this is why i posted this topic....i've been away from construction and
the
service end of home improvements for a while now and never heard of
concrete
counter tops. it could be an option if i liked the results.

mike...........



Check the two books and the how to DVD video by Fu-Tung Cheng on concrete
countertops:

http://amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002...Go.x=7&Go.y=10

He also have hands on classes in the Bay Area, but not sure its available in
other parts of the country. You could go wild with the colors, forms and
inlays.

Main Man wrote:
Try
http://www.granite-transformations.co.uk/

This is available in the US too. I came across an installer who was in
to do an estimate for granite, and we ended up picking this; we got the
pattern that has cooper flakes. It is beautiful, the only artificial
stone I saw that is more beautiful than any natural granite. We also
got the full backsplash in the same material. With the cost saved over
a good granite installer, I got an overhang on one side (C-shaped
counter) to use as a bar. The installer removed the existing
Formica-top on that leg, and fabricated another top with 2 particle
board layers. Then the whole thing was covered in the stone. Not quite
the usual countertop process.

"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...

"M&S" wrote in message
link.net...
JerseyMike wrote:
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i
don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but
i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen
over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been
in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new
appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops
and
i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking
for
the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage.
is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there
now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........




Where you have 8 mos to a year and a half why dont you look into
polished concrete. You have plenty of time to even do a mock up in your
basement/garage and run some tests to see if you could do it yourself.
There are plenty of resources on the net and at the bookstore/library
about concrete countertops and with a modest investment in some fairly
basic tools you could have some great countertops AND some tools to put
in the garage when your done.

Just an idea,
Mark


this is why i posted this topic....i've been away from construction and
the
service end of home improvements for a while now and never heard of
concrete
counter tops. it could be an option if i liked the results.

I spec'd on in a custom house a couple of years ago, and depending on the
level of finish expected, it can require a very experienced artisan, like
the guy who did this one:

http://www.michaelbulatovich.ca/Pres...ton-powder.PDF

I haven't gotten around to taking some pix but it's quite pretty.

If rough, blotchy and stained is ok, then a DIY project it could be.
--


MichaelB
www.michaelbulatovich.ca

Michael Bulatovich wrote:
"JerseyMike" wrote in message
...
"M&S" wrote in message
link.net...
JerseyMike wrote:
i'm somewhere between 8-16 months from redoing the entire kitchen. i
don't
necessarily need to "break the bank" and go high end on everything, but
i
don't want formica countertops. the time frame on doing the kitchen
over
isn't a pressing situation where it has to be done ASAP but we've been
in
the house 14yrs and it's still origional, early '60's but w/ new
appliances
6 yrs ago. i'm looking for the best bang for my $$ on countertops
and
i
like the smooth look and feel of Corian and similar tops but looking
for
the
best of both worlds....good price, long life and durability to usage.
is
waiting on newer products advisable??? or are the products ouit there
now
the best to offer??

thanks for any tips and advice,

mike.........



Where you have 8 mos to a year and a half why dont you look into
polished concrete. You have plenty of time to even do a mock up in your
basement/garage and run some tests to see if you could do it yourself.
There are plenty of resources on the net and at the bookstore/library
about concrete countertops and with a modest investment in some fairly
basic tools you could have some great countertops AND some tools to put
in the garage when your done.

Just an idea,
Mark

this is why i posted this topic....i've been away from construction and
the
service end of home improvements for a while now and never heard of
concrete
counter tops. it could be an option if i liked the results.

I spec'd on in a custom house a couple of years ago, and depending on the
level of finish expected, it can require a very experienced artisan, like
the guy who did this one:

http://www.michaelbulatovich.ca/Pres...ton-powder.PDF

I haven't gotten around to taking some pix but it's quite pretty.

If rough, blotchy and stained is ok, then a DIY project it could be.

God made Granite... (pretty much) everything else is man-made. That says
it all for me... we chose Verde Peacock granite (see pic I found on a
web page)... http://www.askthebuilder.com/N8_Gran...p_Stains.shtml

That looks just like mine, and my wife and I just love it. Had it now
for about 15 months, and the only reactions we get from everyone is raw
envy. I don't ususlly cut on it, but I have, and I sure don't baby it. I
don't see any stains or cuts or scratches anywhere. At 3 cm, it sure
would take a heavy pot to crack it. We have the typical 15 year old 10ft
by 10ft "U" shaped kitchen, and we found a slab at the granite
distributor that was able to be cut so that there were no seams in
either (long) side where it goes in an "L" shape with a diagonal corner
to accommodate the corner cabinets. Just a tiny little seam where the
built in range goes (behind the range near the blackspash. We also got
full backsplashes out of that single granite slab... Yes, it's a dark
color, but with built-in under-counter halogen lights, it's beautiful.
I'd do exactly the same thing again in a heartbeat...

