need help from everyone surfing the web

I know I should post this in Home and decoration, but I will try here first.

I'm resercing everything about concrete countertops. we want to make our own and I would appreciate any links you know of.

we don't wanna hire someone to do it. it will be a do it yourself project.

I can't get the granite that I wanted (to much money)
tile is the last option. I would love concrete.

thanks a bunch
Carmen

This article recently appeared in our paper: http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/living/home/home_improvement/3915204.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Here's another one that looks pretty good, and it's got photos as well as step-by-step instructions. http://www.canadianhomeworkshop.com/countertop_guide.html

Good luck, and be sure to post pics!

thanks go_vols, will go and look at them right now :)

hth ... http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/Hazelton/GMA020227_kitchen_countertops.html , http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A27063-2002Aug16¬Found=true , http://www.taunton.com/concrete/index.asp , http://www.taunton.com/concrete/pages/excerpt.asp

I saw a floor once that looked like brown marble, but it was only concrete with wood stain on it and then a few layers of floor polyurethane. It was gorgeous! And a LOT prettier than the concrete stain you buy specifically for that.

They always say to test a treatment (stain, paint, etc.) on a small, hidden area, but that sucks when the only hidden area you can find is a 1" overhang under the counter. The lighting isn't the same as on top, so it won't look the same as the finished top. Also, you can't really get a good idea of what a big area will look like from just a small space. I'd suggest that you pour a 2'x2' square of the same concrete you make the countertops out of and at the same time so you can practice whatever stain treatment you're going to put on it. Then you can see how much you like it without any risk.

Good luck! Concrete is awesomely tough for counters!!

Zameluzza, I re-read your original post, and thought of another option you may want to consider. (Although I've always thought concrete was pretty cool for countertops:)

What abomut 12"x12" granite tile. It's not nearly as expensive as the solid pieces, is easy (well, easier) to install yourself, and - if you get a good match with your grout color and leave very little space in between - you can get a really (REALLY) nice look for around $16-$20/linear foot (based on $8-$10 per tile; and depending on the granite you choose, you may find a better price than that.) And it's every bit as heat and scratch resistant as the solid granite.

We did that in our last home, and I LOVED my countertops, and may very well do it again, if/when we build another house.

If you go this route, be sure to use a non-sanded latex-based grout, which is easier to keep clean, and more durable than the sanded grout. Best wishes, whatever you choose!

thanks everyone for the links and all the tips :)

I realy realy take tiles as a last option, because of the grout.

I like concrete a lot and our home has already lots of concrete there *LOL*
the walls are ICF (insulated concrete forms)
on the floor we gonna put concrete, to cover up the radiant heat pipes (basement and main floor)

I like the concrete countertop look :)

and since we are real do it your selfers. I want it !!

but then again, we did not deciede yet!!
everything never goes as we plan.... we wanted to be in by christmas, and we did not do much during the summer :(

I will keep you posted on what we do.
I'm going to buy some ingredients and try little sampels. I'm going to make them all the same size, so I could use them for something else later on.

thanks
Carmen

Hey, yeah! You could make the sample try-out pieces one foot square and use them as stepping stones! A foot square should be big enough to show you what a countertop would look like with that finish on. Neat idea, Zamy!

Z... I saw that one of the hyperlinks above was a Taunton Press (Fine homebuilding, Fine Gardening, Fine Cooking) book about making your own countertops. I remember a detailed article in one of their magazines, which I have in my library. I will look up the issue tonight when I finish work, and post the issue # here. If the article looks as good as I remember, you might want to order (or find) a back issue.

I am considering concrete countertops in the next house I build for myself... same for radiant heat floors.

OH this is so much of a head spinning thing.
My DH wants to do everything himself, I don't mind but it takes for ever :(

We had some contractors for a few thing, but they messed up so much,

on the wall they did not braced to much, so we had some major booboos here and there, that turned around that the walls are not strait... with ICF the hidden steel (things) to screw on the gyprock should line up!!! well it did not.
with ICF you are not supposed to strap for the gyprock!! well some places we had to shave some of the forms and other places we had to underlay some wood to make it strait.

the windows are not strait :(

so many things we have to fix after the contractors left.

the electrician did not made the holes big so when they pulled the wires in they damaged the wires... lots had to be replaced because the inspector said so :(

If we do everything (well almost everything) ourself, then we know it's like we want it. and we also save on money.

just with the radiant floor heating we gonna save 10'000.- thats a lot of money we can put back in to the farm, since it's the farm that pays for my house.

I found a lady online that did the counter herself and she mailed me some instructions :)
next time I go to town ( well to the city) I will get some material and start experimenting.

thanks everyone, keep the links comming :)
Carmen

found another link :)

http://www.decorative-concrete.net/countertops.php