Location: Culver, Indiana

Project: Replacing Tile Countertop with Concrete Countertops

Installation by: Bontrager Concrete Specialty’s

Material Supplier: Decorative Concrete Supply – Indiana

Total Sq Ft: 25 sq ft

Products Used: Xtreme Countertop Mix, Color Packs, ARS 400 Concrete Countertop Sealer

Is there anything more enjoyable than having a party on a beautiful day and using your outdoor kitchen to its fullest? The key to a great outdoor kitchen is design, accessibility  and appliance features. A homeowner who has enjoyed their outdoor kitchen posed the question: What can I do to bring  life to my faded old top and is their a material which will help me keep it clean? BCS – Bontrager Concrete Specialty’s was consulted to offer some solutions and ideas to their dilemma. As they spoke with the owner who lived in Culver, Indiana they realized they wanted a few upgrades to their outdoor kitchen. The first was to create a larger countertop area near the grill and to have a countertop that was easy to clean, maintain and endure the harsh weather environment.

One of the challenges on this project was the deadline, they owner’s had a party in 5 days! Can you make a quality concrete countertop from start to finish in 4 days? BCS knew they could, lets look at how they accomplished this.

First they removed the tile and grout countertop that was currently in place. They choose SureCrete’s Xtreme Countertop mix. This concrete countertop mix uses the latest in fiber reinforcement technology. These attributes allowed them the strength to span the distances between supports on the larger top. In addition to that, the high compressive and flexural strength, along with accelerated cure time, delivered the speed and quality control needed to produce the finished and installed concrete countertop in 4 days!

One of the difficult choices was choosing the right sealer to not only with stand the harsh outdoor elements of Indiana, but also give the home owner an easier surface to maintain compared to their old tile countertop. Once again, Bontrager Concrete Specialty’s used technology to their advantage. With many contractors benefiting from Nano Technology within the concrete industry, BCS choose this technology for their concrete countertop sealer. ARS 400 was the answer. The features to this sealer include: increased surface penetration, stopping moisture migration, High UV protection, a high heat resistance up to 450 degrees,  along with a thin film build up. This offers a realistic looking sheen either in a High Gloss or a flat finish.

With technology on their side and a passion for concrete, Bontrager Concrete Specialty’s delivered as promised, a concrete countertop made and installed in 4 days!

If you live in the greater Indiana area and are looking to accentuate your outdoor kitchen give these guys a call.

Bontrager Concrete Specialty’s

574-773-7311

www.bontragerconcrete.com

Why should I choose Concrete over granite for my countertops?

The answer is not found in which material is better; rather it comes down to preference of color and design. What we do know, is that for the past 10-15 years there has been a surge in granite countertops. When you walk into a neighbor’s house or even a relative, there is a great chance that they have granite and because of price points and quantities, the identical look you have. For some, this trend has robbed them of the individuality and style that they were intending to create in their kitchen or bathroom.

For this reason Concrete Countertops are gaining market space. Concrete countertops offer a natural handcrafted look and feel which allow for a variety of colors, textures and designs. This means that you can now accentuate your room and create a theme or design that is not available on a shelf or store.

What if my neighbor or friends try to copy me?

The makeup of a quality concrete countertop mix delivers natural variants meaning that your concrete countertops have subtle variations in color, shade, texture and appearance that cannot be replicated. Although they may want your identical look they will only be able to achieve the basic color concept. The hues and variegated look Concrete Countertops produce make each one a piece of art rather than a mass produced and over used depiction of what a company thinks looks good. Couple that with hundreds of colors, stains and effects and the questions is why would someone want to copy?

Whether you live in Denver Colorado, Chicago Illinois, Indiana or even Canada concrete countertops are being used in creating a timeless modern appeal to their kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor kitchens. This can be seen on HGTV and DIY networks where their designers have been using concrete countertops to provide a functional yet individualized look to their projects. We hope that you enjoy the same satisfaction and appeal when you choose concrete countertops for  your home project.

Although there are many options, the most popular suggestion, is a  quick reseal with solvent acrylic sealer. The solvent it most cases gives the needed pop to the faded paver. This technique though requires maintenance and resealing to try and keep the paver looking its best. A technique that is often overlooked and does not hit the pocket book that hard is to recolor the paver’s using a concrete stain and than applying the acrylic sealer.