One tip... BEFORE you go to Home Depot and request a quote, find out
who THEIR supplier is, and go directly to them. If you wait until after
the HD quote, they won't be able to help you because of their
partnership with HD... the HD markup adds a lot. Our supplier was in the
same (big) shopping area near St. Louis.. just a little shop, but they
run a big warehouse about 15 miles away where a zillion big granite
slabs are stored with overhead crane arrangement so they can move them
around. We went out and picked out the exact slab that we wanted. They
came out and measured after we had the new cabinets in, and then went
back and cut everything. Only the faucet hole was cut on site. One
backsplash had to be polished on the end to make it fit, but other than
being a dusty operation out in the garage, it was fine. It took three
BIG husky guys to carry in the largest "L" side. We used black hair-line
grout on the little seams behind the range, and a couple of vetical
seams in the backsplash. Can't see them unless you know where to look.
And they are THIN. Another advantage... it's so dense that the maytag
diswasher is VERY quiet. yes, we got one with sound in mind, but it was
the only appliance we kept from our old kitchen since it was only a
couple of years old, and it's much quieter now than it was under our old
builder's grade formica countertop.

We got a black sink make out of ground granite (can't remember the name
of it), and had it mounted UNDER the granite, so you don't see any seam.
I'll tell you, I LOVE that black sink. Nothing scratches it, and
unlike white or other light colors, scraping a utensil or pot against it
does absolutely nothing to it. We just clean it ever once in a while
because we know it HAS to get dirty, but it sure never looks that way.

In case you haven't guessed by now, I recommend granite. grin

Steve Henderson

Steve Henderson writes:

One tip... BEFORE you go to Home Depot and request a quote, find out
who THEIR supplier is, and go directly to them. If you wait until
after the HD quote, they won't be able to help you because of their
partnership with HD... the HD markup adds a lot.

Big understatement.

Good advice all around Steve.

I'd skip HD all together, actually. Just go to a home show in the
area. Ask everyone selling granite "Who does your fabricating? Where
do you get your slabs?" At a home show I went to recently, there were
12 folks selling granite, 2 were fabricators. The other 10 companies
contracted to those 2 fabricators for thier fab work!

Also ask if they do their cuts in a fabrication facility, or on-site.
Go with the folks working at the fab.

--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/

"thetiler" wrote in message
ups.com...
|
| the sagacious dolt {Kitchens Etc}wrote:
| "# Fred #" wrote in message
| | We also use this countertop process in the US as well.
|
| I have used it in the US
| it is crap!
|
| Why do you install crap?
| Professionals don't install crap.
|
| thetiler
|

I installed it because "thetiler" said it was great stuff.
little did he know ................and still knows.

In article , (Todd H.) wrote:

Steve Henderson writes:

One tip... BEFORE you go to Home Depot and request a quote, find out
who THEIR supplier is, and go directly to them. If you wait until
after the HD quote, they won't be able to help you because of their
partnership with HD... the HD markup adds a lot.

Big understatement.

Good advice all around Steve.

I'd skip HD all together, actually. Just go to a home show in the
area. Ask everyone selling granite "Who does your fabricating? Where
do you get your slabs?" At a home show I went to recently, there were
12 folks selling granite, 2 were fabricators. The other 10 companies
contracted to those 2 fabricators for thier fab work!

Also ask if they do their cuts in a fabrication facility, or on-site.
Go with the folks working at the fab.

--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/

Better yet just check the yellow pages. There are lots of small
fabricators around.

We've had granite for over five years and we absolutely love it.

