There’s an embarrassment of riches when it comes to countertop materials that fit most kitchen color schemes. Concrete countertops remain an option among the pack of choices that include wood, ceramic tile, engineered stone, laminates, solid surfaces, and even metals. While concrete can be among the most expensive calls, it is strong, easy to maintain, and comes in a great selections of designs, colors, and textures.
On the distaff side, concrete can sustain chips or hairline fissures and, if not cleaned and sealed property, the countertop grout can become discolored. If you’re selecting concrete for your kitchen countertops, home expert Bob Villa insists that you ensure that your contractor is qualified to work with the material, especially in following curing processes to a tee.
Concrete and Your Kitchen Color Schemes
Many kitchen countertop contractors carry their own standard and higher priced custom colors. Each countertop is unique, with what I call “artisan alchemy”. That means you may have textures, deliberate fractures, dyes, and watermarks that render a personalized look for your kitchen.
The pigment is added during the mixing, a process to reinforce the properties of the concrete to hold your kitchen color scheme over the years. Speaking of reinforcement, be sure that your contractor knows how to reinforce concrete countertops, lest the slab will shrink on drying and develop unwanted shifting or thermal cracks.
Contractors may use galvanized wire or rebar in reinforcing concrete kitchen countertops. Rebar restrains the slab of concrete under the right amount of compression, and while it may not completely protect you against cracks, it holds fissures to a minimum, and keeps them narrow enough so they won’t chip or otherwise compromise the countertop.
