Kitchen Countertops

[PrairieGhost]

I don't think it's the quartz that is the problem. Solid quartz is very valuable in large pieces . As I understand all quartz counteracts are smaller pieces held together with a clear industrial epoxy.
If your wife is a person that doesn't change her mind every year or two go with granite. If your young it will be cheaper over many years.

 

[Davey Crockett]

I met a contractor that was pouring concrete countertops in a newly constructed high end home. I was intrigued and asked a few questions. He showed me a few pictures of some of his completed projects, I was amazed. These were high end mountain homes (mansions) that were huge, Surprised nobody around here promotes it on a small scale .

 

[PrairieGhost]

Davey C I do most of my own work. At the cost of labor a person has to or has to be wealthy. Anyway, I poured my own concrete counter tops for my outdoor kitchen. I bought the countertop concrete at Lowe's in Bismarck. I only goofed a little because I didn't have anything to measure my stain. I thought I could do a good enough job eyeing it. Nope. Anyway when I poured the one 5 gallon bucket it was a little lighter and caused a little discolor in the center of one. I used hardware cloth to hold it all together if it cracked, and I lined my forms with plexiglass. That gave it a shine like a polished granite countertop. I am very tempted to buy the diamond polishing kit from Rockler. It uses five different grits that attach to a 5 inch angle grinder. I did the edges of my countertops with masonary 5 inch diskes and it makes it look very much like granite.
I will get off here and try post a pic from my phone.
You can buy quarts or agate stone to add to the mix. If you do it comes out looking very much like granite. The pic looks more spotty today because there is light rain on the countertops right now.

 

[PrairieGhost]

I had no plans for the fireplace in that last pic. I bought everything I needed from Hebron Brick. Instead of $15K it cost $3500 and my labor. The stone is Indiana sandstone, not concrete counter top. Big part of the cost was real stone.

 

[Davey Crockett]

looks good PG, I found a few examples that reminded me of the type work he was doing, I was intrigued by his work but everything was so fancy that I thought I wouldn't want it in my kitchen but outside HMmm I had never thought of that.

 

[BDub]

Extremely nice!

 

[PrairieGhost]

That is some beautiful work.