Customer Reviews

Concrete Countertops: Design, Form, and Finishes for the New Kitchen and Bath

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm giving this book 5 stars, since it inspired me to create my countertops in concrete; something I wouldn't have done otherwise. Don't be confused by my comments below, I don't regret buying this book at all. I even plan to put concrete countertops in the next house I build. However, there were quite a few hurdles that had to be overcome. It has been mentioned that the author glossed over quite a few things, and I agree.

A few comments:

First, contrary to the author's comments, an electric sander is completely inadequate for vibrating the concrete. Buy or rent a professional vibrator unless you want pinholes in your work. Hand "massaging" and rapping the sides with a hammer will not completely eliminate the problem either. I tried all three methods and still ended up with a moderate amount of honeycombing. As the author mentions, this is easily patched, and it even adds character to the work if you use a slightly different color, but be aware: properly vibrating the mix is not nearly as simple as it seems to be in the book. My comments pertain to a mix that has proper slump (i.e., not too wet).

Second, the author makes a reference to plastic cabinet legs being inadequate to support a concrete countertop. That may be accurate for the flimsy off-the-shelf cabinets, but the plastic cabinet legs that are quickly becoming a standard ... are load-rated at 650 pounds EACH. This is more than enough to support a think concrete countertop (probably even better than a shimmed 2x4 base).

Next, I would have to say that I was slightly annoyed at the lack of "recipes" needed to produce some of the stunning work shown in the book's illustrations. Visiting the author's website was also annoying since there it doesn't help much (unless you want to buy one of his pricey kits.) One of the reasons I went with concrete was because it is cheap. We ended up using Quickrete5000 and a Quickcrete dye (Buff). We threw in a couple of geodes for effect. It turned out quite nice, and works well with our slate floor. I understand and respect that the author is trying to run a business, but I have to reconcile that with my being on a budget.

Again, I'd like to remind the reader that I would not have built my countertop if I had not found this book, but the method for building a form split at the sink seemed a bit silly. They used a single form that then had to be flipped all at once (very heavy, dangerous, and a potential cause for damage to the countertop). Because of the weight, I chose to split my countertop (diagonally at the sink, as in the book), but instead I built two forms. Much safer and easier to flip over.

Finally, it is a matter of taste, but as soon as you are happy with the texture of your countertop, stop grinding/polishing! As he states in the book, the pads are expensive.

One more thing, In the future I'd like to try using something other than melamine for the forms. The slight texture of the melamine is perfectly reproduced in the concrete. I noticed in a few of the angled spots that used paint over bare wood, the concrete was perfectly smooth (i.e., no grinding required). I suspect that using perfectly smooth plywood with a smooth coat of polyurethane would produce a better countertop out of the box. Since I don't really want to expose any aggregate (accomplished by grinding), this might work better for me, although I won't know until I try. All in all, I'd have to say it is a wonderful book, but be prepared to experiment and to think for yourself.

I've been waiting for this book to be printed for a few months. Since the first time I saw a concrete countertop in home I was touring, I've wanted to learn more about how to make them. Unfortunately, no books on the subject existed until this one.

Fine Homebuilding had an article featuring the author that stopped short of being an all-inclusive 'How-To' on creating countertops from concrete. This book is all of that.

The book takes the reader through the process of creating a kitchen countertop step-by-step. It includes instructions for building the form, concrete composition (including a recipe), coloring, finishing, handling & installation and maintenance. The author includes numerous hints and tips gleaned from his experience that should help the first-time countertop maker avoid problems.

Other titles I've purchased from Taunton included great photos and illustrations. This book is no exception. It's packed with hundreds of full-color photographs of the process and of completed kitchens that will fuel your imagination.

My only disappointment is that the author didn't include more specific information and/or recipes that would allow a do-it-yourselfer (like me) to achieve some of the looks featured in the book. By adding various dyes and aggregates, a wide variety of looks can be created using concrete. I understand Mr. Cheng's need to protect some of his secrets but it will be difficult for me to experiment as I lack the time and resources to duplicate some of the examples shown.

Thank you to Taunton Press and Mr. Cheng for providing a great book. I can't wait to get started...

I've known about concrete countertops for years and have never been able to find a book that doesn't just make a cursory reference. This is the first book ever to describe, start-to-finish, how to make concrete countertops. The photography is beautiful and sends the creative part of my mind spinning with ideas.

The only drawback, is that Fu-Tung Cheng keeps too many things secret, or he was limited by space from REALLY getting into the nitty gritty. But with some common sense and trial-and-error, you should be able to fill in the blanks.

A warning to do-it yourselfers: Because a lot of trial-and-error is required on the reader's part, whatever you do, do the seperate mold technique (which is heavily covered) and do not attempt to cast it in place (not covered much) unless you really know what you're doing.

