Wendy Wang the one time i encountered concrete countertops, i was dissappointed in how porous it was and how easily it was stained by sitting water. but i would assume that a good heavy duty sealer could remedy that, but still weary of concrete due to that and the price tag.

Epic Artisan Concrete Hey Wendy, A lot has changed in the development of concrete as a countertop. A good concrete artisan can make concrete that is way more dense now. Its important to qualify a concrete countertop fabricator based on the type of mix they use. Run away from a company that uses a bag of mix you can get from the local box store.

Also, there is another type of sealer: reactive. This type of sealer penetrates the pores of the slab and chemically reacts with the byproducts of the concrete hydration process, forming a really tight microcrystal structure within the pores and all over the surface. This is the type of sealer I recommend and use for what it is worth

Wendy Wang Hi Epic, thank you for the information! Highly useful!

dkramer We just complete our dream home and have concrete through out the house; counter tops, vanities, vessel sinks and polished colored floors. Even if my husband wasn't the artist , I would still love them. Some of us just don't like granite.

olldcan @dkramer, could you please share some pictures of your concrete, sounds great, we are getting things in order to build and concrete is a consideration. Biggest problem is seeing different applications and speaking to the people that live with it, not just the salesman.

Aleksandra Sabramowicz As an architect by trade, I'd like to add a little comment here...
First of all, concrete is not for everybody. It is a very specific material, loved by architects for its honest and almost brutal appearance. It is suitable for some interiors only, and for certain clients only. You have to know, what you like about it, not just the fact that you have seen it on the magazine cover. You should be aware of the way it ages - I would compare it to leather - wears out but elegantly and sublimely. It develops a specific patina with time. And if you think granite might look great in your kitchen too, you should probably go with granite.
Also, even though concrete might might be finished in so many ways and has chameleon-like characteristics,a true artist wouldn't like to make it look like marble or sandstone... they would like it to look like concrete. So if you like to have a flawless uniform surface, choose corian perhaps?
Imagine that getting a concrete counter top is like getting a sports car. Is it comfortable? no. Is it economical? no. Is it indestructible? no. Is it hot? yes;) So the way you would treat your sports car is the way you should treat your concrete counters. Especially the leather seats require some special care;)
And concrete isn't indestructible either. Not the concrete itself really, but the sealers. ( By the way cracks on concrete are very rare in the case on counter tops these days, unless it is intentional.) So you should know that the producers try to develop new sealers, make it stainless and prevent it from scratching, but there is no perfect solution. The best way to protect your beautiful counters is the right maintenance, like waxing it and keeping spills away from it. But if it stains - it is a part of the whole experience!
Yet if practicality is your concern - other materials might be better for you.
And the price? well, it is all usually custom, handmade, and most likely designed by your architect or interior designer. Might be seamless, might be tinted to the perfect color you like, might have an integrated sink... And as previously mentioned, you can have backslash, wall panels or floor made to complete your design.
So think about it, cheaper and more practical options are definitely there.
And if you really love concrete unique and elegant, a bit decadent perhaps or industrial appearance - nothing will stop you:) Or you might consider other, less-problematic for some- applications: fireplace surrounds? bathroom sinks or bathtubs? tiles? furniture?

dk4335 olldcan asked for pictures of my concrete counter tops and sinks. My husband is the artist, so we had minimal cost. However, there are many hours of labor involved. I love my concrete. Ignore the date on the picture- Camera issues. We build the house last year.

dk4335 Aleksandra Sabramowicz- Your comments are correct. If you want your concrete to look like granite- buy granite. However, my counter tops are improving with age, as you stated like fine leather. Decorative Concrete network is a great resource.

