A friend of mine got one in one area of her kitchen, she had to sign off that she knew cracks could develop, etc. I think the shop that did it for her eventually went out of business (midwest region) However, they originally got their start by going to shops in calif that were doing it and learning from them, perhaps the mild climate out there is more akin to concrete tops. I'm pretty sure its a special mixture, not your standard concrete. Also, whats cool is you can imbed things in it if you want--there are color choices too

We have one at work. It has cracked in a number of places, but in fairness it's 14 years old (I think? maybe more?) and gets a LOT of use. (It was installed by a very well-regarded concrete counter fabricator who happens to be located down the street from us, so I don't think it's an installation issue in this case.) Otherwise it seems like a pretty rugged countertop, though. Takes water, spills, etc. with grace. We're in the SF Bay Area and they're relatively common here, but I think that may have more to do with the fabricator being located here than with anything else!

artemis78 - which fabricator was used for the countertop at work? And do the cracks look bad or do they "blend" with the look and feel of the concrete counter?

pence - is your friend happy with her counter?

My aunt put them in her house. Very high end kitchen and they have stained all over. She had a finish on them that is rough (her kitchen is tuscan style) and the rough edges catch food and gunk. She said if she had it to do over again she would not get them. Smoother finishes may not have that problem, but they have a reputation of staining extremely easy. That said, if you like them and that is what you want, go for it! Just know that they may have cracks and stains occasionally. With any countertop there are advantages and disadvantages.

Hubby and I poured ours on site, ground and polished, sealed with pure Tung Oil. I LOVE them!! We have a rustic kitchen and they go great with it. Oh, ours are dyed charcoal color, so no real staining issues so far. We have one small crack by the sink, but that was our fault. Next time we will know better how to do this. We did our whole kitchen for $500, so very reasonably priced too.
S

I have them and have mixed feelings. We got them because our cabinet installer did these as well and we got a fabulous price on them and overruns elsewhere nixed our countertop budget. Now that we're in a better financial situation having been in for almost a year, I'm looking at quartz for the island that hasn't yet been installed (DH did a lot DIY and he's currently deployed so home projects are at a standstill). I got a very light colored concrete and have some staining I'm not real happy about; I'm sure they're not as noticeable to others as to me. The upside is that a 2" countertop with an upgraded edge looks very nice. I would just go with a darker color than cream. I think that when I have a coordinate quartz island where most prep will take place (rather than on the perimeter concrete countertops), I will like them more. I hope that helps. Good luck! (I posted a pic months and months ago, but don't have one readily available to post now)

I'll admit that I'm sort of hooked on working with the stuff. It started about 7 years ago when I was remodeling our bathroom and I saw Icestone. I set out to make a dark green counter with five different colors of glass. 18 samples later, I finally made the pour. That counter is now sealed with Cheng's sealer and wax and there are no cracks.

That success inspired me to do another bathroom vanity (dark grey), in which a hairline crack developed while I was grinding it on a uneven surface. We installed it anyway and like it a lot. Same sealer and no other cracks have developed.

I then decided to make our kitchen counters. Much, much harder (about 60 hours total). Those are dark green and I used a different sealer, which I like a lot. They are susceptible to oil stains, but seem impervious to everything else. We can put a hot pan on them without any problems. We installed those last summer and no cracks yet.

In the last year, I've helped friends make two bathroom vanity tops and I just finished a built-in dresser top out of white concrete, white sand and glass.

I think your satisfaction with the counter is going to really depend on the fabricator's experience and the sealer. I was walking through Sunset Magazine's HQ the other day admiring the concrete counters by Mark Concrete (Half Moon Bay). Those are sitting outside and look amazing. I wish I knew what sealer he used.

Good luck.

overlyoptimistic - I am also considering concrete counters, in particular on the perimeter where the cooktop will be. By coincidence, I am thinking of a dark olive green. Could you elaborate on what you meant when you said they are prone to oil stains? If my wok splatters a bit will that be a problem, or do you mean that if a pool of olive oil sits overnight that's when the stain occurs?

Also, can you tell us which sealer you used that you preferred over the Cheng?

One of my friends had them in her downtown condo and she hated them. She got some lime juice on it and it totally etched the counter. I don't know if the countertops were improperly sealed but that was enough for me to not even consider them.

A friend of mine has concrete counters. I really don't like the look, and hers have cracked and stained. They've only been in three years and she now regrets not having granite, instead.

The staining has to do with long-term pooling of oils. Spatter is not a problem, as long as I clean the counters. But leaving something overnight is a problem. My one small stain was where a piece of fried food lay overnight.

I have no problems with etching. I frequently clean my counters with diluted vinegar and this doesn't cause a problem. That said, I've never had a pool of vinegar or citric acid on the counters overnight.

Silverraven mentioned the use of tung oil, and I've often wondered whether oiling them and then sealing them would work.

Good luck.

I can recommend a concrete designer/installer:

http://www.wisnowskidesign.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: Wisnowski Design

We have concrete countertops on the perimeter of our kitchen and leathered granite on the island; we also have concrete countertops on the wet bar. I extensively researched concrete countertops and my Asheville, NC based fabricator/installer before deciding to go with them.

IMHO, getting a good installer who really knows what he is doing and has a lot of experience is key to your ultimate satisfaction with concrete countertops --- perhaps more so than with about any other countertop material. The other key is getting a good sealer. Until recently, the concrete countertop sealers all seemed to have one problem or another --- either they looked plastic-y, they scratched badly, or they didn't provide adequate protection. A new sealer has come out in the past couple of years that seems to have solved all of these problems. I wish I could tell you the name of it, but unfortunately, I don't know it! All I know is that it is cured by a UV lamp. I tested samples by leaving a variety of products (red wine, mustard (usually hard to remove), lemon juice, ketchup, etc.) on a sample overnight. Nothing etched or stained the concrete. I was sold.

The countertops have now been installed for nine months and we have no cracks, scratches or stains on them. Admittedly, this is a weekend and vacation home so the countertops have not been used daily, but the countertops have not been babied. Mine is a working kitchen, so the countertops do get exposed to lots of messes. I actually find the concrete countertops as easy to keep clean as the leathered granite on the island. I use the same cleaner (Method for Granite) to clean both of them, although my concrete fabricator recommended a beeswax finish (too much trouble!).

You can get a lot of good information about concrete countertops at the link below. Just for the record, I have no affiliation with this group, whatsoever. There's also quite a few previous posts on the subject if you can get the GW Forum's search function to work correctly. Cheng's books are good if you intend to attempt this project yourself -- not something I recommend and definitely not a project not for the faint of heart.

Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Concrete countertop institute