The Concrete Countertop Institute

How to choose a diamond pad

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:40:00 -0500

Selecting the right diamond polishing pad (or disc) is the key to getting a good finish for your concrete and getting the most bang for your buck.

There are many different sources, names, styles and prices for diamond pads on the market. This can be very confusing, and what often happens is selection comes down to price. This is unfortunate, because in many cases a cheap pad will cost you more in the long run. However, I'm not suggesting we all go out and spend $100 per pad either. There's a place for those, and we don't need to go there (granite folks might though).

Choosing the right pad starts with assessing what you plan on doing with it. Are you using it for heavy stock removal? Is it for general honing? Are you polishing the concrete to a high gloss? Each of these tasks will influence the choice in pad. I'll outline some of the variables to consider and then create a general template for selecting the right pad for the right task.

Help! My countertops donât look like my samples!

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:20:00 -0500

If you're using the hand packed method with a stiff mix, you may find that your samples look great, but your concrete countertops have lots of large voids and end up with a very mottled appearance. Or, the color of your countertop is very different from the color of your sample. With a little care and attention, these problems are easily prevented.

The oft-neglected step between templating and forming

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:10:00 -0500

You know that templating and then forming are basic steps in concrete countertop making. But have you thought about the very important, but often neglected, step of slab layout? Slab layout should be carefully considered, first on a practical level and then on an aesthetic level.

October 2010: The "Sludge Buster", how to template a curved wall, supplies and equipment

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 14:20:00 -0400

October 2010: The "Sludge Buster", how to template a curved wall, supplies and equipment: Click here

A holistic approach to making greener concrete countertops

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:30:00 -0400

There are many different things you can do to make your concrete countertops more environmentally friendly. The article "How to Make Environmentally Friendlier Concrete" discusses several ways that you can make the concrete itself greener, by using recycled products to replace some of the aggregate and cement. To achieve maximum greenness, you need to think holistically about the entire production process.

How to template a curved wall

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:20:00 -0400

If you've been in construction for more than a day, you know that walls are never straight and corners are never square. Sometimes walls are downright curvy. How can you deal with this when you're using straight template stock?

September 2010: Installation and Why homeowners are not your best clients.

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:40:00 -0400

This newsletter includes:

Installation tips
Why homeowners are not your best clients
Training in Phoenix and Australia
Photos of making concrete countertops in Finland and EstoniaÂ

Click here to view the newsletter.

Why homeowners are not your best clients

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:10:00 -0400

Everyone has heard a contractor boast, "I get all my business from word of mouth." But what if you could multiply the power of word of mouth by a factor of 10 or even 50? You can, if you stop focusing on marketing to homeowners.

Installation Tips and Techniques

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 14:40:00 -0400

Installation is the final critical step in creating a high quality concrete countertop. A bad installation can ruin even the most beautiful concrete project, so it's essential to get this step right. This article contains tips for preventing problems, ensuring safety, and achieving a picture-perfect installation every time.

Stiff Mixes versus Fluid Mixes

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:10:00 -0400

There are several considerations to make when choosing a concrete countertop mix consistency. Some factors include the appearance of the finished piece, the forming and casting methods, and the complexity of the mold geometry.

Other factors that are not so obvious also drive the selection process. These can include the type of mixer that will be used, how the forms are assembled, the shrinkage tendency of the concrete and subsequent vulnerability or resistance to curling and hairline shrinkage cracks.

This article outlines the differences between two mix styles, stiff and fluid, in design, look and technique.