ellinac63 We remodeled our home a year ago and also chose concrete countertops and we are very happy with the results. We used a local company (Bend OR) and they have a very interesting process - they come to the house and make a template in a very similar manner to granite fabricators. But they fabricate the countertop in their factory using a very cool process that makes the concrete light yet super strong, crack proof and stain proof.
http://www.cementelegance.com/
We have had zero stains from wine or similar staining foods and no etching from acidic foods like lemon. The only care we need to take is to not cut directly on the surface. But we never did that on granite, either. Why ruin your knives like that. The concrete has a light stain to give it a warmer color and we absolutely love them.

ellinac63 My comment about the light stain giving it a warmer color is meant to say the concrete had a light colored pigment added to the mix. Has a nice warm greenish hue and is very uniform throughout the countertop.

dkramer The two guru's of concrete countertops are Buddy Rhodes and Cheng. There is a lot of information on the web. Lowes and Home Depot even sell a Buddy Rhodes concrete counter top mix. Integral color can be mixed for wonderful results, I.e. black and terra cotta make a beautiful leathery brown. Check out the concrete network for ideas or a company to install.

Sara Parker I've had large 24" x 24" concrete paving stones inset with sea glass and shells as countertops in my cottage kitchen and bathroom for years with no problems! Love them!

okredo1 Thanks for this! Very informative. I'd love some input (or Houzz post) on concrete floors, if anyone feels like sharing.

Sara Parker I also used the 24 in. concrete tiles with sea glass and shells inset at our rental condo on Paradise Island, even as backsplash.

wendekay I cast my own counter tops onsite. If you take care and time to ensure that your forms are strong and watertight, it's pretty easy. I used Cement All products, which eliminated the long cure time and is a much harder cement, with inlaid cut stone tiles. I then acid stained the concrete, and sealed it. I'm very pleased with the results. The Concrete Network and Cheng Designs offer VERY helpful videos and articles.

BDWG Concrete Studio Thank you Michelle for the informative article. I'm glad to see the negative stereotypes about concrete slowly fading away thanks to the dedication of those of us who make a living working with this great material. There is virtually no area of the built environment where concrete can't be used. The very nature of it, makes it the most versatile material we have to work with. A designers dream! Any color, any shape, made from some the earths most plentiful resources(limestone,silica), incorperates reclaimed/recycled ingredients, can be sourced locally...I could go on and on! Compared to mined slab stone, or synthetics, the carbon footprint is so very much smaller. Concrete is a "common sense" material, but unfortunatly, as we all know, not everyone has common sense. So in that regard, it's not for everybody!

Layers of Color We design and install decorative concrete countertops for our clients. The process is an overlay system and we can stain them, embed mica chips and powders and all sorts of fun things. There are many sealers available from matte finish to epoxy. Its a growing industry and we are having a great time with it. www.layersofcolor.net

Horgan Design Build Aleksandra makes some great points here regarding concrete, and they really shouldn't be taken lightly. We've been using concrete countertops in our client's design/build projects for about 8 years now. Personally, I love them. I love them because they're handmade by us, and there's a real sense of connection to the house when you make them and install them - it wasn't just cut from a quarry in China and shipped over here, carried off a truck, and then plopped into place with no emotion. A homeowner can actually say "Our builder made that, by hand" and I think that's incredibly important in a home. It's almost a lost art, as not much is actually made in home projects these days. We live in a coastal community, and we'll actually go to a clients favorite beach and use some sand from that beach in the mix, and they can actually say "They used xxxxx beach sand to make this!", which is a pretty cool little touch.

But.... No matter what you see in magazines, no matter what you see on websites, no matter what you see in books, it really does take the right person and right situation for concrete to really work in a home. While we're very good design/builders, sometimes concrete countertops can be very fickle, even for the client who swears that they must have them, that it is their only option, that they love everything they've ever read about them and have seen of them. We've installed them in numerous kitchens, bathrooms, and exterior grilling areas and exterior kitchens. 99% of the people love them for all of the aspects that Aleksandra talks about: for the way it wears, for how it develops a patina, for the way we can shape it and form it like no other material, for how it does develop marks with wear and use, and for how it becomes a symbol of how a family lives and works and plays in their home. Over time, it tells a story of the family, the same way a good home should.

