# Forum Home Renovation Bathrooms  Concrete benchtops

## Arron

Hi. Has anyone here experimented with concrete benchtops ?? 
thanks
Arron

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## mudguts

why would anyone do that????
:confused:

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## Shedhand

> Hi. Has anyone here experimented with concrete benchtops ?? 
> thanks
> Arron

  Not me.  But I wouldn't mind giving it a go.  A lot of new restaurants seem to be doing it here in Hobart. Formica and/or Laminex must make a veneer because one new restaurant has used it and it looks very effective.
Cheers

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## julianx

I do some work for a builder who casts his own. I havn't helped make them but they look great although they cost as much to make as polished granite bench tops. He says it took him a few goes to get the process right. 
You can get some great effects using colours and differant aggregates. 
Sorry I can't be any more help have fun experimenting

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## Shedhand

> Hi. Has anyone here experimented with concrete benchtops ?? 
> thanks
> Arron

  Have look here mate http://www.aringo.com.au/
Cheers

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## bitingmidge

Arron,   

> Concrete is a wondrous material. From a primal and formless slurry, it can transform itself into solid form taking on any shape. The possibilities for creative expression are endless. You can grind, polish, stamp, and stain it. You can embed objects in it. It has substance and mass, permanence and warmth. It feels earthy. It assumes forms that irrevocably touch our daily lives: bridges, highways, floors, walls, and now even countertops.

  I was mad keen on it, but couldn't spare the time, and couldn't get anyone reliable to do it, so used granite for less than the best quote I had :eek: . 
Taunton Publications have a book which I must get my hands on one day. http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070599_intpg.asp 
It may well be worth investing $50 to have it airmailed if the library doesn't have it. 
Cheers, 
P :Biggrin:

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## Arron

> why would anyone do that????
> :confused:

  Have a look here and your question will be answered http://www.concretenetwork.com/concr...tal_sinks.html or http://www.concretenetwork.com/photo...untertops2.htm . 
Actually, its a vanity top that we want - with inbuilt basin and surround for a mirror. We have used marble and granite for the rest of the house - very nice but very limiting because you are working with flat slabs of stone. If you want something creative you need to be able to shape it from a mouldable material. I think my wife just wants something no-one else has and its a good thing I enjoy the challenge. 
I have read quite a bit on the subject, and now am wanting to make contact with someone who has actually done it.  
thanks
Arron

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## Christopha

Terrazzo??? That is just polished concrete using coloured aggregates and cements... There has to be the odd Italian around who can still do it.

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## TassieKiwi

Isn't concrete the stuff you use to hold up the TS and jointer? :Tongue:

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## mkemila

> why would anyone do that????
> :confused:

  that way you know when the saw has gone all the way through the wood of course :Biggrin:

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## Auld Bassoon

> Have look here mate http://www.aringo.com.au/
> Cheers

  I don't wish to offend anyone, but in my simple view those are as ugly as sin.  Reminiscent of the German bunkers scattered around Jersey and some of the (forced labour) built internal "fittings":eek:  
In anycase, I wouldn't have one in my shed - just imagine shoving a nice sharp LN chisel into concrete:eek: (waves garlic & stuff around) 
Cheers!

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## mudguts

I had actually never heard of it.........silly me
no offence  :Wink:

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## seriph1

> Arron,   
> I was mad keen on it, but couldn't spare the time, and couldn't get anyone reliable to do it, so used granite for less than the best quote I had :eek: . 
> Taunton Publications have a book which I must get my hands on one day. http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070599_intpg.asp 
> It may well be worth investing $50 to have it airmailed if the library doesn't have it. 
> Cheers, 
> P

  
$25 from Amazon + postage

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## Arron

> I don't wish to offend anyone, but in my simple view those are as ugly as sin.  Reminiscent of the German bunkers scattered around Jersey and some of the (forced labour) built internal "fittings":eek:  
> Cheers!

  I'd have to agree with you. Aringo's stuff is as ugly as sin - though I was too polite to say it at first. Actually, all the Aussie stuff is pretty awful - all clueless and locked in the 1970's. I guess it looks like terrazzo, which is more 1950's then 1970's and not due for a revival any time soon. Have a look around some of the US designers' sites though and you will see what can be done. 
In terms of the look of it, isolated from its context, decorative concrete is never going to be as nice as a quality marble, however it makes up for this through its ability to be shaped however you want it.  
Arron

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## bitingmidge

> $25 from Amazon + postage

  ON SALE NOW!  plus $12 US = $43AUD landed!
Cheers, 
P   :Biggrin:

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## Sir Stinkalot

I think given the right context it can look great .... however I am into that industrial look myself. 
The image with the country style kitchen with the concrete top looked out of place and didn't suit at all. 
The floors look great as well.

