Creative Countertops

Anyone in the concrete industry will tell you decorative concrete is hot - customers all over the country are requesting stained concrete floors and stamped patios and driveways Concrete

I found nine decorative concrete contractors who have been creating some unique and interesting countertop designs for their clients Read through the next few pages for inspiration and ideas to put to use in your own countertop, sink, bar or other concrete projects.

Frank Wise has been creating concrete countertops and staining concrete floors for about six years. A recent countertop project he took on was in a home where he had completed a host of other decorative concrete works. The homeowner's kitchen has a Mediterranean theme and she originally wanted purple granite countertops. After finding out how expensive purple granite is, she turned to Wise to create her countertops with concrete to achieve the look she wanted with colors that matched the décor of her kitchen.

Five separate slabs make up the kitchen countertop system - an island with a small sink and stove, an elevated bar above the island, a counter with the full-sized sink, an additional counter, and a built-in desk. Wise used the white concrete enCOUNTER mix on this cast-in-place project. Wise exists most of his countertop systems in-place. "Most people we do countertops for want them continuous with no joints," he says. "So we need to pour them in -place"

All slabs were poured 2 in. thick, reinforced with 4-4-6 rebar and consolidated with a pencil vibrator. Wise used Stegmeier Corp.'s "marble round" countertop forms to achieve the rounded edges on the slabs.

To create the Mediterranean, water- 1 ike look that the homeowner wanted, Wise used purples, golds ,jnd blues from the SS Rainbow Stain line of waterbased stains fromThe Stamp Store. He started blending colors by first applying the purple and feathering it out with a counter brush, then adding the other colors and blending the lines where the colors met to make them look like veins in granite.

Wise finished off the countertops with two coats of enPOXY sealer, sanding lightly with 500gnt wetdry sandpaper between the two coats.

Brandon Gore, owner of Gore Design Co., LLC out ofTempe, Ariz., has been creating a unique sink design for three years called the erosion sink. Each erosion sink is custom made, and Gore has completed dozens of them since his first creation, featured here. The formwork is very complex, taking about 40 hours to complete. "It's a very unique design, and our clients who commission these pieces want something organic, natural and modern," Gore says.

The client for whom Gore created the first erosion sink wanted a very shallow basin with an inconspicuous drain. The design Gore came up with was an extension of the styles characteristic of his work. "All of our designs incorporate organic qualities into them, so the erosion sink was a natural progression for us in the sense that water eroding concrete over time surrounds us You can see it on old streets near a gutter where water washed away the concrete in that area," Gore explains

The key to Gore's erosion sink is its gently sloping layers with smooth transitions that allow for water to flow freely to the drain. Gore can't share exactly how he creates the sink form, but he says each sink presents unique fabrication challenges which forming methods must be adapted to on a sink-by-sink basis.

For this particular erosion sink. Gore's concrete mix included white Portland, white marble sand, white marble aggregate and a titanium white pigment from B&J Colorants, so even when he polished the piece the color remained pure white. T he sink top was 2 ft. by 3 ft., and the slab 3 in. thick. Gore used C-Gnd by Tech Fab as the only reinforcement, and added plasticizer to the mix to aid in showing the mold's intricate detail. The sink was diamond polished and sealed with a Buddy Rhodes acrylic sealer.

Alexander Kitchin and his business partner and wife Evelyn Tickle own PRETTYHARD Fine Concrete out of Charlottesville, Va., specializing in countertops, furniture, fireplaces, sinks, surrounds and the like. Pretty Hard constructed this glass-embedded, polished concrete hearth for a local architect's family who wanted something dark and sleek, but with a sparkle, for their modern home.

For the 6-ft. by 2-ft., 3-in.-thick hearth, which sits flush on an exposed concrete block base, PRETTYHARD used a custom-designed mix made up of a lightweight aggregate, h and -sifted black river ash, and Portland cement. They used welded wire mesh and a few pieces of re bar for reinforcement, "mainly for the move to the site"

The slab incorporates a dry pigment for color and lots of recycled bottle glass from Heritage Glass. Kitchin points out that when working with glass in concrete, you need to be aware that silica reacts with the concrete during the curing process, producing an expansive gel. He says that during the initial curing process, with proper hydration, the gel doesn't necessarily cause any problems, but if the concrete repeatedly dries out and gets wet again, more expansive gel will form and possibly cause bowing and'or cracking. "We pour our slabs and wrap them up so water cannot leave. We keep them fully hydrated during the curing process," Kitchin says. "We'll diamond grind and wrap it back up again until it's strong enough to polish to the desired finish and seal."

