The Benefits and drawbacks of Concrete Kitchen Counter Tops

1. Few kitchen area countertop products are trendier at the moment than high-end concrete. Rock solid and difficult as granite or slate, concrete can be a better fit in contemporary kitchen designs than any of those natural stones because it exhibits a modern commercial visual. Contributing to the mystique is the fact that concrete can now be engraved, acid-stained, stamped, and sealed to create a counter top surface that is unlike practically any other available material. Modern concrete kitchen countertops are no longer cold slabs of gray concrete (unless you want that)-- more often, they are warm and gleaming surface areas that are absolutely functional and likewise remarkably stylish. Setup of Concrete Countertops Concrete countertops might look like enormous slabs, but in reality, they are normally just 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. The illusion that they are much thicker slabs is typically the outcome of a drop-front edging on the countertop. Still, these are extremely heavy counter tops, weighing 19 to 25 pounds per square foot. Installers in some cases require to strengthen kitchen cabinetry and often even the floors in order to bear the significant weight. While concrete countertops are in some cases formed and poured on-site, more often they are fabricated in stores after a professional takes accurate measurements of your kitchen area space and talks about all surface choices with you. In the shop, kinds are built and the counter top is poured, complete with whatever sink cutouts, pigmentation, or additives are requested. Throughout fabrication, the counter top pieces are usually enhanced with fiber or metal mesh of some type to give them strength and rigidity. After fabrication, the counter top is allowed to cure fully, and the surface might be ground and polished to whatever complete the customer has an asked for. Some sort of sealer is applied, typically a really tough epoxy. As soon as curing and ending up is total, an installation team carefully provides the countertop to the work site and installs it. As part of the setup, the team might construct or install support frames for sinks, because it is very important that the counter top itself not bring the weight of the sink. If the sink is an under-mount style, it is embeded in place first, then the countertop is set up over it. The counter top is typically stuck to the cabinets with construction adhesives after being thoroughly leveled and shimmed. Benefits and Drawbacks of Concrete Countertops Concrete countertops have lots of virtues, particularly its capability to be formed and formed to precisely match your kitchen area measurements and ended up specifically to your taste. With other countertop materials, you are often restricted to whatever colors and styles are readily available, but concrete deals you a larger series of choices. Just ceramic tile comes close to providing a comparable series of choices. On the other hand, if you are conditioned to consider concrete as an utilitarian structure product utilized for slabs and foundations, you might imagine that concrete countertops are cheap and easy to set up. Absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. Concrete is a high-end, superior product when utilized in cooking area counter tops, and fabricating them needs a lot of ability and experience. These are among the more pricey of all counter top products. Pros They can be custom-sized and formed to any kitchen configuration. Concrete does not scratch and is impervious to heat. Materials such as glass fragments, stones, shells, and fiber-optic lights can be embedded.

2. Concrete produce an extremely durable and lasting surface area. The surface is easy clean-up and preserve, supply regular sealing is done. Concrete counter tops usually improve real estate worth as a "premium" product. Cons They are expensive, costing as much as $150 per square foot. Yearly sealing is required to prevent staining. Their weight can strain cabinet frames and floors. Repairs are nearly impossible, and splitting sometimes does take place. Maintenance Presuming the counter top has been sealed initially with a good-quality epoxy granite imports fort collins colorado sealant, continuous upkeep needs only the application of an excellent water-based wax sealant every 9 to 12 months. Yearly sealing will make sure the surface area withstands staining and will decrease the chances of a concrete countertop breaking in time.