{ Concrete Countertops } Green Living

Concrete countertops are becoming more and more popular these days. When I first heard about concrete countertops I thought, “hey! we could do that ourselves!”. But after looking into the process I’ve come to realise that the task should be reserved for those with prior experience in the art-like process.

Eager to meet a local professional concrete guru, I arranged some time with Kai from Fusion Concrete Design to talk about what he does and and how he does it. 

Kai got into the whole concrete thing after picking up a book by concrete countertop pioneer Fu-Tung Cheng. Kai has a background in Fine Art and he figured that a career choice which combined both his artistic training and the trades wold be a good fit. He started off by creating a table, and from there he’s moved on to perfect his technique in order to offer his clients a unique and refined product.

I asked Kai about the “green” aspects of concrete and discovered that the countertops can be created “plastic free”. (As most of us know, traditional plastic laminate countertops actually contain formaldehyde – not very healthful for the environment or our bodies!) Once the concrete countertop is set in place, natural sealants such as bees wax can be used to prevent staining on the surface. However, these natural sealants will need to be reapplied frequently in order to remain effective. Kai recommends that a combination of epoxies and urethane be used as a penetrating protective layer if a maintenance free worktop is desired.

In regards to price-point, Kai says that concrete countertops start at about $60.00 a square foot. This is a bigger investment than traditional laminate but is a bargain compared to the price of granite or quartz tops. Plus, in my opinion, it’s a much better investment because it’s also a work of art. Each countertop is hand-formed and custom made.

Contact:

Kai Kneeland
Fusion Concrete Design
250-218-6298
fusionconcretedesign@live.ca