I did find out the hard way that it is not impervious to citric acid.
Somehow a piece of lime ended up behind the toaster oven and probably
sat there for a week before it was discovered during routine cleaning.
It actually etched the surface of the granite. Other than that, we've
spilled all kinds of things on the counters, placed hot pots and pans on
them, and abused them in many other ways. They still look as good as
the day they were installed. There are no scratch marks, pitting,
dulling or any other defects. And they're very easy to clean.

forget a granite slab
install granite tile for a countertop it is less expensive and I need
some work
all the damn mexicans keep stealing my work because they keep under
bidding my estimates
if there is anyone who can help with my financial situation please
contact me asap.
I can be contacted though email
I am in south west florida

" the sagacious dolt" wrote in message
...
|
| "Steve B" wrote in message
| ...
|||
|| It stains. Well, you could barf on mine, and with that pattern, you
| would
|| have to look for it. ;-) When we got it, I tested it with vinegar
| and
|| ketchup and mustard, and all sorts of things, and couldn't get it to
|| discolor. Now after two years old, we have yet to leave anything on
| it that
|| ever left a mark.
||
||
| try tomato sauce
| now ...........theres a stain.
|
| when choosing granite
| picking the right slab makes all the difference in the world
| tiny multi colored granites are the best
| the ones with large muti colored spots seem to chip easier.
|
| the "smart ass"
|

yes you are
but you are correct this time
sauce is stones worst enemy
and the larger the specs, the easier it chips
your not so dumb for an ass!

" thetiler" wrote in message
...
forget a granite slab
install granite tile for a countertop it is less expensive and I need
some work
all the damn mexicans keep stealing my work because they keep under
bidding my estimates
if there is anyone who can help with my financial situation please
contact me asap.
I can be contacted though email
I am in south west florida



My old boss (owner of the business) never did any real work. He comes in to
check on us and read the newspaper or run around to bid on new jobs. He
doesn't work more than two hours a day, if at that.

So learn some Spanish and hire them as your employee or subcontractors. I'll
bet you get more projects that way not to mention more profit and less grunt
work.

i just wanted to say thanks for all the tips and info on this topic.....i
appreciate all the time people put into their responses.

mike.............

"# Fred #" wrote in
:



My old boss (owner of the business) never did any real work. He comes
in to check on us and read the newspaper or run around to bid on new
jobs.

Don't you think creating those bids takes some "real work"?
And getting all the permits,arranging inspections,doing the financial
work,etc? Besides fronting the money for materials and your paychecks.

He doesn't work more than two hours a day, if at that.

Maybe that's why he owns the business and is the employer(the BOSS).


--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

What was important to me was a seamless look and feel. I didn't want
any seams, backsplash, sink, or anywhere that I could see or feel.

So I went with a man-made material from Formica (another poly-bull****
whatever with a free sink). So yes, Formica does make a seamless
product (or did 18 months ago)

Extremely happy with the look, color, and FEEL of the material and
have no complaints after 18 months.

So forget the "seal / no seal", "hard / not so hard", "cut / nocut"
issues (who ruins a perfectly good knife cutting on a rock?); find a
material that gives you the look you want with the maintenance you're
willing to do



On 19 Jan 2007 17:39:29 -0600, (Todd H.) wrote:

Chris Friesen writes:

Steve B wrote:

Shop around and go granite. Do it once, do it right. Corian is too
soft, and knives cut it easily no matter what naysayers say.
Go the extra and get granite. You'll be glad you did.

Granite has its own downsides. It needs to be sealed so it doesn't
stain,

LOL--I love how folks bring this up (important though it is), but it's
listed as a downside, as though it's so hard to spray sealer down and
run a rag over it once every few months.

The reality is that it's as easy as dusting a wood table, and takes
about 45 seconds for the whole kitchen.

GRanite, pardon the pun rocks. Can't imagine having a synthetic
material in my kitchen instead, especially when really nice looking
granite can be had for 55/sf installed with haul away, edges, sink
cutout, etc included.

Best regards,

I wouldn't hire anyone who posts that he needs "financial help" in an
internet forum.
Maybe if you spent more time on your jobs and less in here complaining
about losing work, you might get more business.
;-)
Just a thought.

Then again, I'm not working, I'm complaining about the complainer.
Just tired of hearing about all the "mexican's taking our jobs" Home
Depot and Lowe's are doing the same thing, but if you want service, you
may have to go to a ma and pa shop.

Judging by your attitude, that might be part of your issue with
Hispanics... I've seen your posts, you seem to think you know
everything. As a homeowner, I know how I want it to be, and by God,
I'm paying you to do it. Just assuming that you're a know-it-all in
real life, hopefully I'm wrong.

Jason "the idiot"
Valley Center, KS