I like to build a mold of the countertop and pour the concrete in the mold off location. I do this in my shop because it can get pretty messsy. Then I install it in place after its already curred and polished.
As for color, I use iron oxides and other powders that I mix into the concrete before pouring. Integral color is the best method for vibrant colors that dont fade!
I dont do any texturing either, I use a variable speed wet polishing grinder that makes the surface smooth as glass.

bigtomatofarmer said:

You can pour in place if you have a very large countertop, and dont want any seems. But I like to build a mold of the countertop and pour the concrete in the mold off location. I do this in my shop because it can get pretty messsy. Then I install it in place after its already curred and polished.
As for color, I use iron oxides and other powders that I mix into the concrete before pouring. Integral color is the best method for vibrant colors that dont fade!
I dont do any texturing either, I use a variable speed wet polishing grinder that makes the surface smooth as glass.

Click to expand...

Good idea. have you ever tried layering different colors so that as you polish you reveal different colors. I know a guy in my area that trowels epoxy and colored sand for countertops, and then applies clear epoxy for a smooth finish. All he does is coat existing countertops or tub and tub surrounds and incorporates the sinks into the coating, it looks really good and he makes big money because he does'nt replace just coats existing.