Concrete countertops  

Do not buy them!
I have 90 sq. feet of concrete countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms. They are a mess. They IMMEDIATELY started to stain. Even toothpaste is leaving brown marks on the white bathroom counters. My island became horribly stained within a week just from the natural skin oil from my arms resting on it. I have been meticuous with these keeping these counters clean. But it doesnt seem to make a difference. And this is in a single professional's house without kids. I dont cook. In fact, I havent used the oven or cooktop EVER. The counters now are a mess. They have only been in place for about 1-2 yrs, at the most. They have hardly been used. I used supposedly reputable licensed contractors who specialize in concrete counters. They have even been on home tv shows. They tried to fix the island, but you can still see all the stains, and immediately it started staining again. I have now filed a complaint with the state. All the counters will have to be replaced and they were VERY expensive. I cannot recommend concrete counters in ANY capacity. Stay away!

The concrete dilemma.
Rockybird, thank you so much for posting about your experience with concrete countertops, I'm sorry it turned into a mess! Now I'm wondering "if" the composition of the mix and the type of sealer used makes any difference.
A female contractor used a company named "Pourfolio" in San Diego who installed concrete counters in her kit/bathroom & she's very happy with them except citrus did stain hers, apparently it's a common staining substance. Also, spoke with a president of a design company who had concrete countertops installed in her kitchen & again - citrus stained them. She seemed to justify it by saying it adds to the patina over time, whatever right?!
Pourfolio does have a good reputation & my husband & I visted his warehouse twice, I'm confident in his work and his method but evidentally the material is going to stain regardless unless an expoxy type finish is used & then it ruins the natural appeal of concrete.
Love the appearance, and want them BUT, like you I don't want to be sorry after spending 3k more than caesar stone.

I wouldn't read too much into Rockybird's comments
hyou did notice he said 'white countertops' didn't you. Concrete is porous. White is a really bad choice. I have deep grey, a slightly darkened version of concrete's natural tone. I've had them for 7 years now and they look wonderful. They are also easily resurfaced if you get a bad stain. I love them. We paid no more for them than we would have if we had done granite.
Rockybird, I suggest you have the countertops cleaned and stained a darker color. You made an unfortunate choice and your concrete contractor was remiss in not letting you know how hard it would be to maintain white concrete.
http://www.concretenetwork.com/?p=Websites&gclid=COTRpo6-npsCFcxM5QodOGIdpQ

concrete Saga.. contin
Hi Olive,
Thanks for pointing out the difference with rockybirds countertops.
So much controversy on Concrete tops...confusing, Pourfolio company says whites good stains can be bleached. But I totally follow what your saying - even a speck of a substance would pop on white.
Someone said dark colors show up citrus stains more.
I posted earlier asking about the marine silicone sealant finish, it sounds magical & it must be extremely durable since you haven't stains after 7 yrs.
Appreciate your encouragement for them. I'd go for it in a heart beat if I knew they'd be protected like yours .. 7 yrs is excellent.
My kitchen remodel includes either white, or off white (softer tone) cabinetry - slab style door with clean minimal hardware. We're very attracted to concrete for it's earthier softer appearance compared to Caesar stone which seems a bit more sterile, pure. Concrete could be a nice counterpoint to the modern monolithic island/wall of cabinetry. The floors will be wood so that'll bring in some warmth too.
The downside monetarily is concrete costs $2-3 thousand more than Caesar stone.

Stains
Concrete does stain and mine are no exception. Citrus and eggwhites are particularly tough. BUT, since concrete is porous, what goes in can come out. We just scrub off the stain and reseal as needed. The marine stain is the best stuff to use. I really don't know the name of mine as my installer gave me a big just of it but it's not the original container and is just labeled 'concrete stain, mix 1:10 with water'.
Also, concrete is a surprisingly warm-looking surface. Even the grey is warm. It has a mottled appearance and look more like soapstone. I am surprised that you are being told that you'll pay $2-3K more than ceasarstone, we didn't.

Cost of concrete vs. Caesar stone
Olive, I do like the mottled appearance of the concrete. Pourfolio offers it without as well. If we go with it we'll chose a midtone grey, have a sample we like.
The cost is a lot higher than Ceasar stone especially when installing vertical panels down the cabinet sides to meet the floor.
The estimate included 3 vertical panels of concrete, total cost about 8,600. Island 84" length, width 38" and a back countertop 134 inches length.
Identical application in Ceasar stone runs 3k less.
It's ridiculously expensive that way.

Stains
Hi Olive,
I know ... so many questions here but I'm trying to find out as much info as possible before making any final decisions.
Regarding the concrete stains,so your saying they can easily be scrubbed off & simply apply fresh sealer on top of it?? That sure sounds like an easy quick fix.

