Concrete Countertops

We’re looking at new countertops for the kitchen. The problem is, countertops are uber-expensive! We were seriously considering tile, since the “bang for your buck” is by far the best. We were going to get granite tiles, which are about $5 for each square-foot tile at Lowes (as opposed to about $70 per square foot for solid surface granite from Lowes or another installer). I think this kind of tile countertop would be great and it would hardly cost anything, but my wife isn’t a big fan of tile countertops because of the grout. She doesn’t like having to clean the grout, which can get food and stuff stuck in the grout seams.

So, we’ve started looking at concrete. Yes, you can make countertops out of concrete. Concrete has the advantage of being a solid surface and you can custom-make it into any shape you want. You can also make it look like just about anything. You can make it pretty much any color and give it just about any texture you want.

The basic process is to make a mold into which you will pour the concrete. This guy has created a great instructible detailing the process, but I’ve been reading this book on the subject, by Fu-Tung Cheng, who is really an expert on the subject. I’ve also watched his DVD, which is excellent. The process really doesn’t look all that bad, and I think I could pull it off.

Cheng also runs a website where he has more information and where he also markets his line of products which help DIYers and contractors alike make concrete countertops and other things. His Pro-Formula Mix is supposed to make it really easy.