Considering all of these factors, we've recently installed gorgeous black concrete countertops in a kitchen of alder cabinets and alder windows with white ash flooring. It's a gorgeous home, and the countertops are amazing. The clients demanded them, and this is after we shopped together looking at all of the options for countertops; after I warned them of how it ages and its not like granite or marble; after they researched themselves; and after they toured two previous projects where we had installed concrete in bathrooms and kitchens and they were able to see firsthand how they age and wear....and still they loved them and wanted them over all the others. They were 100% sure they wanted them. They wanted the artistic feel, they wanted something homemade, they wanted something that would age and wear over time, they didn't want the sterile granite feel (they hated that), they wante to say someone local made this...and they got all of that and loved it.

Until...it aged and wore over time in a particular spot where they didn't want it to age and wear over time. And then the questions began of why is it doing that there? We don't want it to wear right there, that's too close to the sink and everyone will see it, it doesn't look perfect....etc, etc. It's laughable from outside the conversation because of course they had already seen how concrete ages and changes over time in the other projects - they'd felt it with their own hands - but it was a very real concern for them, and cost us an insane amount of headaches as well as losing a bit of the confidence of a client whom we'd worked incredibly well with for the previous 7 months on a really gorgeous home.

I guess the moral here is that you really have to understand that concrete is a love of the imperfect, like artwork, in that sense. It's going to look gorgeous - if you like that look. It's going to look even better over time - if you like that look. It's going to show that it gets beaten on and abused like a good kitchen countertop should - and you'd better like that look.

Dura Supreme Cabinetry Wow! So many great ideas!

kkalvinou I love concrete counters,i have it in my rental suite and is not only very nice but practical too.Healthy,timeless,worry free,easy to take care and they look good.

nanette32005 We have stained concrete floors and concrete counters where I work. They are in different patina's and work well for us. The only compaint I have is they are cool.....and I am talking about temperature. For kitchen or bathroom that is not an issue, but for a workplace counter they stay cool to the touch year-round. But for the durability and look I love them. I work in an industrial type setting with mostly men that have been out in the field and not once have they stained. I have more of a stain issue with the basics such as sharpies and ink pens.

jrwquattro During our remodel we decided to go with concrete counters. I decided to make them myself and the results came out great for a "rookie" project. I used a pressed method by Buddy Rhodes which gives a veined look. They have their imperfections, but the look is great and they have a "soft" appearance compared to a polished stone.
We ended up using concrete in the bathroom, kitchen (including backsplashes), and window sills using a cast in mold method and made the large fire place mantle with a cast in place troweled finish. This past summer I built another countertop for the outside counter and a landing on the wood fired oven.
If you have the ability to do these yourself, the cost of making them is not too bad. I figured I had a few thousand into all the surfaces in the pictures including the cost of a new wet grinder with diamond grinding pads. Key for me was to use a known product mix and no skimp on the acrylic additives. Read everything you can before starting and leave the development of the product mix to the pros.

olldcan @dkramer and all others, thanks for the pics and information. I hope this conversation including pics continues, it's so valuable to get all the feedback from Homeowners, Architects and Manufacturers. Like I previously said, were getting ready to build. We're considering this for counters and although not all counters, definitely some. Were also having the concrete floor (heated) in the walk out basement addressed. We'll either have it acid stained or coloured, can't seem to decide, any advice here? The Jack and Jill bath downstairs, has a 10' counter which will be concrete with concrete sinks. Our builder is great with the floor idea but no so keen on the counters. He won't guarantee or provide warranty on the concrete counters, so the only warranty is available from the small company that I have found locally. Seems every counter manufacturing shop we visit, gives us the high eyebrow when they notice on the plans not all counters are going to be granite. Do you suppose this is just because there not making 100% of the sale, I hate being played for a fool. They always have this horrific story to share about some client they had who came to them to be rescued from there concrete, I just can't believe all if it and have my suspicions the concrete sales are taking a chunk out of there profit margin, thoughts?

springlering I'm just wondering, if some of the ingredients are industrial byproducts, is it safe to cook on? How do you monitor the source of the ash, etc, or does the very act of heating it up to heats that produce ash eliminate anything that might be toxic?

