James Catabia of Casting Impressions in Ocala, FL, recently completed an amazing project involving Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) used to create extremely precise stair treads, floor tiles, shower pans and floor to ceiling wall panels for two showers. This project demonstrates the possibilities of concrete beyond concrete countertops.

The homeowner had originally approached James only about the two showers. The home also included a custom metal staircase, for which he was going to have a concrete contractor create plain gray stair treads set on top of the metal plates forming the stairs. This staircase was to be a major architectural feature of the home, with glass walls and spanning four stories, so James suggested that concrete countertop techniques could be used to create stairs that are not only structurally sound but also refined and beautiful.

James took the initiative to create a sample of a dropped-front, white stair tread. He took advantage of his Elite membership and called up Jeff Girard, and together they designed the reinforcement for the stair tread and figured out the best way to fashion it out of GFRC. The initiative paid off, and the homeowner contracted James to create not only the two showers but also the stair treads and even floor tiles in the bathroom.

All of the pieces James created for this project, from the large shower panels to the small floor tiles, used GFRC. James firmly believes he couldn't have done the project without GFRC, and he credits his CCI training with "teaching me how to do things the right way".

James has also found that the more focused he is on doing a good job, the more fun making concrete countertops is. Fewer problems mean that he can focus on the reason he originally became intrigued with concrete countertops - the creative possibilities. This project is an excellent demonstration of those possibilities and the level of quality work that Casting Impressions creates.

Steve Davies was interested in learning about concrete countertops. He knew before he signed up for anything, the class had to be the most technical teaching available. After much research, he found The Concrete Countertop Institute and registered for the Intensive Precast Countertops 101 course. Shortly after completing the course, Steve was prepared to start his own concrete construction company, Newstone Concrete, with his partner Pete Halladay.

Their first project was to create a 50 foot kitchen countertop with uniform color. Steve used all of the technical information gained during the course to insure that everything was correctly reinforced and the seams were correct. They wanted their first project to be done right and lead to more projects.

Along with the Intensive Precast Countertops 101 course, Steve purchased the Sales and Marketing 101 and Project Management 101 self study courses. These courses are available online for free to Concrete Connections Elite members and can be completed at your own pace. The techniques acquired from the online courses were quickly applied to an everyday business routine. "We used the sales and marketing techniques as guidelines to contact clients. I also used it to keep track of jobs and limit errors, making us more efficient. "

Martin, Claude and Pierre Bouchard were in search of new products for a business venture in the construction industry. They discovered the concrete countertop industry, which was not well-known in Canada, and decided to find out more. Through much online research, they found The Concrete Countertop Institute and decided to sign up for the Intensive Precast Countertops 101 class. Shortly after, they started Beton Art-Design.

One of their projects was for a residential homeowner who wanted them to construct a new, modern loft with a 13ft x 4ft white island with a 4-inch width grey counter.  In addition to the island, the team designed black concrete stairs. The Bouchard brothers were able to take everything learned from the CCI Intensive Precast Countertops 101 class and apply it to this project. They completed the project, along with many others, with great results.

"We have never had to re-do a job because we apply the techniques we gained in the course" said Bouchard. Prior to completing the class at CCI, they knew nothing about concrete countertops. They learned about materials and additives, and explored why they react and how. Their company, Beton Art-Design Inc., is doing very well and they plan to return to take GFRC for Concrete Countertops 201 soon. You can see more of their work at www.betonartdesign.com.

Like any potential CCI student, Jason Librizzi was looking for a way to improve his skills. He saw that CCI was a step ahead of other concrete courses and dove into detail to teach the reason behind why each process is important. It was an easy decision for him to register for the Intensive Precast and the GFRC courses.

The Intensive Precast and the GFRC classes would be of great value for the project that Jason was working on at the time. The client wanted an island that included a recessed gas cooktop that was even with the electric cooktop.  Initially, Jason was not sure how to create the surface and make it structurally sound. The first time he tried, the structure was not strong enough to support the cooktops. However, after taking the Intensive Precast 101 class, he gained the skills and the knowledge to know how to properly reinforce for maximum stability. Jason gained the confidence to take on projects he was usually hesitant to do before.

 "Taking classes at CCI gave me the confidence to do the work. It also They have a technical support line I can call anytime if I am unsure about something in a project and I know I will have my questions answered. It also helps my business when I tell my clients that I have taken courses at CCI. It gives me more credibility and they are more trusting in the job I am doing."

Bob Bridgham has been in the stone and tile industry for many years now and was looking for something a little different to add to the business. Over the last 5 years, he has been interested in decorative concrete, and the idea of using it to build concrete countertops, fireplace surrounds and functional furniture. After a couple of years of researching the industry he attended The Concrete Countertop Institute in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Bob's first concrete project was a 46 square foot, radical blue kitchen countertop along with three basic gray bathroom vanities. By using his experience and the new skills he acquired at CCI, the project was a complete success. The added value of concrete countertops to their stone and tile services allows for more cost-effective solutions for residential general contractors. After the classes, Bob joined Concrete Connections as an Elite member. The self-study proved to be an excellent value. He and his wife, Tereasa, are the operations team. Bob handles the fabrication and Tereasa the marketing. It is an ideal situation for them using, of course, the marketing tips provided by CCI as a guide for their own business and marketing structure.

"At CCI, I gained the confidence to make concrete countertops with a quality mix from scratch. Eliminating the lengthy learning curve of a self-taught concrete fabricator allowed me to focus on a more effective marketing of the concrete countertops."

Jim Scheetz with Endless Concrete Design had been making countertops for a few years. After receiving a request for an outdoor countertop requiring a glass mix the Mixes 301 class was perfect timing.

The project involved a salmon color with distinct glass colors showing. A bag mix would have exposed the aggregate rather than the color of the glass.

The course gave a better understanding of the chemistry of the mix so local sand and local aggregates can be used to create personalized mixtures quicker. This saved countless hours of developing an individual mixture through trial and error.

"I apply the knowledge of chemistry I learned in the CCI class to my overlays, offering better performance to my customers."

John Sanders was working in renovations. He found CCI through a forum and saw the beautiful products they were creating. Sanders saw that once you have engineering, you can do anything with countertops and CCI offered classes on the techniques he needed.

Sanders would need all of the information he learned from CCI for a project he had committed to. The project entailed a 70'x3' bar with a ½ inch lip front and stet designed for comfort. The beer taps were molded in along with a built in variegated stain proof finish for durability. The final result came out as beautifully as he hoped and was less complicated by applying knowledge gained during the Intensive Precast Countertops and Sinks 102 class.

"I've taken the mix designs and hand packing Jeff taught us to create layers. Then, continue on with the mix and finally, mold it. Everyone likes the more variegated style. Now I want to see what Jeff is doing with GFRC so I plan to register for another CCI class soon."

NEW! John not only attended the CCI GFRC class, he was featured showing how to make GFRC on a Chinese TV program that aired in Canada. The concrete countertop portion of the show begins about 2 minutes in, and there is some English narrative by John.