All About High-End Concrete Countertops

Designing a modern kitchen is a chance to get inspired. There are so many materials, styles, and finishes to choose from, whether you are building a brand-new kitchen or renovating the kitchen that is already in your home. One of the most impactful decisions you can make is your choice in countertop. A new countertop can completely reinvent a kitchen space.

While traditional countertops are typically quarried stone, you have more options than you realize. In the realm of manmade countertops, we simply love the aesthetic introduced by concrete countertops. They are so versatile that each kitchen with concrete counters can develop a unique look and feel with the same shared benefits. 

If you are exploring the possibilities of concrete countertops, let us share the most interesting and important things you should know.

Ensure the Cabinets Can Support Your Concrete

If you're planning a kitchen renovation with concrete countertops, make sure your cabinetry can support them. Concrete is clean and modern, but it is also one of the heaviest countertop options. You may need additional supports in your cabinets or to build sturdier cabinets depending on your renovation plans. Always have your cabinet structure checked before installing heavy countertops.  

Concrete Countertops Can Look Like Anything You Want

When most people envision concrete countertops, they assume a solid, smooth gray. But concrete can look like anything you want. Concrete can be blended with pigment, polished to a shine, or even inlaid.

White-Gray and Custom Colors

Concrete comes in many different colors. It can be blended to a gleaming white to industrial gray, but you can also blend it with pigment for any color under the sun. If you want a deep charcoal-black or a bright fuscia, it is all possible. Like other manmade countertops, you can also commission a pigment swirl.

Matte or Gloss Finish

You might imagine concrete as a matte, dull surface, but it can also be polished to a shine. Polished concrete has the potential to be quite beautiful, rivaling natural stone, while unpolished concrete will give your kitchen a cool industrial finish.

Inlaid with Glass or Stones

You can even inlay the surface of your concrete countertop with it's own grain using small pieces of glass or stone chips. You can swirl it into the mass or press it into the top of the concrete counter as it cures. This allows each and every concrete countertop to be made beautifully unique.

Concrete Countertops are Poured to Your Specifications

Once you have completed the design phase of your concrete countertop, it will be poured to your kitchen's unique specifications. Measurements of your counters will be taken and recreated using thin sheets of wood. Your countertop is then custom-poured, including your chosen decorative aggregate, pigment, and sometimes a steel mesh for structural integrity. When the concrete is cured, it can be installed atop your cabinetry just like any other countertop.

Concrete Countertops are Comparable to Granite

If you're comparing countertop types, you might be interested to learn that concrete and granite are similar in many different ways. Most importantly, they share a similar price range and care profile.

Concrete Countertop Cost

Both concrete countertops and granite countertops cost between $50 and $150 per square foot. This places concrete in the low-to-medium price range for countertops as an affordable yet elegant option similar to granite.

Porous Stone and Resealing Routine

Concrete countertops are porous, like most types of natural stone, including granite. Like granite countertops, you will need to have your concrete counters sealed on installation, and then re-sealed every two to five years. This will prevent moisture and other kitchen materials from absorbing into the porous surface, avoiding discoloration and other problems.

Exploring Concrete Countertops for Your Kitchen

Here at Edesia Kitchen & Bath Studio, we love every type of kitchen material and can help you explore your best options. Contact us today to consult with our designer-builders on the possibilities of concrete countertops for your kitchen.