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## markharrison

> I guess it looks like terrazzo, which is more 1950's then 1970's and not due for a revival any time soon.

  Actually Terrazo has already made comeback. I have seen it used in some very expensive domestic and office kitchens in the past couple of years. They don't use ordinary gray cement. I don't know for sure but I imagine that they are using pure white portland cement.

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## scooter

I can see the new thread already... 
"How do I cut dog holes in my new concrete benchtop"..  :Biggrin:  
Put rio in so it holds up to a decent fumping.  
Cheers..............Sean

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## jimc

I have that book and it looks fantastic. My wife has already ordered a benchtop for the new laundry and if that works....the kitchen. 
The book did say that the problems were in making the mold and then moving the cast piece(s) to the cabinetry. 
Certainly worth a look. Check out the authors website for ideas! http://www.concreteexchange.com/

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## sinjin1111

I have the Taunton book and its great. The pics shown at the start of this thread don't really show what can be done. For me the appealing idea is that the bench doesn't have to be flat at all. But you can cast wash area so the water drains into thr sink. Basically if you can think outside of the square you can come up with whatever you like. The book explains how to make simple cheap molds and all the tools you would need. In the book it also shows items cast into the surface. The author doesn't claim concrete to be the answer for all. He just explains how it can be used differently compared to flat surface types such as granite or whatever and also tells how it has a few pitfalls including maintenace.
Sinjin

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## arms

i had to do several concrete tops for kitchen but unfortunatley they were on an island off of australia and i had to form the boxing and then after the concrete had cured  go back and then fix ac sheeting to the concrete then laminate over the ac sheeting with a laminate to make it look like a normal kitchen,isnt it sad that still has to happen in this day and age

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## Lignum

Sounds like some nice concrete raised panells for my next buffet will be just the thing :Wink:

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## journeyman Mick

> i had to do several concrete tops for kitchen but unfortunatley they were on an island off of australia and i had to form the boxing and then after the concrete had cured  go back and then fix ac sheeting to the concrete then laminate over the ac sheeting with a laminate to make it look like a normal kitchen,isnt it sad that still has to happen in this day and age

  Tom,
why did they want a concrete top with laminate on it?:confused:  
Mick

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## barnsey

I can't believe I started reading this thread much less commenting.:confused: 
If you can mould concrete into a form that is aesthetically pleasing to you or will impress some arty farty individual then you could do it in timber.  At least timber is a far more forgiving substance than concrete.  :Cool:   
Stone based bench tops are good for those that are pastry buffs but otherwise as practical as thingo's on a bull IMHO.  That's why we put a marble inlay in a timber kitchen bench. :Shock:  
Then we get to the hygenic properties and I'm not sure that I want my chicken prepared on a surface that others generally walk on but there's an arguement there that I'm not prepared to pursue here.  Porosity and natural materials is a subject that is oft debated.   
To top if all off I use a wooden board to do all my food preparation on so that my Lansky honed kitchen knives don't have hard objects under them when I'm cutting. :Wink:  
OK I'm off the soapbox now but cement bench tops - could only be for belting your head against for ever using them in the first place:confused:

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## arms

> Tom,
> why did they want a concrete top with laminate on it?:confused:  
> Mick

  the reason was that the islanders would burn everything not tied down to feed their fire (usually in the loungroom on the floor) and they couldnt burn concrete so it had a better chance of surviving the tenency period than any other material ,all it needed was a new covering of laminate 
thanks for asking mick

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## BrisBen

Maybe instead of using formed concrete you could look at using compressed firbro cement - 18mm thick as a benchtop - it comes in a 3000mm x 1200mm sheet so your could cut a corner section without a join and I have seen it sealed and used for outdoor cafe tables and seems to stand up to the weather. 
Looks a bit like concrete too - just smoother  
You could possibly pencil round the edge with a router if you didn't mind wrecking a few bits  
like anything - use dust extraction  
my two bobs worth anyway

