Kitchen Counters: Sturdy, Striking Recycled Glass With Cement

amaebi519 FYI - Cosentino's Eco line of glass countertops did very poorly in Consumer Reports testing. Love the look of these, though!

olldbobbi I have more than 65 sq ft of counterspace in my kitchen; if I'm going to pay $6,500 to $10,400 for new countertops, I'm not going to embrace the patina that develops over use!!! I'm going to clean that puppy til the cows come home. Aside from that, these are pretty cool. Is there any chance at all that some of the glass could come loose?

judywilliams106 Isn't this terrazzo?

anu_thomas Love the look of them all but they are not resistant to acidic substances like citrus juices or vinegar which can corrode these counter tops. Been there, seen it....besides when the pieces come off, they leave holes on the surface, which accumulates dirt and you know the rest....

ccompanions Chose Curava for our kitchen on the coast of Maine. I agree it is an expensive product and I am nervous about keeping it clean, etc. but I totally love the look. The glass sparkles at night when the under cabinet lighting is on...love it.

bonnierenae My husband sells concrete and so we have an island made of plain concrete and exposed aggregate (a trial to see if he could create one). There are different sealers you can use so pick according to your commitment level. We didn't keep up to ours and it has a couple spots that are a touch darker. It still looks good. Concrete countertops are NOT heat resistant. If you put a pot of boiling water straight on it there is a good chance your countertop will shatter. We also have a colored concrete countertop in the bathroom with exposed aggregate and colored stones. It's beautiful. Lots of options with them!

lennyk Anyone know the brand of stainless steel sink in photo?

Stevie JMO to the newbys, don't just pick a surface because it is in style. Do the research and what kind of maintenance it will need, how you are going to use it (are you a every night kind of cook?), do you have children who might not be as careful as you are about acids, heat, wiping up spills? I am in the process of restoring marble in my shower and REGRET ever using it because of the maintenance I got lax about the sealing. I now have a huge refinishing bill and still need to have it sealed on a regular basis......don't just go with what is popular!!!

bohemiansue I believe it's called concrete, cement is just a powder!

logicbutton Oh great, that first picture turned my eyeballs into little hearts. Send help.

I love the look of these (clearly) and also their eco-friendly properties, but their main downsides seem to be the same as those in stone: sensitivity to stains, scratches, and extreme temperatures(? according to bonnierenae's comment, at least). It just blows my mind that these weaknesses are considered acceptable for surface materials in the kitchen. Is there really not a strong, long-lasting transparent sealant or coating that can be added to kitchen countertops to eliminate those issues?

Regardless, I'm going to consider something like this when it comes time to redecorate my bathrooms.

departure: architecture planning interiors llc Good comments!

@amaebi519: Thanks for the info about ECO. Though don't hold that review against these products because, while ECO has recycled glass like these counters, the similarities end there. ECO is much closer in composition to a quartz counter, as it has a resin for the binder rather than the cement you see here.

@judywilliams106: You're right, this is very similar to terrazzo!

@bohemiansue: I'm with you about being accurate with terms. Cement can be any of a variety of binders, and Portland cement is more specifically a finely-ground powder that originates from limestone. And concrete is typically Portland cement mixed with both aggregate and water. I verified that the manufacturers of these counters describe their binder as "cement". They explain the whole composite as recycled glass, cement, and pigment, which is then combined with water to make the countertop. So the entire composition resembles concrete (or terrazzo as the article and judywilliams106 state) as it's cement, aggregate (the glass) and water. Houzzers keep me on my toes!

edbarth I made my own countertops out of recyled glass and concrete, it was a learning process but they turned out great and aside from the hard work I have about 1000$ into a 80 square foot counter

edbarth here is a few more pictures

edbarth here are a few more pictures of contertops. they are likely dusty in these pictures but once waxed, they are beautiful.

buckoconnell This stuff looks good but there is a company called Vetrastone in South Carolina that makes glass counter top that are incredible and cheaper than the prices quoted in this article. We did our baths and the look is fantastic.

jinglebelle I agree with Logicbutton that it's strange that countertops like these, with all their downsides, are considered "acceptable" for kitchen surfaces. These are beautiful, I love the look, and flexibility with colors and pigments, but the maintenance problems are too much.