Horgan Design Build This is in reply to olldcan...

We're design-builders, and we like to push the envelope and explore new things with clients, and usually those clients have found us for that reason. Your builder might be leery of offering a warranty on the countertops because he's (or she's) never worked with them before; it's new to them. And as far as builders go, I think it's safe to say that anything new is generally regarded as a pain in the a**. You very rarely ever hear a builder get to a job site and say "Oh sweet! Something we've never done before and now have to spend tons of hours going through the learning curve! Awesome!" From a builder's perspective (in general, not all builders), they want it simple, they want to use things they already know how to use, they want to know that what they're using is going to work because they've already used it once before and it worked that time, so no worries. I always hear people say "Oh, they're really good builders" and I think, well, they should be, as it's not that hard to paint it white and just order all the parts from a manufacturer if you've already done that same thing a thousand times before. It's muscle memory at that stage.

On the other hand, like I said in that post earlier, concrete is fickle, and it is entirely up to the end-user's opinion as to whether or not it meets the standard they were hoping for. It's not like granite where you can actually pick your slab beforehand. Generally, you can say "blue" or "put glass in it too" or "something like....xxx", but you can't be exact beforehand. And a builder can't see into your mind and know exactly what you are thinking is up to your standard. Like my previous post said, you can see it, touch it, feel it, read about it, talk about it, and then once yours is installed LOVE it....but it will change over time, and during that time you might start to think "Huh...I wish it wasn't doing this, it looked fantastic a month ago." This is what happened on our project, and the homeowners (who were amazing to work with all along) made me sign a contract that if they still didn't like it in a year, I would agree to come in and replace it. Normally, I never ever ever ever would have signed something like this. They chose it, and after months and months of discussing it. But they withheld their final payment on the job until I signed this warranty. So I can understand your builder being leery of a warranty on something like this. Smart fellow. I'm not deterred from using concrete at all because of this - in fact, I still think this was one of the nicest jobs we've ever done - but I will be much much more selective in vetting clients when it comes to concrete.

As far as the countertop shops raising an eyebrow at you, of course they want your sale. The markup on countertops at a countertop shop is insane. It is absolutely ludicrous. And most of the time - at least with the shops around here - there are about 3-to-4 other levels of middlemen involved in getting your countertops to your project. A lot of mouths to feed. So yes, they're going to tell you all kinds of horror stories as scare tactic. And they're all going to start with "I heard....", which in the building industry are two of the worst words in the world. Maybe try to find someone who has them in their house, and they can tell you directly what their experience has been and not just some rumor mill. That's what we always do. People love to talk about their home projects and will tell you everything - good, bad and ugly. And if you can find someone locally making them...what's that saying...Spend a dollar with a local business and 70% of that dollar stays in town; Spend it with a big business and less than 10% of that dollar stays in town....or something like that.

Hope that ramble helps. I still say go for it, and do so with an open mind.

olldcan Thanks Horgan Assoc. Design/Build. The local concrete company had offered me a list of there previous clients. I just didn't want to seem snoopy by calling them up with an array of questions. Really, I think this may be my best option to see what they think of the concrete job they had done. As for the builder, he has his list of regular trades and preferred suppliers. In the end, it's the builder who has to warranty the home under the Alberta New Home Buyers Warranty Program. So I can see why, If he's not familiar with this small company he has nowhere to go but straight into his wallet or get me to sign off on any warranty regarding this.

