Frequently asked building professional concrete countertops questions:
Q1: I want to start a business building concrete counters, islands, fireplaces, vanities and other interior concrete applications. Where should I start?
Find a mentor who’ll pay you next to nothing but freely share their knowledge — you’ll be miles ahead of the competition.
Study Concrete Exchange’s free online training videos and guides to help you develop your skill set, hone your craft, improve your business practices and sharpen your design skills. We also host many different concrete technique trainings and special training events.
Q2: Do you consider a pour-in-place counter to be a bad idea?
The two main limitations to the pour-in-place technique are the lack of detail possible with top troweling and the difficulty in achieving elevation changes (which limits an array of design possibilities). Even if you wish to grind and polish in place after the piece has cured, it is inherently more difficult to do so because the countertop surface is not as flat as when precast; therefore, achieving a level surface will require a significant amount of grinding or polishing.
While there are a number of projects that call for pour-in-place like a water feature and perhaps a fireplace, we favor the precast method for its numerous advantages, particularly the resulting look, feel, and quality of craftsmanship.
Q3: What concrete countertop products do you recommend for professional use?
You can choose between many systems of mix products, CX Pro-Formula Concrete Countertop Mix, CX Pro-Formula Pour-In-Place Concrete Countertop Mix, or SureCrete XS or D-FRC Fiber Reinforced Concrete Mixes depending on your type of work.
CX Pro-Formula Pour-In-Place Concrete Countertop Mix includes two separate components: Admixture, Water Reducer (liquid form), and optional CX Smart Color pigment. Each component is packaged separately and requires you to add it individually to a mixer. When combined with six 60-lb. bags of 5000 psi sacked concrete, the mixture yields a 3 cu. ft. concrete countertop mix.
CX Pro-Formula Concrete Countertop Mix is our proprietary formulation of admixture, pigments and other key ingredients combined in pre-measured quantities to yield an ideal consistency for pouring and finishing (available in one or three cubic foot concrete countertop mixes). In general, results from both products are the same. Most customers and DIYs purchase Pro-Formula for its simplicity and consistent results. However, certain professionals prefer our CX Pro-Formula Pour-In-Place Concrete Countertop Mix for the ability to control (for reason including color and climate) the individual quantities of admixture, water reducer and pigment.
Q4: Is there a reason why you stay away from Acid Stains for concrete countertops?
We avoid acid-staining countertops because some of the stains contain heavy metals, which may pose a health risk and are not as environmentally friendly. Years ago, we used this technique extensively on floors and walls.
Q5: Can the techniques used to build concrete countertops be adapted for vertical surfaces, like for bathroom walls or a shower surround?
Yes, especially if you decide to precast your concrete project. Essentially, you would be making large concrete “tiles.” Pour-in-place vertical surfaces are a little trickier, may require more intensive structural reinforcement.
The Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) method is a good alternative to the traditional flat methods. It affords the opportunity to do lighter, longer runs, which can be ideal for going vertical; for more information, check out SureCrete XS or D-FRC Fiber Reinforced Concrete Mixes.