It also bothers me that everything made by recycling something is extremely pricey! I have seen this many times - wine glasses cut from wine bottles sold for $$$ apiece - CocaCola sells a plain chair made from recycled bottle plastic for about $300 or more - $30 teeshirts made from recycled something or other - etc. etc. It's ridiculous! Recycled items should be cheaper, not more expensive, in my opinion. People aren't going to pay more for something made from recycled materials, because they see it as something "used" or made from "used" parts. I also don't want to pay more because it's deemed to have some chic, artsy-fartsy design. Overpricing does not help promote the philosophy of recycling at all.

pixie42 I installed Mille Fiori Vetrazzo in my kitchen 4 years ago. I've since moved and oh, how I miss the bright colors!

denysep I have had a light blue Icestone counter for 5 years and love the look and Eco friendliness of it but have been disappointed with the staining. I wish I had chosen a beige color which seems to be the color of most of the staining. Even diligently using sealers (Eco friendly ones) has not prevented staining.

nibbler This article has left me wondering: what is the most hard wearing knife and stain friendly and durable material for kitchen work surfaces? Can anyone please tell me?

astraea I honestly don't get it. Most people think of concrete as "industrial" and therefore much more durable. But the staining & not being heat resistent are a real downside .. and this is even more expensive than granite?!

edbarth quartz would be the answer for durability but what is wrong with a cutting board and pad for pots if you want concrete?
our countertops are wearing very well and you can put a pot on them it will melt the wax but just reapply and buff, as for cutting, buy a 100 dollar knife and perhaps you will think twice about cutting on any surface other than a board

typoagain edbarth. I love your comment about the knife.
In my house I have a set of knives that no one except me are allowed to use. (my wife cheats when I am not around. lol)
You should have seen my wife when her family was down for Christmas and her sister's kid was using a $150 knife as an ice pick.It only ran $35 to get it properly sharpened.

departure: architecture planning interiors llc @typoagain: Ha! My old roommate broke the tip off my Wustofff chef's knife while trying to pry two frozen hot dogs apart (thankfully he replaced it). An expensive mistake.

edbarth my wife has at least 4 knives that she has broken the tips off, i finally got a gasket scraper from napa so she can hammer it in and pry apart steaks and chops, gasket scraper =6$

Nar Fine Carpentry I have used Icestone and Vetrazzo - both were beautiful but not satisfactory. Stains and chipping during fabrication. However, there is a new product "Geos" by Eos which is recycled glass with acrylic instead of concrete, so it is non-porus and does not require sealers. I will be trying it for my clients who want a recycled glass product. AND it is less expensive than Icestone!

Beth I have always loved the look of the recycled glass countertops. When redoing our other bathroom, I decided I was going with Vetrazzo. Their colors seems more vibrant. No it isn't cheap, but I found a place that had a 1/4 slab for sale (normally you have to buy the whole slab) so I lucked out. It was just the color I wanted too. I sealed it well upon installation and clean it with windex or simple green. Haven't had any staining issues with it. Looks great and I love it!!

mmerulla What about outdoor applications for these counters? I'm installing a pool bar (in the northeast where half the year is freezing). I'm not sure why, but it seems that we're pretty intent on some kind of concrete counter material. We really like the look of some kind of exposed aggregate, finely polished... but I'm not sure if fine stone or recycled glass will be better? We're less worried about heat or cutting. Concrete should handle the elements I think right? It sounds like we should be prepared for a variety of staining and color variation from god knows what might accumulate outside - leaves, tequila limes, birds. I've read comments that maybe earthy brown tones may be advised to cloak stains as "character". I guess I'm fishing for anyone with experience outdoors. Sealant and wax? More frequent outside? Or just let it go and embrace the character?

Beth Contact the company, like Vetrazzo, and ask them.

