| | Got a vision to create a great new, remodeled kitchen? Want to install some counter tops that blow away both your visitors and your family members? You can. In fact, many people have found that installing new kitchen counter tops is the key to fulfilling that new vision that you have for your kitchen. But what material should you use for them?
Here's a suggestion: Go with concrete. Not only can it be made to look great, but concrete counter tops are tough—as tough as stone, in fact.
It's true that ceramic and granite tile counters are some of the most popular choices for those installing new counters. However, increasingly, homeowners are investigating the possibility of using concrete. Primarily selected because of its durability, concrete has an amount of endurance and resilience that you won't often find in other materials. It also has an amount of resistance to humidity and heat that can't be found in many other counter materials. Add to that the fact that concrete is not affected by most corrosive materials, and also the fact that you can stain them with just about any color you want, and concrete is often the ideal kitchen material.
 And let's not forget that you can finish the top layer of your concrete counter to be as beautiful as you desire -- with any type of design or stone that you want. Just about every common concrete kitchen also comes equipped with a sealant; as a result, you can keep the material protected.
Do you have counter tops in your kitchen that have unusual shapes? This is something that also makes concrete a good choice. After all, a concrete counter is most often cast right in the kitchen itself. Select any other material and you'll often have to go through several vigorous routines just to get the perfect fit you want. Concrete, on the other hand, can be molded fairly easily. Therefore, if a problem pops up, the installer can easily adjust things so that you can achieve your own perfect vision of what your counter should look like.
We don't often think of it as such, but concrete is an outstanding material—much more than just what you use for your sidewalks or parking space. It is not only practical, but it can be made to be beautiful at the same time. You can literally transform your counters, using concrete, into any design, any shape that can become a solid mass. There is no end to how you can express your own personality right within your kitchen by incorporating concrete counter tops. You can even embed glitter, small attractive stones, or anything else that you'd like to set within the concrete.
There are two primary options available for the homeowner who selects concrete kitchen counter tops. These are pre-made counter tops, which are bought as one piece and subsequently installed in the kitchen; and also counter tops molded and formed right there on site.
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The chief advantage of the pre-made concrete counter is that it tends to be more affordable. A do-it-yourself type can usually do the installation, saving you money there. An on-site, custom mold, on the other hand, often looks more attractive, but will cost more since you'll normally need a professional contractor to install it.
If you do choose to install the counter yourself, watch out for a few common mistakes. Some people wind up with counters that don't fit against the wall correctly. Remember that no wall is perfectly straight. Most walls will have some deformity or warp in it. Therefore, to account for this, you should allow for an eighth-inch gap between the counter top and the wall. If you still wind up with a counter which bumps too close to the wall, you can use a circular saw to shave some of the material off the edge as needed. Some people find out from the plumber that the counter top prevents him from reaching the stem of your faucet due to the counter top being too thick. To keep this from happening, make sure you leave enough room around the faucet hole's base as you cast the counter top so that he has room to maneuver his wrenches. Some people discover after they've assembled the counter top sections that one piece of the base cabinetry sits a bit higher than the other. The result is a surface that is not level. For this reason, you'll want to keep some shims on hand as you undergo this project, so you can adjust for variations in height.
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