Concrete Countertops

A job that began with a mere 80 square feet of overlay snowballed into a decorative concrete transformation — complete with faux hollow tree — for this restaurant and bar.

Crafting countertops and sinks out of concrete brings out the best of the material’s chameleon-like qualities.

The historical structure that now houses the Nashville Dinner Theatre has always attracted attention. During Prohibition times, people slyly used a tunnel in the building to transport alcohol to area nightclubs. Today, it attracts crowds for its dinner shows and performances by local vocalists.

Curiosity: Stay eternally curious about better methods, collaborative opportunities and advances in sustainability.
Artistry: Remember that concrete is an artisan’s canvas.
Innovation: Employ state-of-the-art techniques to achieve a very dense and reliable concrete product.

Boyer is the owner of ConcretiZen, based in Apache Junction, Ariz. She does it all — art pieces, driveways, pool decks, countertops, floors. She takes residential and commercial jobs, coloring, texturing, stamping, polishing, sandblasting or engraving concrete.

If you're new to making concrete countertops, you may have encountered any of a number of pesky problems. Even experienced concrete countertop artisans encounter a problem now and then, but they will also tell you that practice makes perfect.

Concrete has many faces, and there are many preconceived and misconceived ideas about it. You should not navigate what people think concrete is — instead, explain to them what it actually is. This includes your concrete, its finish and all of its attributes.

Scott Cohen’s company, The Green Scene Landscaping and Pools, is a premier outdoor living construction firm in the Los Angeles area, specializing in resort-style swimming pools and spas, fireplaces, fire pits and outdoor kitchens.

Concrete countertop guru Fu-Tung Cheng saluted his latest group of top proteges at January's World of Concrete.

As demand for concrete countertops grows, concrete contractors and artists have been honing their techniques to produce concrete countertops. Countertops fall into two general categories: cast-in-place and precast and projects can call for either application.

Jeff Kudrick, product manager at J&M Lifestyles LLC, is always looking for innovative illusions to create in concrete. His latest endeavor was coming up with more traditional designs for vanities and countertops, as those make up the bulk of J&M’s sales. One solution? Concrete that looks nearly identical to wood.

For a guy who started from the bottom up, Jesse Escalera has managed to make a name for himself over the years through his backyard masterpieces.

“It’s nice … to reacquaint with and meet guys I didn’t know that had an equal or similar experience,” he says. “It has been a soul-fulfilling deal for me. In taking these tables to these very real combat heroes."

Rather than the utilitarian mainstay of most interior precast manufacturers, the countertop, we will instead discuss how to design, engineer, fabricate and install a concrete stove hood.

Brian Oberman, who has been in the concrete industry for 25 years, merged his company with Life Deck Coating Installations about three and a half years ago. Today, as general manager, he’s had the chance to work on projects such as Coasterra, the Beach Terrace Inn and Westroot Tavern.

According to Jeffrey Girard, P.E., founder of The Concrete Countertop Institute, concrete with calcium sulphoaluminate (CSA) is the way to go for countertops.

"When I first used CSA instead of portland cement, I recognized that it offers a technological advantage," he says.

Like the structural character of a concrete foundation, concrete countertops are structured as well but with a whole lot more sex-appeal.

Countertop concrete is not your grandfather’s concrete. It requires new approaches to the basic elements of mix design and reinforcement. This in-depth look takes you inside the bag.

Countertop artisans have many considerations to weigh while setting up their fabrication shops - location, size, work flow and equipment, to name a few. And they all have the same goals in mind: to create quality products and run a successful business. Experts from across the country have plenty of advice on how to achieve these goals.

The owner, an old concrete contractor, wanted to replace the two bars with concrete. The goal was to add ambience and character to the bar with a material that could be hosed down along with the floors. The owner also wanted seamless tops, making this a good candidate for pouring in place.

Principal artisan Tommy Cook’s use of color, stain, gleanings from nature and even customers’ souvenirs takes this full-service firm to a different plane

Think about what happens to a kitchen counter every day. People splash acids on it. They spill things that stain it. They chop and slice on it. They set hot pots and dishes down on it. And they clean and clean and clean it with water and chemicals and green scrub-pads

Twelve feet high when stacked and installed, the black panels on either side of the center were poured against fabric. They look somewhat like roughened metal or steel.