Art Workshops Googled the "Geos" by Eos [re: Recycled glass with acrylic instead of concrete] and see that Home Depot carries it.

Art Workshops @edbarth. Would love a 'how - to.' [ RE: "I made my own countertops out of recycled glass and concrete, it was a learning process but they turned out great and aside from the hard work I have about 1000$ into a 80 square foot counter,,,"].

edbarth @art workshops- i bought an online tutorial from a guy but it was not alot more than you can learn on youtube. I can give you all the advice you would need but let me warn you, you need at least 4 people to handle a 12 square foot countertop. but aside from the weight consideration it is fairly easy and very gratifying to make your own and as far as an outdoor use, they are coincrete and will last forever once cured. our countertops are actually getting smoother and shinier the more we use them.

edbarth i have the step by step photos of some of my pours if you want them i can email them to you

croge I've had vertrazzo Amberhouse Ale in my kitchen on a bar height counter that we use as a serving buffet, a bar and a staging area. I've never sealed it; I put hot pans on it on a regular basis (it's the best place to set my hot sheet pans;, we put wine bottles on it and pour wine there during parties; food spills onto it and is left there until we do post party clean up....and it looks like new after 8 years of use! The manufacturer recommends sealing but states hot pans and pots are fine. It's carefree as far as I'm concerned and has received more comments then any other feature of my home.

ejvan Absolutely love this idea for a countertop...Can I get this product in Australia???

Beth Google: Vetrazzo, icestone, or recycled glass countertops to see what's in your area.

Nar Fine Carpentry ejvan- You can also get this look with a local concrete artisan who specializes in countertops- they can mix in glass chips-If you cannot locate any of the above companies in Australia.

edbarth @evjan, just seed glass chips into the bottom of your form whatever color you want to be seen. pour plasticized cement into form with reinforcing wire screed off cement and let dry for about 1-2 days remove form, flip your countertop and there you will have your recycled glass exposed. this is a simplified explanation and it is a job for at least 3 people to flip but if you want to know more i can sure help you out.

edbarth by the way ours have not been resealed or babied in any way we have used them for 9 months now, they actually look better than the day we put them in. we stained them and sealed them with a sealer and stain from from direct colors.com

ejvan Thanks for your comments, you have all been helpful. There is no Vetrazzo or Icestone in Australia in fact I am pretty sure there is no recycled glass countertops manufactured in Australia at all so going through a local concrete artisan may be my answer. Thanks to edbarth if I was really handy I would give it a go myself but...well..maybe if I get stuck and run out of options.

daftsolution Concrete countertops are great for outdoor use. Concrete needs to be cured properly before it can be sealed. There are several different types of sealers recommended for these applications. I used 3 coats of acrylic based sealer and 2 applications of beeswax. The beeswax should be reapplied couple times a year. Any natural stone counter/ table top requires maintenance and none are knife friendly use a board.

joyful_lady I wonder if these would work better for back splashes where they are less likely to be abused?

I am considering for my combo butler pantry/laundry room where I will still spend time and be able to enjoy it but where it is not going to be subject to the heat and various potential stains.

I am also wondering if it would be good in the master bathroom. I would never consider it in one without a separate make-up area because make-up can so easily stain but if another surface is used for the make-up vanity area--I would be interested in other thoughts on ths.

jacksonbeth I do not like Concrete countertops, I have heard bad things about them...maybe they are OK for outdoors but I wouldn't put inside my kitchen. We put in recycled glass countertops from Web Don -- see a photo below.

joyful_lady Stevie, I totally agree that just going with what is popular is the wrong step. IMO, it pretty much ensures that it will eventually look dated. That being said, I do not avoid it if I love something that is in style but I go with what I love. (I do consider the care required in the decision.) For me, if I love it I am more apt to take good care of it because I care about it.

pixie42 I spilled wine on my countertop and was yelling "Noooo" as I watched it spread. I figured I had nothing to lose and sprayed it with a bleach/water combination. It disappeared and when I knew it was dry I resealed it. Problem solved.