Actually...
Most of my counters are grey - kitchen counters and island. The master bath is white. I was told by the contractor not to put white in the kitchen, but it is fine for the bath. The guest bath is brown. They are all staining terribly and I dont even cook. I have heard this complaint from many people. In fact, in my city, there are people who go around stripping and resealing concrete counters professionally due to the large numbers of problems people are having. I was warned not to go with concrete and I would not listen. Now I wish I had. I will never go with concrete again. These counters cost $100 a sq. foot. and at over 90 sq. feet, this was not cheap. I was told it would cost $89 an hour to strip and reseal and that some of the stains are not fixable. These stains cannot be "scrubbed off." After one week, the island was covered in stains. It took them 2+ days to strip and reseal it, and they still left visible stains. It is staining again. Tomorrow I am meeting with the state to look at the counters.

Concrete ...
Rockybird, you do have grey, interesting.
Could it be, I wonder, what goes into the actually cement mixture has some bearing on the amount of protection from staining? It seems each company has their own method of combining substances, etc.
In my area I visited 2 manufacturers and each seem to approach it a bit differently. One doesn't recommend the penetrating type of sealers although it lends a nice luster it does not protect against staining they say, whereas the other company says the opposite.
It's baffling ... some people still rave about them without having much trouble, perhaps a minimal amount of stain but nothing major and others such as yourself run into a nightmare situation with it. Yikes!
Too bad there isn't some kind of regulation to protect the consumers. There are such varied experiences with the concrete it makes it hard to judge.
From a design standpoint we really want them ...however, I could deal with a faint amount of staining but certainly not glaring obvious stains, now that would bug me.

Curious.. no cookin/concrete
Rockybird, curious, you don't cook... well,what kind of stains do you have on the countertops??
I do cook but if I didn't I'd imagine the countertops would stay in good shape. Thanks.

stains
I suspect it is the sealant that is bad. But it apparently is a common problem. I spoke with someone who reseals concrete countertops and he said he just stripped and resealed an entire restaurant in which the counters were terribly stained. But even then, you cant always get rid of the stains.
These counters stained just from normal skin oils from my elbows resting on them. They have numerous rings from cups sitting on them. They have stains from things spilling under the microwave. Stains from the frosting on a granola bar that landed on the counter. The bathroom counters are stained from toothpaste! I am a single person and I have never used the new cooktop or oven that I put in. I do use the microwave for tv dinners. I am scared to death of these counters and quickly clean anything that touches them. I dont have anything on the bathroom counters except my toothbrush and toothpaste. Even the liquid soaps I keep in the sink basin. All lotions, etc. get used directly from a drawer and not placed on a counter.
The person who did my counters trained with Cheng. I would hope that my experience is not typical of all concrete counters, but it is obviously common enough that I was warned by numerous people not to put in concrete because of this problem. The counters are truly beautiful and very modern otherwise. But the stains ruin them. They have been in the house 1-2 yrs. and there is no way I can sell the house with these in place. They will have to be replaced.
Below is a link to how they looked less than a year ago. I should add pics to show you how they look now.
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o87/jeschbacher/counters/?start=20

they will stain
It is a fact. Some call it patina. With pristine surfaces elsewhere that is not
such a bad thing? Just the nature of materials. Butcher block, cork floors,
vintage furniture. Each and every material has its do and don't. An aggressive
house guest took a scrubbie to a new stainless cooktop when a damp cloth
would do the job. Another set a hot pot on a leather dining chair. Some should
just stay out of the kitchen. I have a forbidden few.
I had butcher block and concrete in my last kitchen. I used the book linked
below. The concrete was used on a side counter and held up well but did gain
a bit of character over the 10 years. Mostly used as a computer desk.
It is a lovely material and should be embraced for what it is. Look at the floors at
your local big box store or Ikea. Beautiful. Stains and all.
funny review on Amazon about the book linked
"Drinking too much? A concrete countertop may be the answer! Wine, even in relatively small amounts, left on the countertop will rapidly etch and discolour the surface you laboured so long and hard to produce. The proud owner of a concrete countertop soon learns that a hangover is hardly the only thing that remains after the party ends. You'll reminisce about the good times you've had as you survey the rings and semicircles that each glass or bottle leaves, and the imbiber soon learns to moderate his consumption in the interests of maintaining perpetual vigilance. ...And, the resulting surface is even more prone to damage from citrus than wine, so that fashionable but fey diet with lots of fruit will soon be a thing of the past, replaced by a healthy preference for beefsteak and blood sausage. "
http://www.amazon.com/Concrete-Countertops-Design-Finishes-Kitchen/dp/15...

Weird...
My countertops have not been even remotely like all of the negative comments above. I'd say my satining issues are no worse that a ring that develops of wood surfaces that have been varnished. And a heck of a lot easier to remove. I just buff them with a srrubbie sponge. Once and a while, maybe 2-3 times a year I'll scrub a bit more vigorously and then apply some of the sealant. Honestly I think these are so easy to care for. Some companies out there must really be making inferior products. I also have a concrete bath tub and it's been just fine too!
People have concrete floors done all the time, and yet I've never heard all the b*itchin' and moaning about floor being really easy to stain. Maybe there's a lesson to be learned there?

I think that it will be only matter of time...
...when IKEA tries to copy Kitchen Tree by Stefan Wewerka.
Tecta products are not easy to find?
http://www.interiordesign.net/newproductdetail/2140192435.html