Why is this process a smarter choice? First off it ensures that the color displayed is at its his potential vibrancy and accuracy. Secondly, it allows the consumer to alter, change or unite concrete slabs and sidewalks with their paver’s. Let’s take a look at one example. This project was done in a subdivision in Land O’ Lakes Florida. The situation was faded paver’s that bordered both sides of the concrete sidewalk leading up to the front entry way of the home.

The first step taken was to make sure the concrete sidewalk and paver’s were clean. For this process they used SCR (Super Concrete Renovator), a concrete cleaning solution that is “GREEN” or environmentally friendly and will not hurt the garden or landscaping near by. Once this solution was applied at a 4-1 ratio with water, the surface was pressure washed.

Next was the application of color to the paver’s and the concrete sidewalk. For this they choose the latest in “GREEN” concrete stains by SureCrete Design. The product is called Eco-Stain, a water based penetrating concrete stain that comes in 29 UV-stable colors. This product can be applied via multiple spraying tools or sponged on for faux finishes. After the concrete stain is applied it sits and dries for 30-60 minutes. After it is dried you can apply any type of acrylic sealer. As with any manufacturer, SureCrete does have sealer available also.

We hope these ideas help rejuvenate your fading concrete paver’s and sidewalks and allow for new looks and colors to refresh your own home or business!

Location: Canon City, Colorado

Project: Staining a concrete retaining wall

Installation by: Anderson Thompson

Material Supplier: Two Sisters Decorative Concrete Supply

Total Sq Ft: 324 sq ft

Products Used: Orange Blossom & Oak Eco-Stain plus SureCrete Water based Clear Acrylic sealer

A concrete retaining wall is an important, functional element to your home. For many though, it is a blank canvas waiting to have someone bring it to life. That is exactly what happened to a homeowner in Canon City, Colorado. With such beautiful scenery surrounding his home, his retaining wall block was a large white eye soar that stood out. After searching online and finding Two Sisters Decorative Concrete Supply, they realized they could bring their backyard retaining wall to life and do it in a way that was environmentally friendly!

The team at Two Sisters DCS, explained the pros and cons of traditional reactive acid and acrylic based stains offered by many companies. Realizing they did not like the sound of chemical stain or the uniform paint like look of acrylic stains, they choose to go with an environmentally friendly stain called Eco-Stain. This product offers 29-UV stable colors and uses the concrete retaining walls natural porosity to give the modeled and variegated stain look desired. To finish off the installation they choose a low VOC sealer from SureCrete Design, Hi-Gloss Clear WaterBase Sealer. Since the homeowner did not want to take on this project, Two Sisters DCS offered some local contractors, which were qualified for this application.

The process of installation was to thoroughly clean the retaining wall via a pressure washer and SCR. Once the retaining wall was clean, the team with Anderson Thompson Group, sprayed on the two colors of Eco-Stain with a HVLP gun hooked up to a compressor. This technique allowed for an even amount of material, and reduced  the amount of concrete stain being applied. This gave the opportunity to minimize runs and uneven or splotchy  modeling on the concrete retaining wall. After the stain dried, which is typically 30-60 minutes, they then applied the Waterbase acrylic sealer. The sealer was a wise choice as it locks down the color and provides a protection against staining from the soil and other minerals in the ground and water.

Two Sisters Decorative Concrete Supply is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado but offers concrete products and supplies to all of Colorado including Canon City. For more information please contact them at 1-719-661-8978.

SureCrete Design has worked diligently over the last 3 years, bringing in house, the largest supplies for precast and pour-in-place concrete countertops, GFRC wall panels, integral concrete sink molds, concrete edge details and much more. SureCrete has also put together the most comprehensive concrete countertop fabrication training courses in the industry today.

Many concrete countertop training courses that are available, teach  the history behind concrete and the artisan side of custom design. While all of these points have a place, and can be very exciting, it does not ensure that the student/applicator can make a living of this training.  SureCrete’s concrete countertop training is designed to enlighten the applicator to concrete countertop mix designs, latest application techniques, simple and creative mold designs and efficient installation procedures.

Why is this knowledge essential? Once you go through the 3 or 5 day course, the applicator is in position to make a business against concrete countertops and be able to compete with weekly fabrication and installation as can be seen in other mainstream countertop materials such as;solid surface and natural stone. Lets look at what you can expect out of the two available concrete countertop courses by SureCrete.