ellen1331 We have two concrete counters - a sealed one in the kitchen and an unsealed on in our master bath. I love how they look from a few steps back. Unfortunately, the kitchen one has chipped, has little black pinholes in it (even though it is sealed) and overall just has quite a few issues. I assume that maybe it wasn't done correctly but don't really know and am not sure what to do about it. The bathroom one (unsealed) has stained quite easily and now I wish I had had it sealed...I still love the look and am not sure what I am going to end up doing about them. Any suggestions?

olldcan ellen1331, can you please provide some pics to better describe your issue. This discussion has provided me and I'm sure others, more information in the last 2 days that what I've been able to acquire in 6 months. Whats so great about this is, it's a true mix of homeowners living with concrete, some considering it and other who manufacture/supply/design etc. I encourage all who have counters and floors to edit there comments and attach pics of there concrete. Those that have already done that THANK YOU. Any new houzzers that comment please, please add pictures. Your info and pictures is most valuable :)

Horgan Design Build I don't mean to keep chiming in and hogging the space here, but I'm doing an online course right this minute on Zero Energy Homes, and my inbox keeps beeping with messages here. This is a great form of procrastinating what I'm supposed to be doing.

If it has little holes in it, it's not that it was done "wrong", it's just that it might have been done a little differently. Since we're talking concrete, and it's a malleable material that is made by hand, every single one is different even if they come from the same batch out of the concrete mixer. They get mixed in the cement mixer, poured, vibrated, trowelled, etc, etc...and all by hand, and every hand is going to do it a different way. If you're getting little pinholes in it, that means it wasn't vibrated as much as one without pinholes. The little pinholes are miniscule air pockets that are rising to the top of the counter. Remember, concrete is made from water, so it's a living thing...even after it has "cured". And water in concrete has an upwards capillary-action movement where it can defy gravity and rise as high as something like 14 stories. It's been studied by building scientists. When you vibrate a countertop pour, you're getting all the air out. That's they point of the vibration. It's the same as a foundation for a home, just smaller. Then after that, you trowel the the material a hundred times with a magnesium trowel to help pull the excess water out of there. But even still, water moves for a lifetime. You can't go back and fix the pinholes. They're there. Learn to love the pinholes. Something something something...character and charm, I think.

An unsealed concrete counter is a bad bad idea. You can still fix it though. (No such thing as a mistake in building...just an opportunity to learn something. Everything can be fixed.) You can get a diamond-pad grinder for a hundred dollars at home depot or lowes, and you can actually grind it down a bit (and I mean a tiny tiny bit...you won't even notice) and then seal it a couple times. That would work.

Horgan Design Build I've just figured out how to add pictures, so I'll add a few. I'm not trying to plug us or anything like that, not by any means, but there's more on our website.

Horgan Design Build You'll see in some of these photos we installed two different styles in one bathroom. One of the homeowners was surprising the other, and it turned out that after we installed the green counters, the "surprised" homeowner asked if we could do exposed aggregate and if so she really wanted that. So, we did.

Horgan Design Build We've also used the same method for making the countertops to make seats and shelves inside a shower.

ellen1331 So - I couldn't really get the small black pinholes, but here is a picture of the kitchen in general. Harder to get one of the bathroom....

Horgan Design Build Nice. I really honestly don't think you should be worried about the pinholes at all. It's part and parcel for 99% of concrete countertops that are done in this style and method. Unless there is water getting into those pinholes and potential for grime and whatnot to get somehow stuck in there, I wouldn't give them a second thought. And as long as they're sealed, nothing should get in the pinholes; they'll stay below the sealer as a sort of charm-factor. If you are getting water and grime in the pinholes, have them come back and apply more sealer. I have a friend who makes really high-end concrete structures, and he says he puts on seven coats of sealer - one coat for seven days - before he turns a sculpture over to a client. We usually use three or four on countertops.

sefac A very interesting discussion concerning concrete countertops. However there is one aspect of concrete that should not be forgotten. Drop anything breakable onto it and you will discover how unforgiving it is.

