Concrete Countertops

In an effort to finish my kitchen before the next millenium, I asked Seth Ernsdorf to fabricate countertops of tinted concrete.

My original countertops I suspect were wood, later tiled over, and badly sagging by which time I came along, compromised by grout-less fissures. Unable to reuse the original materials, I installed plywood atop the cabinets as a stop gap measure, whilst we debated the universe of countertop choices. Ultimately we opted, impressed by Seth's craftsmanship, to carry the spirit of the tinted concrete on the porch, into the kitchen.

The concrete tops (1 and 1/4" thick) are reinforced with rebar, polypropalene fibers, water reducer and admixture. The concrete is sealed with a food-safe penetrating sealer and finished with a topical curing sealer. The wet mix was pigmented to our color specifications, and Seth included three color passes. Our counters also included a backsplash, sink cut-out, drop-skirt, eased corners, and holes for a wall mount faucet. The total countertop square footage was about 35, and the job, including painless installation, ran around four thousand dollars.

For more information and other examples visit Seth (and his right-hand man Ivan) at www.ernsdorfdesign.com, or call him at 323-377-6965.