Kitchin points out that this is a lot easier to do on interior pieces. "Utilizing glass or any silica in exterior concrete, where you cannot guarantee a consistent moisture, content poses a whole range of challenges that must be addressed m the design," he says.

Kitchin and the client desired a slight waviness in the finished project, so PRETTYHARD did something a little unique. Kitchin explains that normally when working with glass in a concrete slab, you start grinding after the concrete has substantially cured so that you don't grind the concrete faster than the glass. In order to achieve the variation desired in this piece, Kitchin bent this rule. "We did an early grind, which ate up a little more of the concrete than usual," Kitchin says. "Then we stopped the grinding process and waited for the concrete to cure closer to the hardness of the glass and then finished grinding. It was a very carefully timed process to get the subtle waviness."

PRETTYHARD did a wet grind on the hearth up to a 3,500 grit using a series of diamond-impregnated resin pads before applying a heat-resistant sealer. Kitchin notes that during the grinding process on glass-embedded concrete, the rougher grits scratch the glass and give it a frosted look, but as you move up to finer grits the glass clears up again.

In business since 1982, Dominick Cardone ofThe Concrete Impressionist in Brooklyn, N. Y, has been working with concrete countertops, bar tops, sink tops and the like since 2002, when the trend was starting to take off in NewYork. For more than three years he has offered a unique twist on concrete countertops with the incorporation of fiber optics-

A bar top he created for Ovelia in Astoria, N. Y, is 26 ft. long cast in five sections with a 1.5-in. thickness, 4-in. drop sides and an integrated drink slide on the back. It has 1,250 fiber optic points powered by two 39 -watt metal ha 1 1 de bulb illuminators that do not require cooling. The custom-made illuminators allow the owner to change the color wheels or program them to a variety of patterns, such as a wave or twinkle effect.

Over the years Cardone has perfected his own countertop mix design that contains, along with your usual concrete ingredients, water reducers and polypropylene fibers for reinforcement. This bar top has an avocado shade, which he achieved by using a three-part integral color mixing yellow, green and a bit of blue. He also used #3 steel rebar in grids for reinforcement. "My system might seem antiquated, but I like to have complete control over the mix design," he says. "I know there are other types of state-of-the-art reinforcement, but the rebar works for me so if it's not broke, don't fix it."

Cardone says on this project he randomly plotted out the fiber optic points on the bottom of the bar top mold with a felt-tip pen and drilled the points with a ' v-in. drill bit. Then he placed the CK60 (1.5 mm) fiber optic tips in the holes and tied the cords along the rebar. When Cardone pours his first layer of the mix at ·'/; in. thick, he carefully works the mix through the wires with his fingers and consolidates this first with table vibrators. Then the rest of the concrete is laid in the mold and consolidation continues, adding the use of a 1-in. vibrator for internal consolidation.

The bar top was grinded out to a 3,000 grit with diamond disks Because the fiber optic points are composed of PMA, a form of acrylic, and jacketed with a denser form of acrylic, the grinding process doesn't harm them

The owner wanted a personalized touch to the project so Cardone sandblasted the bar's logo - three swirls - into the bar's drop edge in two places. Normally, Cardone seals his counter and sink tops with a solvent-based penetration sealer and buffs them out with beeswax, but on commercial projects such as this one, he uses a water- based sealer with a water- based epoxy and ? ret ha ne because this combination has better stain-resisting qualities.

Brad Winkler and his partner John Clancy of Harmony Functions Art in New Jersey started working in concrete countertops about two years ago. Both had backgrounds in carpentry, which turned out to be a great start for their new venture. "When creating a concrete countertop, there's a high potential for flaws in the formwork,' Winkler says. "We had a strong background in carpentry to keep us going, and we had also put together a lot of kitchens over the years so knew how cook tops and sinks fit with countertops"

Winkler and Clancy use Buddy Rhodes Concrete Products when creating their countertops, and have completed several unique precast systems in recent months, blending Buddy Rhodes' veined and vibrated techniques into one top. Winkler borrowed the idea from antique ornate inlaid tables that mix different textures or materials in the same piece.