denise1234 Love all the pics as well as in the Comments section. Quick question: at one of the local Crate and Barrel stores, the Women's restroom has a concrete countertop. I noticed, over time, that a hole developed in the concrete below the soap dispenser where excess soap has probably dripped. It looks like the concrete has been "eaten away" in this area. Did this happen due to the components of the soap or the quality of the concrete sealer or both? This countertop has more of a matte finish.

uchii I have gotten so much info with above discussion on concrete . Thank you all for your input . It will surely help in choosing options in concrete , pros and cons and what to look out for

Concrete Shop Ellen1331. You probably dont want pinholes in your particular kitchen tops. Reason? The look is too clean and with time those pinholes will show more and more and they will collect grease,grime etc etc. This should be easy to fix and what I may add, these pinholes do open up sometimes after concrete leaves a shop. Call your fabricator and they should be able to fill those even though the concrete is sealed already.. If you cant reach them , email me and I will walk you through it. It would be good to know what sealer your fabricator used on your tops. The way to shop for concrete is to find a shop that is honest about their product and will not tell you it is "indestructible". my email is info@concrete-shop.com. I am showing some of my work on houzz under concrete shop.

Concrete Shop Also, from a design perspective.... There are many ways to finish concrete and you can make concrete look very organic or very uniform. If you go for the uniform look then you may not like the patina or wear develop in only the areas that are used. IT will simply look odd with one spot worn down and the rest of the countertops looking like new. The first picture in this article shows a kitchen that wsa cast in place and the finish is actually hand made(it was troweled unlike cast in a form upside down). These finishes(troweled) are more organic and they age more naturally. Some fabricators can achieve a similar look in their shop when doing a form finish(cast upside down). In the end it is really up to you how youir countertops will look like in several years down the road. I personally do not sell my concrete to people who expect it to be stain and scratch proof. I recommend quartz or formica instead(which I dont sell).

Horgan Design Build @denise, that would be a combination of both. The soap might be an acidy soap, or the sealer might have been just a thin coat that soaked right in (the first couple coats usually sink in pretty quickly)....it could be any number of things, actually.

@concrete shop: what do you think could be done re the pinhole situation? I'm curious because it does happen. Could you/would you take a diamond pad to it in order to remove the sealer, and then rub a slurry mix over all of it to fill the pinholes before sealing again? We've never run into this situation, but I'm sure it could/will happen someday.

And agreed 100% about telling anyone it's indestructible. To the contrary, find somebody who consistently warns you about the complexities of concrete, someone who seems to be really making sure that their product is right for you, but also that you are right for their product. It really is a wonderful product, but only for people who want to use that wonderful product. I think you have to be someone who appreciates imperfections not as imperfections but as character and an inherent storytelling. Granite will look the exact same 20 years from now - which some might find boring, others might find comforting. Concrete likely wont look the same 20 months from now - which some might find awesome, others might find it maddening.

jrwquattro With regard to pin holes, they can be addressed if found during the production process with a slurry made from pigments, acrylic additives and cement. The "pressed process" I used on my counter tops is full of larger voids on purpose. I hand packed a drier mix into the molds and sand blasted the surfaces to open up the voids. the voids are then filled with a slurry to create a contrast (or you could match). The photo below shows this quite well with the bone slurry on the grey concrete. There is no reason this couldn't be used in other methods. Once the top is complete and installed you would need to break trough the sealers again to fill anything that is too small for a topical sealer to bridge. The black is contamination and needs to be cleaned.

For concrete counters there are three basic sealers that are used - a penetrating sealer which does exactly that, it penetrates into the surface to offer a minimal level of protection, a topical sealer that sits on the surface (satin or gloss) and beeswax which is applied over the topical sealer and is a food safe surface. All three sealers are used together in a normal installation.

There was an earlier question about using concrete as a "cooking" surface. A properly sealed surface is food safe and should not be an issue. The surface is not however heat proof due to the sealers used. You still need to protect the surface from hot pans or you risk damaging the finish.

