Countertops & Precast Concrete

Some 25 or more years ago, when my father would tell me he needed help making a rubber mold, he meant only one thing - using latex. Liquid rubbers for making production-quality molds have come a long way since then. Science has continued to perfect specialty compounds for mold-making. These compounds are designed to address the very specific challenges associated with very different mold applications, including architectural and decorative precasting.

Self-consolidating concrete (SCC), also known as self-compacting concrete, is an amazing and special type of concrete that is highly flowable and resists segregation. It combines specialized mix designs with advanced chemical admixtures to achieve a concrete mixture that, under its own weight, can spread through and around dense reinforcements to adequately fill voids without segregation or excessive bleeding and without the need for significant vibration. In the decorative concrete arena, it has been used to produce castings with a high surface quality, often with few or no pinholes. Less labor, quicker casting times, better surface finish and increased concrete densities are common reasons for choosing SCC.

Part one of a three-part series on designing, casting and installing concrete oven hoods

Decorative concrete precasters have the ability to make a greater variety of products from their one primary material than their stone or solid-surface fabricator counterparts do.

While most New Englanders today are keeping their purse strings drawn tight and few are investing in concrete countertops for their homes, it’s a different story for area restaurants that serve drinks, says Michael Littlefield, owner of Custom Concrete Design in North Berwick, Maine.

Proper reinforcing and good mix design go hand in hand to prevent problems with concrete countertops. The materials you use for reinforcing are just as important as those you select for your mix. To understand which materials are best for reinforcing your concrete countertop, you first need to understand how reinforcing works.

Originally designed for a shower bench installation, this striking
river-themed countertop application features a dazzling blue-colored
mix with glass aggregate and gorgeous river stone detailing.

Dominating the interior of Mille-feuille, a tiny bakery and cafe in New York City’s Greenwich Village, is a massive pale beige countertop, all smooth concrete curves and subtle flecks of off-white marble. The piece is the work of Passaic, N.J., decorative concrete contractor Remigiusz “Remik” Iwuc, owner of Concrete Shop. In Remik’s eight years as a concrete fabricator, he’s done his fair share of complex projects. But with two architecture firms involved, a pair of hands-on clients with engineering degrees, and a design with extreme performance requirements and no margin for error, the Mille-feuille project represented something of a perfect storm.

What if there was a way to take the leftover concrete from a job site and turn it into a moneymaker instead of throwing it away? Thanks to Proline Concrete Tools’ Compass Rose Medallion Table Top Mold, there is.

Concrete rivals or surpasses many common architectural materials when it comes to versatility of design and application. Its customizability is well-known, and more fabricators are starting to realize how they can capitalize on its versatility in expanding their market.

Southwestern Paint and Supply’s Hydro Guard, a sealer designed 22 years ago for secondary containment of chemicals and for sealing exterior stucco, has been discovered in recent years by decorative concrete fabricators who appreciate its thinness and praise its stain resistance and durability.

The owner, an old concrete contractor, wanted to replace the two bars with concrete. The goal was to add ambience and character to the bar with a material that could be hosed down along with the floors. The owner also wanted seamless tops, making this a good candidate for pouring in place.

Fu-Tung Cheng announced the 2011 winners of Cheng Concrete’s annual Circle of Distinction Design Challenge at the 2011 Concrete Decor Show & Spring Training, in Nashville, Tenn.