Should You Choose Poured Concrete Benchtops For Your Renovated Kitchen?
Having any room of your home renovated is a complicated endeavour, but kitchen renovations can be especially complex. Calling on the services of a professional kitchen renovations company is an excellent way to avoid a lot of backbreaking labour and get some expert advice, but when it comes to choosing the materials your new kitchen will be made from, the decisions will ultimately be yours.
Choosing the right materials for your new kitchen benchtops can be particularly difficult with so many different options available to you, from inexpensive vinyl to luxurious granite. Poured concrete benchtops have become particularly popular in recent years, and these unique benchtops have a lot of advantages going for them. However, poured concrete benchtops also have some shortcomings, so you should bear the following pros and cons in mind if you are thinking of installing them in your newly renovated kitchen.
What are the advantages of choosing poured concrete kitchen benchtops?
Durable
Poured concrete benchtops are immensely durable, with strength and toughness rivalling that of the most expensive granite benchtops. They are enormously heat resistant, allowing you to place hot pots and pans directly on their surfaces and hold up well when subjected to heavy impacts. A well-made poured concrete benchtop can be expected to last for decades — in most cases, far longer than the rest of the kitchen.
Uniquely attractive
Poured concrete benchtops create a look that is at once both rustic and modern, and concrete benchtops will ably complement whatever overall aesthetic you choose for your renovated kitchen. As they age, they also develop a unique patina, which makes your kitchen look lived-in without looking grubby. For extra flair, you can have glass beads, coloured stones and other materials mixed into the concrete as it sets, creating a benchtop as unique as you.
Highly customisable
Poured concrete benchtops are created onsite by kitchen fitting specialists and are poured into moulds in liquid form before being allowed to harden. This gives you enormous flexibility when it comes to the shape, size and design of your benchtops and makes poured concrete an ideal material for island or corner benchtops.
Relatively easy to repair
If your poured concrete benchtops suffer cracks as a result of extremely heavy impacts or the natural settling of your home, smaller cracks can generally be repaired easily. Concrete fillers can be used to effectively repair the damage without compromising its strength.
Infrequent maintenance
To prevent stains from marring their surfaces, poured concrete benchtops need to be sealed with concrete sealants. However, these sealants can be easily applied yourself using an ordinary paintbrush and only need to be reapplied once a year.
What are the disadvantages of choosing poured concrete kitchen benchtops?
Expensive
Poured concrete benchtops usually aren't as expensive as granite or marble benchtops, but they are generally more expensive than most other options. This can put them out of your reach if you are renovating on a tight budget. However, kitchens with concrete benchtops are highly desirable in the real estate market, and having them fitted can give your home's value a significant boost, making them a good long-term investment.
Heavy
As you can imagine, poured concrete benchtops can also be enormously heavy. This may present issues if you choose traditional timber cabinetry, which tends to lack load-bearing strength compared to more modern materials. Weight can also be an issue if your kitchen is not located on the ground floor.
Contact a kitchen renovations service for more information.