Attached are a couple photos showing possible processes. the mantle is a troweled finish with a semi- troweled slurry over it providing a leathery feel. the bench was my trial piece to test some color combos and prove to myself I was not too crazy yo attempt this myself and the last is another kitchen shot showing the bone on bone pressed finish with the mantle in the background (and the Zebrawood bar tops that I refer to as "our granite", because that is where the expense on normal granite counters was spent).

Jubi Arriola_Headley I am LOVING this discussion. Thanks SO much everyone for your comments. I was wondering if folks could weigh in on a decision I'm trying to make - soapstone or concrete countertops?

Backgorund: I am getting ready to remodel my kitchen/family room in the next year. I'd really like to do cocnrete floors - I live in a house with a slab foundation, and from what I've read they can either do an overlay on top of the slab, or polish/stain/dye/score the slab itself. I am considering concrete countertops to match the floor - I would bring the countertops down in a waterfall edge so it's almost like they've organically grown out of the floor.

I have also been considering soapstone, because it seems to be able to handle everything (heat/stains/etc.), it has that lovely honed patina, and you can score a drainboard into it. (Also true of concrete. I don't know why I have an obsession with a drainboards, but I do.)

I'm wondering two things specifically - how each product "lives," so to speak, and the cost points of each. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide....

MODE CONCRETE What a great concrete discussion!

When deciding if concrete is for you, think of concrete as comparable to any natural stone, in relation to imperfections, irregularities, and how it would react to staining. As long as you take care of it and have good sealers/waxes on the surface of your concrete, it's going to hold up well over time. Food grade sealers or waxes are used on kitchen countertops, so there is a barrier between the concrete and any food it might come into contact with. Make sure you do your research and use a reputable concrete contractor that uses high quality products, for a high quality long term result you'll be happy with. To clean and maintain concrete, we recommend natural non-abrasive cleaners.

Some other things home owners or clients should know about concrete... concrete will have variations and inconsistencies, all characteristic properties of concrete. With concrete we embrace and look forward to variations, in particular concrete floors will develop irregularities, freckles, hairline fractures, spider webbing, and a patina naturally with wear over time. If you choose concrete, be aware that as your concrete ages, it will continuously develop 'beauty marks.'

Our blog and website have tons of information, myths, pros/cons, and other useful material that might help you decide if concrete is for you. Also concretenetwork.com has tons of useful information.

Also, we attached a few pictures of our concrete work, so you can see the potential concrete has. Hope that helps!!

Akitekti Munene infomative article ....

MODE CONCRETE We are new to Houzz and have noticed a lot of requests for a 'concrete' specific forum, to answer and address some decorative concrete questions.

We just started a discussion called 'Q/A Concrete Session - Concrete floor, concrete countertop and concrete fireplace discussion,' at http://www.houzz.com/discussions/271090/Q-A-Concrete-Session---Concrete-floor--concrete

Patrick L. Boyd-Loyd Another option:
There is a product out called Fireslate and it's a combination of portland cement and fillers.
So it's the look of concrete but less heavy.
While we've not personally used it ( I work for a landscape architect) we've had Architects specify it in projects that Ive seen and its' gorgeous - especially the Light Grey ( it's comes in Dark Grey and Pistachio)
I do have a sample of the Light Grey that we've used as a trivet for years and its' aged beautifully - even the slight stains look great, as people on here have said, like leather aging.
http://www.fireslate.com/pages/faq.cfm

jrwquattro Another lighter weight option which gives the ultimate design flexibility is glass fiber reinforced concrete. This is catching on and can yield some wild counters with large spans that before were nearly impossible. The process involves spraying a "topcoat" into a mold for the surface and then spraying concrete loaded with polyester glass fibers to back it up. the tops can be manufactured much thinner than a poured to allowing a lighter weight piece that is allows easier transport. It also eliminates the needs of internal steel reinforcements. Search GFRC countertops.

olldcan We have decided to work with the concrete floor in the walk out basement however we can't decide if we should just have the concrete sealed or acid washed, Should it be cut into a tile pattern, etc. Photo's and suggestions most welcomed

Grace Reed Fantastic information. Could some photos - clearly showing the usual and normal changes, patina, etc. - be added? It seems to be a missing part of this great conversation.

