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Concrete Jungle, Inc.

Concrete Jungle, Inc., Frederick, Md., has been in business for 13 years, and it is seeing a growing trend in concrete countertops for outdoor kitchens, says Kelly Carr, president and owner of Concrete Jungle. Recently, he completed a large outdoor kitchen project that took a total of one and a half months from start to finish.

Carr created multiple countertops, including an island, with multiple levels. "We came up with the idea of doing an upper top and a lower top. The concrete is broken up into levels and makes it more appealing to the eye."

Carr measured the site and then created templates and moulds to precast the countertops back at his shop. Once all knockouts were in place - some of the countertops included sinks and cook tops - it was time to pour. He added Davis Color red and yellow pigments to the concrete mix prior to precasting to create a pumpkin shade for the final look. He also placed reinforcement wire where necessary. Carr, who trained with Buddy Rhodes for a year before starting his business, hand packs all of his concrete countertops.

He also cuts all seams the next day. "The first thing I always think about is how we are going to seam this," Carr says. "We like to cut the seam the next day so the concrete can cure at its own speed. A lot of times seams are near sinks where if you don't cut the seam the area could heat up and shrinking and cracking could occur," he adds. Creating an upper and lower countertop also helped Carr decrease the overall size and weight of the pieces making for easier transportation and installation.

Using a wet diamond polisher, he polished the countertops and edges, which were ground before polishing. The countertops cured for a week and then were transferred to the home where they were sealed onsite with Pro-Seal Ultra Shield II-A, Carr says.