The countertop pictured here is part of an 8-ft 6 in. -long kitchen island with an 1 8-1 n. -deep raised breakfast bar and a 25-i n. -deep countertop wrth an inlayed sink. All slabs were poured 1 ¾ m. thick and the mix was prepared with an integral color.

The dual-technique process starts with Winkler building the formwork and mapping out where the dif- ferent techniques will appear. He then applies a layer of silicone caulk to separate the areas where the veined technique will appear.

For this particular countertop system, Winkler pressed in -V.-. in. of concrete countertop mix prepared for the veined technique and let it set until it was firm in the mold. Then he filled in the rest of the mold with a batch of countertop mix prepared for the vibrating technique to the same level of the veined concrete application. Next Winkler applied a layer of stucco mesh and '/.-in. rebar over the entire countertop and finished filling in the countertop slab with m ix. T hen he vibrated the fluid concrete to remove any voids and allowed the countertop to cure.

After the framework of the countertop was shed, Winkler applied a color paste to the voids to create the veined effect. The countertop was finished with a wet polish using a series of diamond polishing pads up to a 3,000 grit, a penetrating sealer and a coat of beeswax.

Corve Surfaceworks out of Atlanta, Ga., and Wilmington, NC, specializes in precast concrete countertops, sinks, furniture, architectural elements and acid stain floors. Owners John Jarvis and Hal Griffin created this countertop system for a home on Figure Eight Island, an elite community outside Wilmington, N. C. Carve Surfaceworks used Quikrete's Countertop Mix on this 2-in. -thick countertop system which includes a 1,500-Ib. island cast in two slabs along with a 300-Ib. slab and 200-Ib. backsplash for a sunken sink, a 1,200-Ib. length of countertop that houses a stove top, and a small 1 50 -Ib . slab for a wine bar area. Carve used Si-i n. rebar and diamond mesh for reinforcement, framing the rim of the undermount sink with the rebar. They utilized an integral color from Cheng Design Products.

Carve Surfaceworks used a 12-cu.-ft. mixer to make 3 cu. ft. of mix. They dry mix all materials first, and add water in ven/ small amounts. "Because of the water reducers, you need to be very aware of the amount of water you use," Jarvis says. "Even a tiny bit of water - 1 cup - can weaken the mix."

Carve has a custom casting table made out of joist and ma- rine-grade plywood on metal horse stands. Jarvis says the table is strong enough to support around 6,000 lbs., but it's designed so that workers can shake the table, which Jarvis says is important for initial consolidât ion. Table-mounted vibrators were used for full consolidation of the countertop. "With this mix you don't have to vibrate as much," he says. "A lot of times we have to slurry to fill voids, but with this mix we didn't have to slurry so much"

Griffin used a water-fed diamond grinder to a 3,000 grit. He says the density of the mix and the color-hardeners allowed him to achieve a mirror-hke finish, thu density also reduces porosity for a more stain-resistant countertop.

Gregory Mata, owner of Cutting Edge Decorative Concrete in Richfield, Ohio, started out in concrete countertops going through his own research process and taking his first class on the topic in 2004. Since then he has taken the knowledge he has learned from others and developed an artistic style all his own that shows through in each precast countertop he creates.

"Handcrafting concrete countertops is another way of using the material I love. The ability to manipulate, mold and detail concrete into beautiful pieces is always exciting," Mata says. "Concrete countertops are nothing like concrete that is on the ground. The fact that they are only a few feet from your face gives the maker the chance to expose the incredible beauty that lies within the material."

For this countertop system Mata worked closely with his client, who was building a space that he wanted to be both classy and relaxing, but also fun and funky when he was entertaining guests. Mata came up with a unique idea and developed glass pieces that he embedded in the countertops that show a mirrored and white glass look under normal light, but a neon-like glow when black lights are on and the party is going. He also incorporated his trademarked fiber optic system, Illumi-Croto '', which includes fiber optic star points and two illuminators that allow for color change and a twinkle pattern. The soft glow of the fiber optics alone give the client a third look for the countertop during intimate or casual gatherings. This countertop system won the award for "Best Decorative Concrete Finish" for the 2007 Cheng Design competition.

