countertops thread

[Brock Landers]

I have granite, and I love it, but I think I'd go with a quartz product in my "dream house".

Not sure if it's been talked about, but with granite, you can put hot metal products, but not hot glass products. The cold granite will shatter the glass.

How do the other countertop materials stay warmer?   

[puniraptor]

I have granite, and I love it, but I think I'd go with a quartz product in my "dream house".

Not sure if it's been talked about, but with granite, you can put hot metal products, but not hot glass products. The cold granite will shatter the glass.

How do the other countertop materials stay warmer?   

its an energy density thing

[KITNfury]

VERY nice work KITN.  Those look much nicer than the 3 tops I paid professionals to fabricate.

Back in the day, I used to work at a countertop place and before I left I got just a small amount of experience of working with concrete. I'd definitely recommend them to any Manhattan people, they pay high attention to detail. They do any higher end stuff.

Not a countertop, but here's my fireplace surround that I made out of concrete. There are a lot of things you can do with it, but it's a lot of damn work. That wall color looks pretty hideous in the pic, but that's not really what it looks like.

[mocat]

what is supporting that mantle thing?

[KITNfury]

what is supporting that mantle thing?

Magic













Magic = steel that I put in the wet concrete that protruded from the back. I then welded steel vertically to the protrusion that bolted to the studs in the wall. Finished by patching the drywall.

[mocat]

did you double up the studs that were supporting the mantle?

[KITNfury]

did you double up the studs that were supporting the mantle?

Can't remember, so prolly no. But the vertical strap I bolted through was like 2' long with 3 bolts on top and bottom. The studs didn't twist at all.

[CNS]

Stain or color concrete?  Assuming either depending on the desired result.  It looks like you stained the surround and colored the vanity, correct?

[KITNfury]

Stain or color concrete?  Assuming either depending on the desired result.  It looks like you stained the surround and colored the vanity, correct?

They were all done with integral color.

I played with acid staining for a little bit, but decided against it for my projects, although I do like the look that people can get out of it. Some acid staining is just ridic good. This is one of my personal favorites I've found online:

[CNS]

Stain or color concrete?  Assuming either depending on the desired result.  It looks like you stained the surround and colored the vanity, correct?

They were all done with integral color.

I played with acid staining for a little bit, but decided against it for my projects, although I do like the look that people can get out of it. Some acid staining is just ridic good. This is one of my personal favorites I've found online:

the very first one my old company did came out looking just like your surround, with that marbled variation look.  It was fantastic.  Customer hated it because it wasn't a solid consistent color(even though they were told it wouldn't be) and we covered the whole thing with $75k of terrazzo.   The integral makes most sense though in case it gets chipped.  Just surprised you could get that variation with integral color.(haven't worked with much colored concrete).

[KITNfury]

Stain or color concrete?  Assuming either depending on the desired result.  It looks like you stained the surround and colored the vanity, correct?

They were all done with integral color.

I played with acid staining for a little bit, but decided against it for my projects, although I do like the look that people can get out of it. Some acid staining is just ridic good. This is one of my personal favorites I've found online:

the very first one my old company did came out looking just like your surround, with that marbled variation look.  It was fantastic.  Customer hated it because it wasn't a solid consistent color(even though they were told it wouldn't be) and we covered the whole thing with $75k of terrazzo.   The integral makes most sense though in case it gets chipped.  Just surprised you could get that variation with integral color.(haven't worked with much colored concrete).

Buddy Rhodes, who is kind of a decorative concrete guru, developed a method that I used. Essentially, you make thick concrete, form it into balls, and press it into a mold. After it cures, you fill in the voids it leaves with a different color and polish. You can fill it until it's glass smooth, but I left some voids still there to for a slightly rustic look.

Here's an example of how it looks when completely filled in. Obviously any color combination can be used:

[CNS]

for a guy named Buddy, that is pretty genius.

[ew2x4]

I have granite, and I love it, but I think I'd go with a quartz product in my "dream house".

Not sure if it's been talked about, but with granite, you can put hot metal products, but not hot glass products. The cold granite will shatter the glass.

How do the other countertop materials stay warmer?   

Well have you ever touched granite? Have you ever touched plastic? Granite is always colder. Same reason metals feel colder than wood. I think it has to do with density and how well it conducts heat away from your hand.

[KITNfury]

I have granite, and I love it, but I think I'd go with a quartz product in my "dream house".

Not sure if it's been talked about, but with granite, you can put hot metal products, but not hot glass products. The cold granite will shatter the glass.

How do the other countertop materials stay warmer?   

Well have you ever touched granite? Have you ever touched plastic? Granite is always colder. Same reason metals feel colder than wood. I think it has to do with density and how well it conducts heat away from your hand.

Specific heat!

[CNS]

What kind of animal puts hot pans and dishes directly on a countertop all willy nilly? 

[Bloodfart]

What kind of animal puts hot pans and dishes directly on a countertop all willy nilly?

The same kind that uses the counter top as a cutting board.  Unless the counter top is butcher block, in that case it's ok.

[lopakman]

What kind of animal puts hot pans and dishes directly on a countertop all willy nilly?

The same kind that uses the counter top as a cutting board.  Unless the counter top is butcher block, in that case it's ok.

I cut the crap out of stuff on our countertops. 

[puniraptor]

What kind of animal puts hot pans and dishes directly on a countertop all willy nilly?

The same kind that uses the counter top as a cutting board.  Unless the counter top is butcher block, in that case it's ok.

I cut the crap out of stuff on our countertops.

miracle blade III user outed

[Tobias]

I cut the crap out of stuff on our countertops.

[Bloodfart]

What kind of animal puts hot pans and dishes directly on a countertop all willy nilly?

The same kind that uses the counter top as a cutting board.  Unless the counter top is butcher block, in that case it's ok.

I cut the crap out of stuff on our countertops.

miracle blade III user outed

http://www.home-ec101.com/why-are-sharp-knives-safer-than-dull-blades/

[lopakman]

What kind of animal puts hot pans and dishes directly on a countertop all willy nilly?

The same kind that uses the counter top as a cutting board.  Unless the counter top is butcher block, in that case it's ok.

I cut the crap out of stuff on our countertops.

miracle blade III user outed

Nope.



BITB when it comes to cutting.

[puniraptor]

What kind of animal puts hot pans and dishes directly on a countertop all willy nilly?

The same kind that uses the counter top as a cutting board.  Unless the counter top is butcher block, in that case it's ok.

I cut the crap out of stuff on our countertops.

miracle blade III user outed

Nope.



BITB when it comes to cutting.

Knife Brothers

except i dont eff mine up by gnoshing the countertop

[CNS]

I am no density expert but it seems like your $100 knife would appreciate being used on a bamboo cutting board more than granite countertops. 

[lopakman]

I have like a hundred of them so it's okay.

[Tobias]

I have like a hundred of them so it's okay.