Cast-in-place Concrete Countertops: A Guide for Craftsmen (Hardcover)

by Tom Ralston (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Concrete countertops are on the cutting edge of today's interior design and outdoor kitchen trends. Kitchen designers, contractors, architects, and homeowners alike can use this book to learn the detailed process of creating amazing concrete countertops. Here Ralston shows how to plan, execute, and complete a concrete countertop cast-in-place for ease and convenience. This book is a great inspiration for anyone interested in concrete countertop fabrication. Beautiful images of kitchens both indoors and out will inspire you, and step-by-step imagery will walk you through the process of creation.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (January 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764329499
• ISBN-13: 978-0764329494
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #479,832 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a great book, August 7, 2008

By	J. Ruhl Frank (Cary, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was really disappointed with this book, for one almost half of it is pictures of countertops, if I wanted that I could just look it up online. I paid to get tips on how to make countertops, and that is one thing this book is lacking. Some of the information isn't even correct, such as the part where it says that Eclipse additive is used to waterproof the concrete, but in reality Eclipse is a shrinkage reducer. Also there are tons of spelling and grammatical errors, which wouldn't be a big deal if there was actual useful information, but it just shows how they apparently didn't put too much time into this book and only wanted to get it published quickly. There isn't one mix recipe in the book, which is something that would be good to know if you are making this kind of countertop. If you want a picture book, then this is a book for you, but if you need to know how to make countertops I would keep looking.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cast-in-place Concrete Countertops: A Guide for Craftsmen, September 7, 2008

By	Manuel Medina "Preparing to Retire" (Eloy, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Excellent overview with good illustration. I was disappointed in lack of completeness of detail on how the framing is done and particularily if the bottom of the frame is left in place after the cement is pourd or if and how it is removed. I did not find this detail readily availabe. I am sure others would have other questions but this was the one most important for me. I still do not get it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beginner's guide - not so much for professional, September 13, 2008

By	Captain Swanky (Amsterdam, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

I found this book fairly informative, but it lacked adequate details to be a useful manual for anyone making these to a commercial quality. Most of the information given is familiar to anyone used to working with concrete, but I have made a few concrete tops before reading the book and was looking for something to refine my skills and perfect the finish. Advice on the best ways to screed and trowel to avoid colour variations and undulations that only appear after drying for instance.
It would also have been useful if metric conversions to all the weights and measurements were included in brackets.