Concrete worktop, upstand and sink?

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February 11, 2006 at 10:18 pm #6229

spots

Hi There. Am enjoying this site hugely,

thanks for all your work Tim Foley and everybody.

We are at the early stages of kitchen revamp and at the moment

concentrating on sink area and surrounding worktop. I am interested in concrete but know little about its properties. If we

had both sink and surrounding area cast in concrete, how might this perform?

I am very keen to have a coved join

between upstand and worktop and am assuming concrete could be easily cast to achieve this. But Corian is the only other

substance I have seen to offer this feature. Is this right?

We are not dead set on concrete but very interested to

know expert opinion/experience.
February 14, 2006 at 1:52 pm #6236

timfoley

Spots,
Welcome to the forum. Concrete surfaces are becoming a more

common offering to the consumer and may be pre-cast or trowelled in situ into a former with reinforcing rods installed to

offer greater strength. Dyes are used to colour the concrete to your preference.

The process is quite lengthy from

forming to finish seal and sealing, thereafter, will have to be carried out at regular intervals.

As for coving this is

possble with concrete and tops can be fabricated off site. Concrete is a porous material and non porous sealers are applied to

withstand the potential damage that could be the cause of deterioration and cracking.

In answer to your other question

Corain or similar acrylic surfaces can provide you with a coved splashback and are fully reparable as well as being a non

porous alternative. They can, however be vulnerable to excessive heat and will require maintenance for

scratches.

Quartz is becoming more and more popular due to it’s durability lack of maintenance, non porosity,

uniformity of colour and vairied it’s colour palette. It does not, however, offer seamless joints.

Well spots, that

leaves you with some food for thought and of course there are many more choices available to you but each have their pros and

cons. Personally I would opt for an engineered stone because I prefer it’s resilient qualities and reflective finish which

are similar to granite yet without the porosity and maintenance.
February 14, 2006 at 7:30 pm #6238

spots

Thanks

Tim, that’s really useful. I have noted your preference for engineered stone and like the look of that too… can you

clarify, can a coved upstand be achieved in engineered stone? (ie when you say ‘quartz’ does it come under that general

heading)

Cannot stand cleaning the back of my worktops you see.
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