Mata's countertop system includes a 4',- ft. -wide and 10-ft. long island, a 7-ft.-long by 26-m. cook top counter, and a 5-ft. by 30-in. sink top. The 1'v-in. slabs were cast using Mata's mix design which is exclusive to Cutting Edge Decorative Concrete and includes 35 percent Portland cement, 65 percent aggregates, mixed accordmg to the desired finish, a 40 percent water 'cement ratio, a superplastizer, FVA fibers and other proprietary ingredients. He uses both fiber reinforcement and galvanized wire for reinforcement. Mata uses vibrating casting tables for consolidation.

The countertop system includes over 250 pieces of Mata's custom glass that depict colorful words and pictures that are only visible during black light illumination. The countertops were polished out to a 1,500 grit with a diamond disk system, sealed with water-based countertop sealers from the Chas E. Phipps Co. and finished it off with Xtra wax, a granite and marble wax which Mata says polishes up to an "incredible" shine

Chris Becker of Becker Architectural Concrete has been working in the concrete industry for more than 20 years Becker employs a variety mixes and products from various manufacturers in order to offer customers a wide variety of finishes and techniques Becker recently completed a bathroom project for a homeowner in Scottsdale, Ariz., which won him the "best bathroom" award from the Cheng Concrete Exchange.

The interior designer who envisioned the sink stand project cal led the style a fusion of zen and cowboy. He handed Becker a hand-sketched idea on a piece of paper and Becker turned it into the finished product.

The entire sink piece includes a precast vertical leg fabricated on-site, along with the cast-in-placo sink top. Careful construction makes the two pieces appear to be integrated, but the sink top actually wraps around the leg. Skirts around the sink top measure 6'.". in. thick, while the center part of the slab is only 2'.". in. thick. Becker used an integral color m a Cheng Design mix for the slab. He reinforced the sink top with .'.-in. rebar and carbon fiber mesh and continued that reinforcement around the skirt of the sink. For consolidation, Becker ran a palm sander along the face of the edge forms. He finished off the project by polishing the sink top to 5,000 grit, applying an impregnator sealer and buffing it out with beeswax.

Becker says he creates his countertop and sink surrounds using both cast-m-place and precast techniques. Some people have opinions favoring one technique over another, but not Becker. He sees a place for both techniques, saying a cast-in-place slab can give you a more unique, hand -created look while a precast slab offers a more manufactured- looking product. He also says the various techniques ceil I upon a contractor's skills differently.

"Pouring in place is more about concrete finishing skills, whereas precast is more about molding and finishing," he says.

Mark Concrete out of Moss Landing, Calif, focuses on specialty concrete projects such as countertops, fireplace surrounds and architectural details inside and out. The Mark Concrete team recently completed a countertop system for a homeowner that included a piece that incorporates an integral sink, integral copper drain board and a vein of river stones. The bay window backsplash'windowsill was cast as a separate piece.

Mark Concrete highly recommends to its customers integral color on countertop systems. "With integral color, you can go back and buff out a flaw or stain and resurface it and the countertop will look like new," saysTina Perez, production manager with Mark Concrete. Mark Concrete offers clients more than 150 integral color choices created with pigments from four different manufacturers.

The precast integral sink countertop section was poured with one of Mark Concrete's standard molds and a back form system to support the integral sink walls and bottom. The sink bottom and sides are 2 in. thick. The homeowner was looking for a thicker edge detail on this piece of the countertop system so Mark Concrete poured a 2'/:-in. -thick top; the other pieces in the kitchen were poured at 1 ¾ in. thickness. Mark Concrete used ?-??. rebar and TechFab's C-Grid carbon fiber mesh for reinforcement. Perez says Mark Concrete often uses the carbon fiber mesh for secondary reinforcement because it adds to the strength of the concrete and helps reduce the risk of cracking in long sections.

An additional unique feature in the countertop was a set of copper bars to create an integral drain board. During the casting process, the Mark Concrete team created voids in the concrete mold where the copper pieces would be later inserted into the countertop. After the copper bars were placed during the finishing process, Mark Concrete secured them with a tinted epoxy to match the concrete color.

The decorative river stones embedded in the countertop were cut and polished by Mark Concrete and their placement carefully thought out so the finished appearance of the countertop and sink included a graduation of rock sizes that mimicked the different sizes of rocks you would see in a natural riverbed. Mark Concrete used a series of diamond-infused honing pads in a wet polishing process up to a 400 grit for a matte look. They finished off the countertop with a penetrating sealer and several coats of beeswax