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Concrete Countertops
Ultimate Personalization
Just like a kid who personalizes the family driveway by
pressing its hands into the newly poured concrete and
signing its name, this latest innovation in decorative
surfacing lets your clients make their countertops uniquely
their own. Whether with bits of colored glass, special
rocks, fragments of geodes, seashells, memorabilia or even
corporate logos, concrete is the medium of ultimate
personalization.
What Should You Expect?
There are almost as many ways to get a concrete countertop
installed in your home as there are qualified fabricators to
do the work. In most cases your new countertop will be
manufactured offsite in the fabricator’s shop and delivered
as a finished countertop to your home. Depending on your
tastes and the specialty finishes offered by your
fabricator, you have the option of a wide range of colors
and textures from which to choose.
An extremely heavy material, concrete has undergone a number
of technological advances to make it lighter and easier to
work with, as well as perform better under rigorous use. A
noteworthy development is the use of Glass Reinforced Fiber
Concrete, or GFRC, which results in a lighter, stronger and
more versatile concrete countertop.
Cast Process
Made from raw materials like Portland cement, silica,
pigments and other fillers, concrete countertops are
typically "cast” in a specially constructed mold that fits
the shape of your kitchen or bath. Concrete sinks can be
molded into the countertop deck to make it a one-piece,
seamless creation. Once the basic shape has been poured and
allowed to set, it is removed from the mold and, where
appropriate, colored stains are applied to create a
one-of-a-kind look. Sealers, waxes and other protective
finishes are applied to produce the final look and feel.
More Than Just Countertops
Because it can be formed to almost any shape and because it
possesses physical properties that perform well under high
heat conditions, concrete is rapidly becoming a popular
material of choice for fireplace mantels and surrounds. Such
decorative vertical applications run the gamut from rustic
to exquisitely ornate in appearance.
Although concrete has been in use for hundreds of years as a
structural material in home construction, in the last decade
it has been developed for high-end, decorative applications
such as countertops. It has become a material of choice for
recycled materials like glass and aluminum and also performs
well as a sustainable product in its own right. It’s
versatility is limited only by your imagination and the
skill of your local fabricator to produce what you envision. |
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