[frikkenduckie]

Hey everyone, so I'm trying to find a way to utilize my concrete countertops without tiling. My home is fairly old (my grandfather built it in the 70's) so I'm remodeling the kitchen on my own. The counter is concrete and originally had tile on it so I'd like to do some kind of a finish on it so that it is smooth and looks up-to-date. Any suggestions? I've seen the faux marble finishes, but I'm not sure I'd have the patience for that. Is there a way that I can just paint it and then seal it with something to give it a smooth and seamless finish like those pre-made concrete countertops that are so popular now?

 

[Petric]

have you done it - frikkenduckie.. I'm also excited to know the outcome. How it looks.

 

[user1007]

You can polish it to not only get it smooth but glass like. You might explore acid etching, concrete stains and such things. You do not want to paint any countertop unless your goal is to get out of the house and you just need to sell it.

 

[stadry]

you can o'lay them w/polymer-modified cementitious product OR polish them - staining & sealing are also possible - don't forget they won't hold up well to knives & cutting/slicing/dicing,,, usda approved coatings are best used

 

[frikkenduckie]

Petric: I haven't done anything to it yet besides remove the old tile and thin-set.

Sdsester: Yes, I have been looking into concrete stains but the selection where I live isn't too extensive.

itsreallyconc: What I would like to achieve is a stained concrete countertop that can stand up to the wear and tear or kitchen cutlery. Is it possible to stain it and then put some sort of sealant or something over it to keep water from seeping in and so that I'd be able to cut directly on the counter?

I would like to defer as much expense as possible. Also, the house I am renovating is on Guam, so there aren't as many materials available to me.

 

[KiminAK]

Don't cut on concrete....

You mentioned that you want your concrete countertop to stand up to cutlery. If you use knives on that surface without a cutting board, you will dull your knives very quickly.