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## Pulpo

No I have not tried making a concrete counter top yet. 
But hopefully within the next 4 weeks I will start building the moulds. 
It will be for a basin top in the bathroom and a laundry  bench top as well. 
Yes I have the book by  Cheng. 
The colour will be the key. 
Not sure how to get the fibres in a small quantity. 
To polish the concrete I will use a GMC polisher with diamond pads from Hoskins. 
As for getting someone to do it, good luck. 
Good luck. 
Pulpo

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## MrFixIt

> why would anyone do that????
> :confused:

  Because the nett result can be fantastic. This is NOT just rough "floor" type finish, but a BEAUTIFUL polished and sparkling finish. Can be in many colours depending on your choice of materials and is COMPLETELY free form, can be (and usually is) cast in situ. 
They can be DIY, but I think the polishing should be left to an expert. There is at least one book on this subject as I have had it on loan from the local library to check out what can be done and the sample results.

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## rod1949

I know its not a bench top, but the bloke who built our house some 40 years ago now, in the bathroom did a terrazzo floor with coping all round.  We have owned the house for 17 years now, apart from a bit of an exposed aggregate effect on the floor of the shower it has worn extremely well with basically no maintenance and absolutely no mould/mildew ever.

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## arms

as a side comment ,in india to this day they cast all their tops in concrete,even the shelves are made into the wall of the building and then cast in concrete,the finish is steel trowelled and i am told by one of my customers that has just spent 5 years over there that it is the most durable surface he has ever used, so much so that he knows that i am a patternmaker by trade and he is thinking about paying me to make him a mould for a project he is thinking about in his shed.

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## Arron

Well, my time is now more limited then I thought, so I havent had much chance to experiment, but here is an update on what I have done. 
I made 4 trial-size moulds, about 400x400, and have cast them several times. 
Most I have done using 'structural grout' rather then concrete. This is a wonderful material. It dries quickly and can be removed from the mould later the same day. Next day it is rock hard, with a fine-grained surface more like stone then concrete. It also has no shrinkage and minimal cracking - actually on these sample size trials it has zero shrinkage and zero cracking. It is hard and durable enough to be further experimented on even without reinforcing. Put lots of pigment in and when wet it behaves more like liquid rubber then concrete. I bought it at Bunnys but the downside is that it is $15 for 10kg bag. I believe that most of the proprietary mixes available in the US are really just this stuff relabelled. 
I have done some in regular concrete - still wet and soft two days later, which may be OK in the finished job but not good for these tests. 
I have tried different pigments - no issues there. 
I have tried brass inclusions - rather nice. 
I have tried grinding and sanding. Using a ROS and working grits from 60 through to 200 then polishing is a cinch. Just expect to use a lot of pads (good thing KMart has them on special here). Polishing is dead easy - just grind away any dags, sand flat with 60 grit and then carry on through the rest.  
I have tried experiments with parting oil (unnecessary) and silicon (unnecessary as well). 
I have tried trowelled surfaces and casting such that the mould side is the finish side. The latter works better, though my wife says it is dull. 
I have tried pigment washes (looked good but lost when sanding) and rough surface infill. The latter is not working yet as the infill tends to be undercut too easily when finishing. Perhaps I should be wetting the block first. 
I'm glad this thread is staying alive. Keep up the commentary.
Arron

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## scooter

Arron, might be worth getting your discs from an abrasives supplier, would probably work out cheaper. 
If you have a diamond stone you may be able to use that to take down any rough spots first.  
Good luck with the further experiments.......cheers........Sean

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## Jill

I'd love to see pics of your experiments, Arron. 
I've been interested in poured concrete benchtops for some years now, after seeing a vanity bench top in an Owner Builder mag. made to look like sandstone.  It was very well done & looked like real sandstone.  The guy who made it used a steel ruler to carve the layering to simulate sandstone.  He also made his lintels, cast in-situ, and one had a mouse 'carved' into it, along with other detailing.  Inspiring work.   
Cheers, 
Jill

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## Trav

Hi there 
Has anyone got any recent experiences with concrete benchtops? I am very keen, but keen to hear if others have had positive experiences. Particularly people in Australia - where did you get the mixes, grinding/polishing discs etc.  
I am probably going to buy the book/DVD mentioned here and referred to earlier in this thread ( http://www.concreteexchange.com/catalog/1/) 
Cheers 
Trav

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## tameriska

Trav, check this thread out, In here somewhere Jill has a poured in place benchtop, it came up really well.  http://woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=25158

