Kitchen refacing and concrete countertops done

[Chris Daigh]

DSC00899.jpgDSC00907.jpgDSC00909.jpgDSC00902.jpgDSC00906.jpgDSC00908.jpgAfter starting this project 16 months ago I have finally finished my kitchen refacing. Added the double oven cabinet, new island and the concrete countertops. I made the tops thicker than I wanted, but by the time I realized it was too late. Changed all of the bottom doors to drawers and used the Blum soft close drawer sliders and blum soft close for doors. This was a huge project, I can't believe it was this time consuming. The veneering of the curly cherry was very difficult as was moving 400 lb slabs of concrete. The one thing I am most disappointed in was the color of the tops, I wanted charcoal and got gray. But the backsplash color makes it look ok. After all the hours I have put into this kitchen and two large built-ins in this house, I don't think we can ever move cause I will never do this again.

[Trever Williams]

So the cook top is on the island? Is there any type of vent hood above it?

I can believe it was a time consuming project. I read up on concrete countertops once and decided it was way more work than I wanted to do. It looks really nice though. I like the extra thickness and the color.

[Jim Rimmer]

That is a great looking kitchen. Perseverance, huh. I would have given up, I think.

[Brett Bobo]

Chris,
Very well done! It was probably more difficult to re-work the existing cabinets and conditions (out of square cabinet boxes, etc.) rather than start from scratch with a complete gut job. Did you purchase a kit for the concrete counters? Was the concrete backsplash poured monolithically with the counter or is it a separate pour? I'm sure the pour of the sink was a fun job! Also, how do you like the location of the microwave underneath the island--is it just as functional as being eye level?

[Chris Daigh]

There is no vent over the Island and there hasn't been any problems. It would have cost too much to tear into the ceiling or vent it down and out the basement and tear that ceiling out. I figured in our old configuration the over the stove microwave vented the stove nowhere so this would be just as effective. I bought the concrete mix on Ebay and it was really easy to do, you just have to make sure you vibrate the concrete really good. I would never pour them 3 inches again, I meant to do 2 inches thick. I poured the backsplash separate. Also the microwave works out really good there (short family) plus we don't have room anywhere else for it and I hate cluttered countertops. Sometimes making bacon in the microwave and pancakes on the cooktop causes a problem. Also one of the most time consuming thing was installing all the drawers on the bottom half and getting everything lined up. That took a lot of time.

[Jim Kountz]

I think you have done an outstanding job on this project. The countertops are very interesting, I have never done poured concrete tops before but they look fantastic. Im sure you are very proud of this as you well should be!!

[Roy Wall]

Chris -

Beautiful looking kitchen - the veneers are terrific. I have neighbors that have done the concrete tops and they are cool. Super hard project......lotta work...super results!!

[Jamie Buxton]

I'd appreciate it if you'd post a longer description of how you made the concrete counters. Woodwork is something more often discussed on this board, but that concrete work is something different.

For instance...
Did you cast the counters in place, or someplace else?
Is there reinforcement -- rebar or the like -- inside the concrete?
How did you make the sink opening?
Did you polish the concrete, or is that the surface that came out of the form?
Is there a sealant on the concrete?
How stain-resistant is the counter? Can you leave cooking oil on it without staining?

[Dave MacArthur]

GREAT looking kitchen!
I'd love to see a closeup of your bottom doors and drawers, what is that black dividing line for instance? Great job, I love your cabinets and that thick counter looks great just as is. You'll love living in that kitchen and admiring your work!

Jamie--
There are some great concrete counter-top shows, check out DIY network, "Rock Solid" show, they have a 30 min show in the archives that shows you how to do it and pretty much answers all questions. You build up a form using melamine, wipe the inside joints with some silicone sealant, mix up the concrete using white concrete and whatever dye you want (premix all the concrete/dye in one powder batch, then separate it into containers for color consistency), put some 6" grid wire hanging in the middle of form from cross-braces on top. Pour the mix in then vibrate the form using a ROS sander against your hand all around the outer edges, or a concrete vibrator. Let it set up, break it out and sand it, coat with beeswax.
Concrete counters are becoming more popular, in Scottsdale and upper end homes in Phoenix where I live it's the new "granite"-- considered more upper end than just granite.

[Chris Daigh]

As Dave said above, the process is pretty easy. Build the form, I used rebar around any openings for the sink and cooktop. After 4-5 days take them out, they are really smooth if you vibrated the concrete good. There was some pinholes on the top of my slabs and some of those are still on my top but I didn't want it to look or have to be exactly perfect like granite. I also liked the cost. I spent probably less than $500 for the tops. After taking them out of the form I got some dry diamond pads and sanded them a little. I bought a sealer from Concreteexchange.com and my kit came with a poly sealer I used on top of that and then wax on top of that. You do have to be careful and keep it waxed and clean. I have one small stain after 3 months. They are really easy to do and if you screw something up its cheap enough to redo. I got the book that Fu-Tung Cheng sells and watched videos on the internet.
The openings are just styrofoam wrapped in packing tape, they are cut the same thickness as the form walls and glued in place. You have to make sure you do the faucet opening correctly though. The cheap cabinets they put in houses today, I did a lot of work to reinforce the tops and sides. When your sliding 400 pounds slabs accross 100's of hours of work it can be scary.
The black line on the doors is Wenge. I did it for looks and it covers the seam of the veneer.

[Ana Andrews]

Great looking kitchen! One of the biggest benefits of purchasing a concrete countertop is the strength of the countertop. These countertops are strong enough to resist most types of damage, such as breakage, chipping, cracking, and scratching by foreign objects. With proper care and maintenance, the concrete countertop can remain in excellent condition for 20 years or more with out having to be repaired or replaced, which could cost the homeowner a great deal of money.

[Mark ten Haaf]

One thing that can yield some beautiful results is not vibrating at all, and then after flipping your pieces, fill the voids with another color to get a mottled, speckled look. I'd say 90% of my customers opt for that look, which actually will hide stains more effectively.

Nice job on yours! The first one can be a little nerve-racking eh?

[Chris M Pyle]

Fantastic work! This is a project I'd like to start eventually. Any more resources you suggest? Chris? Mark?

[Mark ten Haaf]

For actual countertop construction, the book that Chris mentioned by Fu-Tung Cheng is a great place to start. It's just called Concrete Countertops. For design ideas, like drainboards, inlays, contrasting materials, he has another great book called Concrete At Home. Those two books were my jumping off point for concrete countertops. I've been crafting them for about six years, and much of what I know comes from those two books. Buddy Rhodes also has a book out; I have not read it, but a colleague of mine gleaned a lot of tips from it and recommends it.

You can also get a free subscription to Concrete Decor magazine which features countertop trends each month.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Impressive! The cherry, concrete, and stainless steel work well together! I've seen some nasty combinations, but this one is just right! I love the soapstone-like look to concrete. Great kitchen! Looks like you have lots of space to entertain! Enjoy it!