This book gives you a great starting point from which to practice your own functional art, and is well worth the price.

I had the idea that I would make my own very customized concrete countertops, but after reading the book I decided on granite instead.

The book has a stylish and modern look, with beautiful illustrations, though not as many photos of actual countertops as one might think. It contains a fairly detailed description of how to make a countertop using the inverted mold method with sections on making the mold, concrete mixes and additives, surface finishes and sealants. The cast-in-place method is mentioned briefly.

The process is not inexpensive and is extremely labor intensive. When you are done you have a countertop that is high maintenance and subject to scratching and staining. Concrete is intriguing because of the design flexibility it offers, but the material looks more suited to bar tops or other area that are not working surfaces. This book gave me the information to make an informed choice and ultimately saved me a lot of work.

Everything you must know about creating your own countertops with concrete is included here, and in the most pleasant manner. Plenty of photos show the possibilities: working with pigments to create colored countertops, adding other materials such as glass, as well as the beautiful effects that occur naturally, sometimes out of human error. With concrete, you have many choices, but also some limitations. If you are seeking perfection, concrete is not for you. Even if you seal the finished work, acidic liquids may come along and change the look of it. If you see that as a negative, choose Corian! The author outlines the process from start to finish, and I cannot imagine that he left anything out, it seems pretty complete, including resources. Above all, concrete's most attractive point is that you can get really creative with it: embedding objects in it to match your decor/theme, creating a mixed material top by adding granite slabs, including built-in trivets (the top could be scorched by hot pots)...the possibilites are truly endless. As long as you plan ahead with all obstacles in mind, you're basically turning what is normally a boring chore into something highly creative and exciting. This is all about using imagination and creativity and having the guts and problem-solving skills to work through any unplanned effects that come with concrete. I have never worked with concrete before, but I learned so much from this book, and I'm now actually excited about creating a countertop, rather than just making the trip down to Lowe's to choose some boring, one-dimensional synthetic plastic material. No doubt, this is a monolithic project. You need the cojones to make it happen. Challenge yourself!

I love the idea of using concrete in the home, for unusual uses i.e. table tops, counters. I have been looking for a good how-to book, and this book fills the bill. It is well written; nice, clear photography and very helpful step-by-step instructions on how to do it right. They are frank with mistakes they have made, but the projects they have completed make me think they got most of it right.

It is a great book even if you are just interested in seeing how versatile and beautiful concrete can be, written by an architect from San Francisco. Nice, buy it.

For the author to give the secrets away that he does in this book to his very special craft tells a lot about him as a person. Many people would love to keep unique skills such as this to themselves. This book contains every piece of information you need to create your own work of art that doubles as a kitchen counter or an end table, the possibilities are endless.

The format of the book is more of a guideline on how to create from concrete than a step by step procedure on how to conjure a countertop from cement. The author shows examples (very nice photography) of work that he has done and gives details on how it all came together, so it isnt as dry as a manual on how to assemble a swingset or an entertainment center. Each part of the process is outlined by chapters, of which go into detail on how to construct a mold, mix cement, design, etc. The reason for this is there are so many ways to change each part of this process and expand on it, to me it seemed the author wanted to incite creativity upon the reader to make this art bigger and create upon the ideas that he has rather than just saying "take a mold, pour, glue it to some wood and viola". He gives multiple examples on the many unique things that can be done, things to avoid that cause problems such as sections too large (heavy), cracks, etc.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in creating with concrete things that are outside of the mainstream. Concrete isnt just for sidewalks and driveways!

Damn! as a Civil Engineer I've worked with concrete as a structural material for the last ten years, now I'm building jy own kitchen and thought I had an original idea. The book is not bad on ideas but poor in specifications and technical details. Moreover, the authors don't seem to know much about things like the effect of vibrating the poured mix, the qualities of different type of concrete, different aggregate and, last but not least, admixtures.

This is the "bible" when it comes to Concrete Countertops. With this work, Fu-Tung Cheng has certainly "written the book" on this subject. Not only is it inspirational, it provides a step by step reference for those wishing to get their hands dirty and make their own concrete countertop. Easy to read, easy to follow, and beautiful to look at--this is definitely a must have for anyone interested in kitchen design and/or having a concrete countertop in their home.

As a young man I paid for my through school by doing concrete work - sidewalks, driveways, paths... etc - At the time I felt concrete had a certain fluid beauty - but that was lost on all my co-workers. Today many years later as a business professional I'd come across Buddy Rhodes web site - and eventually that lead me to this book and building my own countertop. Form Soup to Nuts - this book is it. Design - Mold making - installation - care and finishing. It has it all - in beautiful semi-gloss photos. It's well written and easy to follow. If you're looking to build your own or are simply interested in the design aspect - give this book a browse. My wife even picked it up to look at the beautiful kitchens.