How we make concrete kitchen countertops as slabs

When we ask customers what they associate with the word "concrete", we often hear "heavy, grey, reinforced and stain-prone". You would dismiss concrete as an application in your interiors for less. But nothing could be further from the truth. In this blog, we explain how concrete is an excellent choice as a kitchen worktop.

The great potential of concrete

Concrete has huge potential and numerous different applications, and as concrete experts, we wanted to share this with the outside world. So in early 2018, the idea was born to use ultra-strong concrete to manufacture a thin slab in trendy colours. The goal was to market the concrete slabs like natural stone, but of course this is easier said than done. Several rounds of investment, subsidy dossiers and countless m³ of concrete later, we can say we succeeded in our goal. Job well done, but how exactly do we do it?

Use of natural, locally sourced materials

Everything starts with mixing the concrete. For this, we select only natural materials, preferably from Belgium. The semi-automatic mixing installation weighs each component minutely so that we always obtain the same quality.

Hip concrete colours

But how do we obtain these beautiful colours? Well, for this we use metal oxides. This component ensures that the plates are coloured all the way through the mass and remain stable over time.

Slabs of ultra-strong concrete

Next, the ultra-strong concrete is poured into a mould. Again, we fine-tune the accuracy of the dosage so that we produce with a single thickness of 25 mm. The formwork contains no reinforcement, as the natural stone worker is only provided to cut and mill through stone.

After a mandatory curing time, the underside is sanded flat and the slab goes into stock. Once the desired strength is reached, the cement residue - this is the chemically active top layer of the slab - is polished away. This way, we reduce the risk of lime efflorescence and the stain stop can penetrate better.

Transformation into concrete kitchen countertop

After polishing, the plate is further dried. When the right age is reached and the chemical processes in the slab are stable, the slabs are treated with a stain stopper. After treatment, the slabs are ready to be transported to the natural stone processor. Here, they will be further processed to suit your kitchen.

In short, concrete serves perfectly as a kitchen worktop and instantly gives your kitchen a unique look and feel. From trendy concrete colours to an impressive strength, concrete has it all.