Cheng Design NeoMix

Prepackaged kits (available in eight colors) yield 3 cubic feet of countertop (equivalent to 16 square feet at 2 inches thick or 12 square feet at 21⁄2 inches thick). Custom kits are also available to meet the special needs of your project. Forms and accessories, such as sink molds and faucet knockouts, make the process even simpler. They can be used over and over.

“We’re trying to make it really convenient and cost-effective so that contractors can play with the creative parts of inlaying and making the mold,” says Fu-Tung Cheng, author of the best-selling book “Concrete Countertops” (Taunton Press 2003) and founder of Cheng Design.

The profit margin on a completed countertop is considerable, Cheng says. And in addition, because of group rates from manufacturers, members of Cheng’s Concrete Exchange receive up to 40 percent discount on the NeoMix system products and accessories. In some cases, prices on items such as diamond pads, grinders and brand-name stainless steel sinks are below wholesale pricing.

Cheng says what normally would have taken four to five hours to whip up now takes only about 50 minutes. “You get the buckets ready, get the mixer ready, open up the sacks and throw ‘em in.” And contractors are finding out that being associated with the Cheng brand is a great selling point.

For more information on the NeoMix System, visit the Cheng Concrete Exchange Web site or call (510) 849-3272.