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## encino_

Can anyone recommend what sort of mix to use for pouring up for polished concrete? 
I want to make a small hearth for my fireplace, probably around 1m wide, 70mm thick, and 200mm back.
I see that Cheng sells a pre mix stuff on his website, but it's expensive, and to get it shipped to Aus would cost heaps. 
I want to do it on the cheap, but with a similar appearance to something like these :  http://www.customconcrete.co.nz/hearths.html 
I like this style of ground finish better though : http://www.instructables.com/files/d...K1M.MEDIUM.jpg  
Can I just get bags of premix from Bunnings? Do I need to add stuff?
What about polishing on the cheap without buying expensive pads?
Anyone reckon if I used plastic or glass on the bottom of the mould, when I turn it over it would be basically finished and shiny without the need for polishing much?

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## Metung

An architect building around the corner from me has a free standing, polished concrete bath. Looks impressive but I imagine it would suck a lot of heat from the hot water.

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## derekh

I'm glad I ran into this thread. Only last night I was thinking about the feasibility of casting a base for an Cob Oven in concrete and moving it into place atop masonry blocks. Same principle as a bench top (I hope).

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## Gra

> Well, my time is now more limited then I thought, so I havent had much chance to experiment, but here is an update on what I have done. 
> I made 4 trial-size moulds, about 400x400, and have cast them several times.

   :Worthless:

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## encino_

For anyone interested, this bloke gives a fairly good step by step... but again, I'm at a loss as to what materials people are using here in Australia, especially on the cheap.  http://www.instructables.com/id/Conc...--Solid-Surfa/

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## solid art

[quote=encino_;644157]Can anyone recommend what sort of mix to use for pouring up for polished concrete? 
I want to make a small hearth for my fireplace, probably around 1m wide, 70mm thick, and 200mm back.
I see that Cheng sells a pre mix stuff on his website, but it's expensive, and to get it shipped to Aus would cost heaps.   concretencounters@gmail.com 
I'm new here and new at blogin so be nice while I stumble through. I am in the concrete countertop biz having my own company for 5yrs. Here are some pic. for now, I have to go. I'll answer your ???? later.

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## nev25

Sorry to resurrect an old thread 
But I'm wondering if the previous posters or anyone have successfully done this 
I know these have  http://www.guru.com.au/farm/ownerbui...ete-benchtops/ 
Anyone else 
The reason I'm asking is I'm thinking about giving it a go
I obtained a copy of Fu-Tung Cheng's DVD http://www.concreteexchange.com/ 
Great DVD but he uses products he markets himself with I would imagine are not sold in Australia and would be costly to have shipped out here 
I'm wondering what products anyone in Australia has used? 
Went to local Bunnings and they had Bugger all (my local bunning is small compared to city ones) 
Any successes stories and pics?????

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## Bloss

Polished concrete looks a treat on floors so no reason it wouldn't be Ok as a bench top. Weight would be no more than some of the granites around - I guess reinforcing would be an issue, but the old concrete laundry tubs were plenty strong and had only chicken wire in them.  :2thumbsup:

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## seriph1

Personally I think concrete is ideal for sinks and benches .... yup, I am thinking of those old laundry tubs too  -  I mean, the cement doesn't care what it gets made into and provided it is done according to Cheng's guidelines and gets the bubbles out, it should look and work brilliantly. 
After saying all that though, I can't help with the details on Aussie versions of the ingredients.

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## Gaza

i have been thinking about doing this for a while now, not 100% sure what the mix is in terms of what products we can buy off the shelf in an avergae hardware. 
i know that the sanding & finshing is a lot of hard work to get a flat surface

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## nev25

Yeah I assume (going by what I'm able to determine) 
I can use a quickset and some plasticiser (not sure what plasticiser does)
And some form of colouring?

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## Gaza

> Yeah I assume (going by what I'm able to determine) 
> I can use a quickset and some plasticiser (not sure what plasticiser does)
> And some form of colouring?

  it make's the mix more workable, with out having to add water

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## Vernonv

> Yeah I assume (going by what I'm able to determine) 
> I can use a quickset and some plasticiser (not sure what plasticiser does)
> And some form of colouring?

  I'm sure the quickset is a good idea - it normally has lower strength than normal cement/concrete. 
The plasticer (as Gaza mentioned) it to make the bix more workable so that you only have to add a miniumum of water. The more water in the mix, the weaker the resulting concrete.

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