ForConstructionPros.com

Article

  

eNewsletters

Sign up for the free Concrete Contractor Industry Newsletter and the Decorative Concrete Newsletter.

Features

Home » Concrete Contractor » May 2006
Bookmark PageBookmark Page Most Read Stories TodayMost Read Most Emailed Stories TodayMost Emailed
Email This StoryEmail Story | Print This StoryPrint Story
+ -
Updated: July 8th, 2008 05:26 PM GMT-05:00

Getting Started in Countertops

The things you need to know before jumping into the market

Doug Bannister demonstrates on countertop
Doug Bannister, The Stamp Store, demonstrates on a countertop during a training class. Getting trained should be the first step when starting in the countertop business.
finished countertop
embedded glass in countertop
Embedding glass pieces in countertops is one of the most popular looks. It's important to talk to the manufacturer of your mix to make sure it will work with glass or other embedded items.
Buddy Rhodes design
Buddy Rhodes combines molded furniture, like this cone table, and matching countertops in many residential applications.
coins embedded in concrete
One of the biggest benefits of concrete countertops is their unlimited adaptability. For this project, The Countertop Concrete Institute embedded coins into the countertop to provide the client with a unique finish.
Jeff Girard demonstrates proper edging
Attention to detail is extremely important with concrete countertops. Here Jeff Girard of The Concrete Countertop Institute demonstrates the proper edging of a sink.
Buddy Rhodes
"Countertops require more time and more work than most contractors are used to." — Buddy Rhodes

Related Articles

Read More Features

Pervious Concrete: How to Properly Place and Cure

Power Screeding

Surviving the Market

By Jonathan Sweet
Editor

Some contractors use rebar; some, like Buddy Rhodes, prefer a thinner welded ladder wire for their countertops.

"I think it works better than rebar because it is smaller," he says. "It's already welded flat which allows for thinner applications."

Reinforcement is not only important from a structural standpoint. It also can help to arrest curling and cracking, two major problems with concrete countertops, Rhodes says.

One product on the market to help with crack control is C-Grid from Tech-Fab. C-Grid, a carbon fiber grid, is designed to be used as a secondary reinforcement with another product such as rebar.

"One of the things C-Grid provides is additional reinforcement for transportation of precast countertops," says John Carson of Tech-Fab. "It's your insurance policy."

previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 next

E-mail This StoryE-mail Article Print This StoryPrinter Friendly