Polished concrete counters, vanities and tabletops

With the advent of concrete countertops and the new wave of polished concrete flooring systems, it was just a matter of time before these two industry setting finishes merged, thereby giving you polished concrete countertops.

What is a polished concrete countertop?

Simply put it is a hardened slab of decorative concrete that has been progressively ground and polished creating a smooth, shiny dense surface that takes on an appearance of imported stone, marble or granite with the subtle patina found naturally in concrete.

How are polished concrete countertops made?

Polished concrete countertops can be created a variety of ways.

First method
The most common is by building an inverted form, usually out of melamine board and then filling and casting a concrete form. After sufficient day of curing (often 3-5 days), the casting is removed flipped right side up and then polished either with wet or dry polishing pads to the desired level of shine.

Aggressively polished concrete will eventually begin to expose the rocks or aggregate in the concrete whereas a light polish may not expose any aggregate and leave a fairly uniform appearance to the surface.

Second method
The second method is to cast the concrete in place right side up and then after the surface has been troweled smooth and level is left to dry and cure over a period of 3-5 days. Subsequent grinding and polishing will give similar results as previously discussed.

For examples please visit the image gallery.

To get started on your project contact a local professional near you.