It so very easy.

[Mark Podgurski]

I don't know what the fuss is all about, it really is quite easy.

http://frugalfarmhousedesign.blogspot.com/2010/09/concrete-counter-...

This quote is the best:

Olive Cooper said...

Well done. I am told that to have custom concrete counter tops is nearly as expensive as granite

[Jerrad Inlow]

Or perhaps we just over complicate things and it is that easy.

[Robert B]

I find it amazing to see so many clueless people, i dont expect everyone to know how to make concrete countertops, & I applaud the lady who wasn't afraid to make her own. The comments are what makes me realize how many people are completely clueless, they just say whatever they've been told or heard somewhere else, not what they know. I couldnt read past the first few comments but the "custom concrete countertops are nearly as expensive as granite" is what i found funny.

[Cody Carpenter]

well in reality for a piece like that it can be that simple, but what happens when these people have to address different design issues. Also you can bet that these counters are no where near the quality of most the concrete produced by us professionals. Some of my most beautiful wet cast pieces I produced in my very early years when I was adding to much water. It was very pretty concrete with great movement and color bleeding, but not nearly as dense. GFRC has complicated simple pours like this and also simplified difficult castings. Chengs products have made it easy for DIY'ers to tackle kitchen counter top pours, but it wont go much beyond that. We will all keep the fun stuff for ourselves

[Topher]

...well, that's it then. Were all out of a job.

[Dave Melewski]

YUP its pretty simple, just hauled my boneyard to the crusher. 3200#s in 1 1/2 years but my next idea will work great!

[BTBARBOBOT]

concrete is great if only we could just get it to last longer than 20 years. 

[John]

You mean like the our great Canadian infrastructure? ;-)

[John]

I think she is basing her facts on Roman concrete, in which case ours will last for ever! I would have to think that even QC 5000 would be better engineered than that old Roman formula???

[Jim Senier]

I think that the debt incurred building the infrastructure will last longer than the Roman concrete and it must be alive because it keeps growing.

[Mike Lokar]

I just completed a test sample of my new 'super duper' mix, it is designed to last 4 million years. It is sealed with amber and has mosquito inlays.

I'll post my results when the tests are complete...

[Nik]

Just yesterday I walked into a jewelry store and lo and behold all I see around me are concrete countertops.  This must have been very good money for someone that appeared to basically follow the Farm House woman's example for building concrete countertops.

Color was "natural cement" grey.  With many oily areas from people's hands and what looked bad penetrating sealer all over. There were cracks everywhere - hairline and larger. The tops looked just dirty, not cool at all.

From what I can tell so far (I'm new to this) concrete countertops are misleadingly easy to make. In another field I see that the true masters differ from everybody else by only about the last 5% that they do differently and very well.  With concrete countertops this % is much larger.  I can't really approximate because mixing/pouring/polishing/sealing is complicated to evaluate.

There are personal websites of people that show how they made their own concrete tops or whatever.  There is a common theme in all of them - "Look how easy it is."  Which makes anyone that reads these sites think that concrete countertops are nothing special really.  Alla had started a discussion about maybe trying to use a different name for "concrete countertops" if they are a high performance mix.  I personally think that keeping the word "concrete" does more harm than it helps. Just a few hours ago a friend and I were looking at some tops we sealed and even though we made them ourselves it was very hard to be fooled that you are not looking at travertine.  Definitely not the look that the average person sees when they hear the word "concrete".

 

--Nik

 

[Robert Winckler]

I think it is easy to take this perspective about concrete being a bad name for concrete. I used to think the same. Concrete is like an unstoppable virus. It is the bees knees. Any designer and archi worth their salt know this by now. Take the word concrete out of the equation and you loose all momentum gained and you have just another solid surface.

It is up to those involved in the project to do their homework and choose the correct artist. Just like any other piece of art, their are some that can pull it off and some that cannot.

The only way to change the name and get the ball rolling in another direction would be to run a super bowl add. We already missed that boat.

Nik said:

Just yesterday I walked into a jewelry store and lo and behold all I see around me are concrete countertops.  This must have been very good money for someone that appeared to basically follow the Farm House woman's example for building concrete countertops.

Color was "natural cement" grey.  With many oily areas from people's hands and what looked bad penetrating sealer all over. There were cracks everywhere - hairline and larger. The tops looked just dirty, not cool at all.

From what I can tell so far (I'm new to this) concrete countertops are misleadingly easy to make. In another field I see that the true masters differ from everybody else by only about the last 5% that they do differently and very well.  With concrete countertops this % is much larger.  I can't really approximate because mixing/pouring/polishing/sealing is complicated to evaluate.

There are personal websites of people that show how they made their own concrete tops or whatever.  There is a common theme in all of them - "Look how easy it is."  Which makes anyone that reads these sites think that concrete countertops are nothing special really.  Alla had started a discussion about maybe trying to use a different name for "concrete countertops" if they are a high performance mix.  I personally think that keeping the word "concrete" does more harm than it helps. Just a few hours ago a friend and I were looking at some tops we sealed and even though we made them ourselves it was very hard to be fooled that you are not looking at travertine.  Definitely not the look that the average person sees when they hear the word "concrete".

 

--Nik