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Few kitchen area countertop products are trendier at the moment than high-end concrete. Rock solid and hard as granite or slate, concrete can be a better fit in contemporary cooking area designs than any of those natural stones considering that it exhibits a modern-day industrial aesthetic. Adding to the mystique is the fact that concrete can now be engraved, acid-stained, stamped, and sealed to create a countertop surface area that differs from nearly any other offered product. Modern concrete kitchen area counter tops are no longer cold slabs of gray concrete (unless you want that)-- regularly, they are warm and gleaming surfaces that are absolutely practical and also remarkably trendy.
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Couple of kitchen area countertop products are trendier at the moment than high-end concrete. Rock solid and difficult as granite or slate, concrete can be a much better fit in modern cooking area styles than any of those natural stones considering that it exudes a modern-day industrial aesthetic. Adding to the mystique is the truth that concrete can now be engraved, acid-stained, stamped, and sealed to create a counter top surface area that is unlike nearly any other offered material. Modern concrete kitchen area countertops are no longer cold slabs of gray concrete (unless you desire that)-- regularly, they are warm and gleaming surfaces that are absolutely functional and also incredibly trendy. Installation of Concrete Countertops Concrete counter tops may look like enormous slabs, but in reality, they are generally only 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. The illusion that they are much thicker pieces is generally the outcome of a drop-front edging on the counter top. Still, these are really heavy counter tops, weighing 19 to 25 pounds per square foot. Installers often need to strengthen cabinets and sometimes even the floors in order to bear the substantial weight. While concrete countertops are in some cases formed and put on-site, regularly they are made in stores after a technician takes exact measurements of your kitchen area area and goes over all surface options with you. In the shop, types are built and the countertop is put, total with whatever sink cutouts, pigmentation, or additives are requested. Throughout fabrication, the countertop slabs are typically reinforced with fiber or metal mesh of some type to provide strength and rigidness. After fabrication, the counter top is permitted to cure completely, and the surface might be ground and polished to whatever finish the customer has a requested. Some type of sealer is applied, often a very hard epoxy. Once treating and completing is complete, a setup crew carefully provides the countertop to the work site and installs it. As part of the setup, the crew kitchen countertops alternatives to granite may develop or set up assistance frames for sinks, given that it is important that the counter top itself not bring the weight of the sink. If the sink is an under-mount design, it is set in location initially, then the countertop is installed over it. The countertop is typically stuck to the cabinets with construction adhesives after being carefully leveled and shimmed. Benefits and Disadvantages of Concrete Countertops Concrete counter tops have many virtues, specifically its capability to be formed and formed to precisely match your kitchen measurements and completed specifically to your liking. With other countertop products, you are typically limited to whatever colors and styles are offered, however concrete deals you a wider variety of options. Only ceramic tile comes close to offering a comparable series of options. On the other hand, if you are conditioned to think of concrete as an utilitarian structure material utilized for slabs and structures, you might imagine that concrete counter tops are cheap and easy to install. Nothing could be even more from the truth. Concrete is a high-end, premium product when utilized in kitchen area counter tops, and producing them requires a great deal of skill and experience. These are amongst the more pricey of all counter top products. Pros They can be custom-sized and formed to any cooking area setup. Concrete does not scratch and is impervious to heat. Products such as glass pieces, stones, shells, and fiber-optic lights can be embedded.
Concrete produce an extremely durable and lasting surface. The surface area is easy clean-up and preserve, offer routine sealing is done. Concrete countertops normally improve real estate value as a "premium" product. Cons They are pricey, costing as much as $150 per square foot. Annual sealing is required to avoid staining. Their weight can strain cabinet frames and floors. Repairs are almost difficult, and breaking sometimes does happen. Upkeep Presuming the countertop has been sealed initially with a good-quality epoxy sealant, continuous maintenance needs only the application of a good water-based wax sealer every 9 to 12 months. Yearly sealing will guarantee the surface area withstands staining and will decrease the opportunities of a concrete countertop breaking gradually.
