Concrete Countertops Get Creative

by Kimberly Hegeman
Created: May 14, 2009

Decorative concrete contractors create a concrete countertop for an outdoor kitchen and a glow-in-the-dark bathroom vanity.

Kelly Carr of Concrete Jungle, Inc. says one of the biggest challenges of outdoor countertops is making sure the other elements, such as grills and sinks, fit in to the cutouts in the concrete.
Kelly Carr of Concrete Jungle, Inc. says one of the biggest challenges of outdoor countertops is making sure the other elements, such as grills and sinks, fit in to the cutouts in the concrete.
Concrete Jungle created multiple concrete countertops for an outdoor kitchen, including an island and multi-level counters.
Concrete Jungle created multiple concrete countertops for an outdoor kitchen, including an island and multi-level counters.
Nick Coello of Concrete Interiors created this 6-foot by 26-inch concrete bathroom countertop in one, seamless, precast piece.
Nick Coello of Concrete Interiors created this 6-foot by 26-inch concrete bathroom countertop in one, seamless, precast piece.
Coello incorporated Ambient Glow Technology aggregate to give the countertop a glow-in-the-dark ability.
Coello incorporated Ambient Glow Technology aggregate to give the countertop a glow-in-the-dark ability.

Coello used a hand trowel to finish the bottom of the countertop and sink. A plastic tent and warm mist humidifier helped control humidity while the countertop cured for three days.

Next, Coello used a 5-inch wet polisher and diamond pads to expose the aggregate and AGT. He started with a 50-grit and went up to 3,000-grit for polishing. The sink was done using hand polishing pads, Coello says. He used Cheng Pro Formula Sealer to seal the finished countertops, burnishing pads to smooth any air bubbles from the sealer and then finished with a wax and final polish.

This was the first time Coello had used the AGT for a countertop, and he was pleased with the result. "It ground very nice and shined up no problem. We treated it just like any other decorative aggregate." The AGT, which has a pale white color when not glowing and in this case a blue color when glowing works almost as a night light, Coello says. It takes only 10 minutes to charge and can glow for up to 10 hours, he adds. For this countertop, AGT acts as both a decorative and practical feature for the homeowners.

To read about more decorative concrete countertops see our article "Concrete Countertops" from the April/May issue of Concrete Contractor.