Lara Jones Lots of great tips here...I have gone back and forth trying to decide my future kitchen countertops. I have looked at granite and corian, but always come back to concrete. I love the versatility it offers and enjoy the idea of it aging with me. Plus being as handy as I am and the availability of high quality products, I am confident that this is something I can tackle this project myself, I've worked with concrete before. But any tips or advice is welcome.

Epic Artisan Concrete Aleksandra, As a concrete artisan, I agree with you that concrete is not for everyone, but I cannot agree that it is for certain interiors only. We have made and installed concrete in a range of interior spaces and it has yet to disappoint our clients. You can achieve so many more edge profiles than other materials that help it blend in with the surroundings.

I also do not agree with you that a '…true artist wouldn't like to make it look like something it is not.' Artists the world over throughout history have been taking materials and making them look like something completely different. Take Michaelangelo's David for example. He took a giant slab of rock and made it look like a human being. I believe it was he who said, 'I saw what was in the stone and tried to set it free' (I'm going from memory so that may not be exact). Only through exploration of a materials potentials can we truly understand what it is capable of and being a concrete artisan, I see many many beautiful ways that it is being used daily. Concrete isn't suitable for for a fine finish, but plastic is? Because that is all that Corian is, a composite of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate. If you want a pristine surface, a talented concrete artisan can make that out of a natural material instead of plastic. As an architect, you may be interested in checking out the work of Mark West, Director of CAST at the University of Manitoba, particularly this video. He is making concrete look like things other than concrete and I doubt that as an architect you will find it to be anything less than breathtakingly beautiful.

A true artist is a master in their medium. Someone who knows the chemistry behind what is happening, and why. They know tolerances and push their medium to the brink of these tolerances and can use their vast knowledge to create any aesthetic they choose in order to 'set free the beauty that is in the stone.'

But we are talking countertops here, not art. So let's talk more directly about concrete as a countertop material. Concrete can be whatever you dream it to be in the hands of a talented artist. Its in the hands of the unexperienced that it gets a bad reputation for staining, cracking and being a disaster. Is concrete indestructible? No, but then again no other material used for countertops is, yet architects and designers and especially salesmen never seem to mention that if their beloved Corian chips, there will be a noticeable blemish on their otherwise pristine surface, or that marble is one of the most porous surfaces out there. Don't even get me started on recycled paper countertops. Every natural material stains. Corain and quartz and Silestone are not natural materials. They have natural materials as aggregate but are largely comprised of plastic.

Its true, concrete does patina the way you described, and I must thank you that description because I can't imagine anyone reading that it and not wanting concrete. Most likely little pinholes will open up with use and time. Chips can happen, as they can in any surface, but all of these are easily repaired by a talented concrete artist and it will blend in with all the character of the piece. Below you can see some of the ways we are using concrete as a medium.

The Divine Living Space We just put concrete countertops in our kitchen area. While we LOVE the color and the little bit of texture they add, we have noticed SEVERAL scratches on them. I did email the installer and he said it shouldn't be doing this. It is very odd.... we don't use anything abrasive on them. Is this normal?

Concrete Shop Thje question is whether you expected that or not. I assume you did not. Did your installer tell you they may scratch? no. Then they should not. I dont know what else you want to learn from the public?

Concrete Shop btw. look at the title of this article "nearly indestructible"...

arleneburke does anyone use corian any more? If not why?

Rikka Litherland glass counter tops

Erica Knapp Hubler We had a concrete bar put in between our kitchen & family room...they offered two different ways to finish the concrete...one way would need to be sealed by a professional annually the way we chose we could seal it ourselves. So far so good...but it scratches easily but they buff out