Concrete Counter Tops

[navigator7]

Lookie!
http://www.concreteinteriordesigns.com/Concrete_Interior_Designs_site/How_Concrete_Counters_are_built.html


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One of the visions I have for my new "tool" is concrete counter tops. Never heard anyone here discuss it.
I got a google alert for concrete counter tops and look at what is smack dab in the middle of their webpage!
;-)

[shoeshine]

Though not commercial, I have poured concrete for the countertops in the last four re-habs we have done. used melamine as a mold and have had great results. While the first two were done without the bot, the bot definately adds both speed and capabilities for inlay and detail features.

[navigator7]

I just love radical shapes possible yet total functionality.
Chris, have you seen the use of monofilament for decoration and nightlites? Very cool.
I've worked too long in concrete to do a pour in place and then try and grind and polish. One minor imperfection is days of work or a glaring blemish.
Judicious use of a vibratory table or some such must be part of the equation.

We have granite counter tops under construction for the kitchen and the wife would have no other. My goal is to meet or beat her tastes in my downstairs "Man Cave" at some point in the future.

Concrete....ahhh! What a bizarre medium!
Guys in the biz all their lives talk about it respect.

[kevin]

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You cant do that with grant
Whats nice about it is blends seemless with the kitchen
Impertions add to the beauty as the same as pottery

[bob_s]

I promised my daughter I would build them an outdoor kitchen area next summer. I think the top will be about 30-40 sq ft. A concrete top would be great, is there a "best website" for mixing info? The patio has a lot of natural beige stone so I would want to integrate it into that. The forms are no problem, I'm sure I'll add some nice shapes using the bot. But will it stand up to the little bit of freezing weather that we get here in the Atlanta GA area? Am I going to regret the amount of time and effort needed to polish/grind an amateur counter top to a nice finish?
thanks
Bob

[navigator7]

@ Kevin,
Do you use Acyril60 in your mix?
How about fibre?
What do you use for vibration?
I can't believe the big rebar! Wow.
Great balance to the piece. I like it!

I've been doing a lot of custom concrete staining with an airbrush. I'm wondering if I could get away with it on a counter top?

@ Bob,
I've never done counter tops but due to an exposed outdoor condition with your idea....look into air entrainment.
Ready mix plants call it "air".

You'll probably only need a few drops.
Making a top to keep the water off would probably be even better. As I understand it, concrete exposed to weather has air entrainment which is like a soap. It makes tiny bubbles in the concrete which is supposed to allow for some expansion during freezing.
But then again...this is for sidewalks and patios application, not polished and sealed counter tops?
;-)

[shoeshine]

May I highly reccomend a book. "concete countertops" by Fu-Tung Cheng

http://www.amazon.com/Concrete-Countertops-Design-Finishes-Kitchen/dp/1561584843/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260074591&sr=8-2

"the" primer on the subject. both lots of info and lots of examples

[kevin]

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Chuck to aswer your question I used quickrite concrete from home depot with arcrile fortifer
at the time quicrete had no mix with fiber they do now.
What i would recomed wouldquicrete 5000 there other mix with fiber the reson is 5000 has nicer rocks
thw last year i have stop mixing and i use a conrete truck with fiber the rocks are not as nice as quick rite .But thats what the customer preferes
see below cntrete truck

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The disk i use to grind cost about 650.00 i order them from Montreal anybody wants the source ask me
Vibration i can next time make a counter top i;ll take a video to hard explain
I'am grinding a top tommorw will video if any body interrested
as for exterior with today sealer .With prober founation it could last 1000 years rember to use green rebar
half my kitchen are in concrete conter tops
visit my web www.kdunphy.com (http://www.kdunphy.com)
The book Chris recomends is execelent

[myxpykalix]

Kevin i would be interested in seeing that. In your experience considering labor, material and tooling do you gain any signifigant cost savings over some of the other countertop materials? I know some exotic marble material from some far off land might be an exception but in terms of say local granite or marble versus concrete?
beautiful work kevin......

[navigator7]

Thanks Kevin!
I'd love to see a video of the grinding process.
The pour in place ties up a persons' home more than I am comfortable with......but by the same token it allows things that are not otherwise possible. Best to know more than one method.

Keep the pics coming!
;-)

[navigator7]

There is a new method (new to me anyway) of staining concrete in small batches that is like folding jelly into dough.
It produces streaks like in granite or rock.
The secret is stiff slump and minimal handling of the concrete after adding the stain.
Stunning stuff when it works but very inconsistent.

[kevin]

jack its cost about 4000 per average kitchen
material about less then a 1000 labour huge
Ill take video tommorw give me a day to upload on my web site
i learned how to polish polister in aircraft interior so it was soonth transition
concrete has its own beauty it doesnt over power blends beautifull with wood its not for everyone eiher you love or cant beleive its concrete
I enjoy the mariage of wood and conrete
Working on getting a index head to mix things up

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[kevin]

Here is the video to give a gernal idea of whats invoed in polishing concrete
http://kdunphy.com/Untitled%20Project/index.html
If I ofened anybody I beleve concrete and wood are the perfect mariage
PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS VIDEO ONLY FOR SHOBOTTERS

[bob_s]

Kevin
The counter top looks great, but after seeing what it takes to get there - I'm just going to tell my daughter No Way - that is an awful lot of work.
Thanks for showing the video - it kept me from getting involved in a project that would have regretted.
But it does look awfully nice when it's done.

[myxpykalix]

Kevin,
I had no idea it was SO labor intensive. I got enough information out of the video to know that i WON'T be making any concrete countertops. I was surprised how you were able to take it from "sidewalk surface" to a smooth shiny surface but with lots of elbow grease. Good job.

[john_l]

Here is my version of one. I am not a pro at these but we wanted one for an outside entertainment area at our Pa. home. I used the bot to make the melamine forms including sink and faucet cutouts, the form sides, the drain board slope, the soap recess ledge, and all of the bullnose edge form inserts that were cut from blue foam.

Inspired by the book mentioned above.. I poured it in three sections, upside down and flipped them to install. It all worked out real well. We are very happy with it but after I finished... the price of granite didn't seem all that bad.

The cell pics were taken before I made (wid da bot) a removable sink apron.


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[myxpykalix]

John L...All I want to know is when is the next time you are going to fire up the grill for all of us?

Are thos full stones stacked or that facia brick?
that looks really nice.

[john_l]

Jack - Let me clean the shop up so it's not such an embarassment and you are more than welcome anytime my friend.

Those are just full size landscape stones I had leftover from a paid project we did, stacked up on a footer, prewired the lights and receptacles, and filled the whole thing with concrete and cut stone pieces. I plan to do a matching poured foot rest to take away the "boxy look" this spring.

Thanks!

[kevin]

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I finaly finised the kitchen in the video

I just wanted to prove a point in tv shows ther making concrete counter tops out to be no big deal.There cheaping the craft
Which is beep beep
Its a huge amount of labour

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[john_l]

Kevin.. very nice!

[ghostcreek]

Kevin, your are a Craftsman.
Beautiful Work.
I am in awe.
Happy Holidays