Any thoughts on concrete countertops? And DIYing it?

An ex-gf of mine had installed a marble countertop herself in her apartment. Worked pretty well, you just have to caulk it really well.

I saw a poured concrete counter top done on a home improvement show and the owners seemed pleased with it. I have my doubts, though. Can you really get it smooth enough? How often do you have to re-seal it? Sorry, I’m not much help.

My wife and I really wanted a poured concrete countertop when we remodelled, but unforunately the only contractor we could find at the time was extremely flakey. We thought the better of it. Personally, I think they look beautiful and surprisingly warm.

Go granite….Not all that expensive in comparison and the added value will out weigh most negatives….plus you don’t have to do anything. ‘Cept write the check….

my mother in law has a marvelous concrete countertop system in her fabulous kitchen. they have an earthy expression, kinda purplish terra-cotta, with nice strong curves.
she loves them.
reinforced with rebar.
good luck!

Update: I know this is probably past the point, but I have concrete counters in my current home and they’re absolutely wonderful. The best counters I’ve ever had.

I think they look great and if I had a shop to experiment in I’d probably have made one by now. You can make it exactly the size you need and with the fixture cutouts exactly how you need them. Cool!

For DIY I think you’d want to experiment first to get reinforcing and finishing techniques down before making something you’ll live with. Practice making the mold and jigs you’ll need to position your re-bar and hardware cloth correctly for a seriously strong piece. “Burnishing”, working the surface repeatedly, can yield a gorgeous smooth finish with a bit of depth. Plan to support the weight with some serious framing beneath it. Practice maybe with some tinting if you’re into that.