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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.

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 combines molded furniture, like this cone table, and matching countertops in many residential applications.

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.

Attention to detail is extremely important with concrete countertops. Here Jeff Girard of The Concrete Countertop Institute demonstrates the proper edging of a sink.

"Countertops require more time and more work than most contractors are used to." Buddy Rhodes

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As a carbon fiber product, C-Grid can also be used in thinner applications where a steel grid would cause corrosion concerns. "With this, you don't have to worry about rust stains coming to the surface," Carson says.

Managing expectations

Naturally, the expectations for the finish on a concrete countertop are different than a floor or driveway, even a decorative one.

"You have to pay more attention to the details," Rhodes says. "It's higher up, closer to your vision, so every imperfection is easier to see than it would be on a floor."

People look at their countertops everyday, and they will notice any problems.

"Many contractors don't spend enough time on the finish," Rhodes says. "This is not a quick in/quick out. Countertops require more time and more work than many contractors are used to."

That's one of the things beginning contractors are surprised by, Rhodes says. "They don't realize all the extra work involved."