Concrete Countertops
Having a sturdy, durable countertop that also looks great is something that can often be undervalued in a kitchen. Granted, sometimes finances dictate what kind of countertop you can realistically put in your kitchen, and wooden countertops are often the cheapest. Unfortunately, they are also the easiest to damage and, in some circumstances, the least hygienic.
Granite countertops have excelled in this regard, offering the very definition of durable, while simultaneously looking amazing and bringing a touch of class to any kitchen. Unfortunately, granite is also very expensive, and transporting it is no small feat.
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There is an alternative, however, and that alternative is concrete. If you are unfamiliar with concrete countertops, this may seem like a bit of an unusual premise. After all, concrete is the stuff you make floors with, not kitchen work surfaces. Well, as it turns out, with the right concrete, some careful preparation and execution, and a bit of diligent sanding down, you can have concrete countertops that look every bit the part, even when compared to granite.
The main advantage to a concrete countertop over a granite one is that it is poured in place, rather than cut somewhere remotely and transported to its final location. This has the double benefit of reducing the hassle and cost of transporting the counter, as well as making it considerably easier to make less conventionally shaped countertops.
Most countertops are some assortment of rectangles, with visible seams where they join together. With a concrete countertop, you could theoretically have your entire kitchen feature one seamless countertop in just about any design you want. It is also very attainable for a relatively inexperienced person to make their own DIY concrete countertop, which is something you can’t say about granite.
How Long do Concrete Countertops Last?
Concrete is an extremely durable material—and you would expect nothing less from a construction material that is used to build skyscrapers—so naturally, it makes for an extremely hardwearing work surface in your kitchen. That being said, how you treat your countertop will have a dramatic impact on how it lasts.
Now, when discussions how long a concrete countertop lasts, you mean how long before it will break, the answer “long enough”. Unless you take a sledgehammer to it in a fit of rage and crack your countertop clean in two, there is every chance it will outlive you, and perhaps even the house it is in.
In terms of general wear and tear, on the other hand, it will largely come down to two things; how well your countertop was constructed, and the kind of abuse you subject it to. For argument’s sake, let’s assume the counter was done professionally using high-quality materials.
If you are doing things like tenderising meat on it, or dropping heavy objects or banging into the corners with items that are substantial enough to chip the concrete, you will probably find it does not last as long as you might like without the need for repairs or replacement.
On the other hand, if you are using it only for typical domestic cooking and not putting it through any serious trauma, as well as keeping it clean and maintained, a concrete counter will keep its distinctive appearance for as long as you need it to.
Are Concrete Countertops Food Safe?
Concrete is a naturally porous material, meaning it can absorb things that are spilled on it. This creates something of a breeding ground for the kinds of things you don’t want breeding on your kitchen countertop. Concrete is also notoriously difficult to clean when it gets stained. That is unless you intend to break out some industrial cleaning tools, like a jet wash or sandblaster. It doesn’t take an expert in food hygiene to see why these qualities may be less than ideal for an environment where food is going to be cooked.
This would be an issue if you were planning to pour a concrete countertop, break the mould away, and leave it at that.
However, no concrete countertop should be used before being sealed. Sealing a concrete countertop does exactly what you might expect; it seals the surface of the countertop, removing the problems associated with that porousness we mentioned, and it also makes the countertop much easier to clean, since the finished result will have a glossy, almost glass-like quality to it.
To get the desired effect on a sealed concrete countertop, it will likely need to be buffed out, which is a process that can be repeated to remove any subsequent light scratches that find their way into the finish throughout the course of general kitchen work. However, if any damage occurs that is deeper than a light scratch—specifically deep enough to get all the way through the sealant and to the concrete itself—more sealant will be required to repair the damage.
Are Concrete Countertops Better Than Granite?
There is really no way to say that one is objectively better than the other when it comes to granite and concrete countertops. The suitability of each will inevitably come down to the specific circumstances in which the countertop will find itself in.
Both granite and concrete fall into roughly the same price bracket, so there is no advantage as far as the price goes. However, granite tends to require less maintenance over time, and is less susceptible to scratches and cracking than concrete.
On the other hand, concrete is far more flexible in terms of the shapes it can be moulded into. As we mentioned above, granite has to be cut from existing stone, and getting anything other than rectangular pieces is prohibitively expensive. Concrete, on the other hand, is poured into a mould and can be any shape you need it to be. It can even be poured in situ to ensure it perfectly matches the space you want it to go in.
Other things to consider are that, while concrete is notorious for having a bad carbon footprint, the carbon footprint of granite is actually worse due to the process involved in getting and processing the material. Another thing to consider is the look of the finished countertop.
Whether you prefer the look of one of the other is a matter of personal preference, but you cannot get the industrial look of a concrete worktop with granite, and you cannot get the natural mineral patterns of a granite countertop with concrete.
Are Concrete Countertops Cheaper Than Granite?
As mentioned above, granite and concrete countertops fall into roughly the same price range. Granted, concrete does tend to work out a little cheaper on average, but the difference is not so great that it is likely to be a deciding factor when the two options are so different.
If you are deciding between the two and you really don’t care which look you get or what longterm properties the surface has, then you may care that you can get a one for a few hundred dollars less than the other. But more likely, that a choice between these two options will come down to which you prefer the look of, or which is more practical for your specific setup.
That being said, when you compare the prices it is worth noting that concrete will need to be sealed on a semi-regular basis (roughly every two years) to keep it from developing problems such as mould. Granite does not require any ongoing maintenance besides cleaning—unless it gets damaged.
Are Concrete Countertops Durable?
Concrete countertops are extremely durable. Concrete may have something of a bad reputation in this regard, as it is known to crack and snap in some situations.
You only have to look at a flagstone pavement that has fallen into disrepair to know that. However, a professionally poured concrete countertop will incorporate reinforcements in much the same way that the concrete used in the construction of a building incorporates rebar frames to reinforce the structure.
This reinforcement in the countertop—often taking the form of a flat metal grid that covers the entire footprint of the countertop and is set into the centre of it—helps to prevent cracking from too much movement. Though, for the most part, it is unlikely you would be exerting enough force on your concrete countertop in the course of general kitchen work to crack it—even if it wasn’t reinforced.
In terms of more minor damage like scratches, concrete itself is actually pretty easy to scratch. However, a concrete countertop that is done right will be properly sealed, and that sealant will offer plenty of resistance against the scuffs and scratches that you are likely to inflict.
At the end of the day, the main thing to convey here is that concrete countertops are more than durable enough to put up with the kinds of use that a typical countertop will face.
Are Concrete Countertops Easy to Maintain?
As we mentioned earlier, there is some ongoing maintenance to deal with when you have a concrete countertop. Every couple of years, the countertop will need resealing to prevent that porous nature showing through and causing problems with mould and staining.
Generally speaking, this is not a huge deal, and probably wouldn’t be considered “difficult to maintain” by any reasonable metric. However, when compared to granite—which is sealed once before it is installed and does not need anything other than cleaning and damage repair after that—it could be considered less easy to maintain.
Maintenance, as it pertains to damage repair, is about the same as it would be with granite in terms of difficulty, though the methods involved in repairing damage are different. For minor scuffs and scratches, you can simply buff them out as you might do with a small blemish on your car.
However, for more substantial damage, you will need to reseal the affected area and buff it down to match the rest of the counter. This is not a particularly simple process, and you may want to get an expert involved, but it is no less involved than the equivalent process for repairing granite.
Are Concrete Countertops More Durable Than Granite?
In terms of durability, concrete and granite are about equal in practical terms. What we mean by this is that they are both up to the task of withstanding any amount of force a countertop should reasonably expect to receive. Of course, if you are expecting to be pummelling your countertop with a jackhammer’s worth of force, you might want to put more thought into which surface to choose. But if that is the case, this probably isn’t the article you should be reading!
Moving on to less dramatic kinds of damage, once again, both types of countertop are roughly equal when it comes to things like scratches. The process of repairing smaller damage—such as deep scratches or corner chips—is vastly different, but the amount of abuse it takes to cause that damage in the first place is about the same.
There is no real wear and tear aspect to either type of countertop. Of course, they do wear, but you would be looking at centuries of use before you would notice any significant wearing of your countertop.
Are Concrete Countertops Easy to Maintain?
As we mentioned earlier, there is some ongoing maintenance to deal with when you have a concrete countertop. Every couple of years, the countertop will need resealing to prevent that porous nature showing through and causing problems with mould and staining.
Generally speaking, this is not a huge deal, and probably wouldn’t be considered “difficult to maintain” by any reasonable metric. However, when compared to granite—which is sealed once before it is installed and does not need anything other than cleaning and damage repair after that—it could be considered less easy to maintain.
Maintenance, as it pertains to damage repair, is about the same as it would be with granite in terms of difficulty, though the methods involved in repairing damage are different. For minor scuffs and scratches, you can simply buff them out as you might do with a small blemish on your car.
However, for more substantial damage, you will need to reseal the affected area and buff it down to match the rest of the counter. This is not a particularly simple process, and you may want to get an expert involved, but it is no less involved than the equivalent process for repairing granite.
Are Concrete Countertops More Durable Than Granite?
In terms of durability, concrete and granite are about equal in practical terms. What we mean by this is that they are both up to the task of withstanding any amount of force a countertop should reasonably expect to receive. Of course, if you are expecting to be pummelling your countertop with a jackhammer’s worth of force, you might want to put more thought into which surface to choose. But if that is the case, this probably isn’t the article you should be reading!
Moving on to less dramatic kinds of damage, once again, both types of countertop are roughly equal when it comes to things like scratches. The process of repairing smaller damage—such as deep scratches or corner chips—is vastly different, but the amount of abuse it takes to cause that damage in the first place is about the same.
There is no real wear and tear aspect to either type of countertop. Of course, they do wear, but you would be looking at centuries of use before you would notice any significant wearing of your countertop.
Are Concrete Countertops Still Popular?
Concrete worktops have enjoyed a slow rise in popularity over the last decade or so, with something of a boom happening in recent years. This boom may have something to do with the growing number of “How To” and “DIY concrete countertop” videos that are now floating around YouTube on the subject. Of course, a general trend towards industrialised modern interior design has no doubt played its role in the popularity of concrete countertops.
Final Thoughts
Concrete countertops are undoubtedly a popular choice these days, and the flexibility you have regarding the area you countertop will cover is a very appealing prospect as people look more than ever to make their homes unique and stamp their individuality on it. Another factor is the increasing desire to do things for ourselves. The wealth of knowledge available to us online has lead to many people taking on projects they might never have considered before. There is no shortage of DIY concrete countertop videos on the web, and no shortage of people willing to give it a go. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t call a professional in if you want things done right.
