The Worth of Concrete Countertops: Modification Boosts Visual Charm as well as Real Estate Financial Investment for Home

1. From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Area to sprawling mountain homes in the Colorado Mountain ranges, differentiating home owners are demanding custom-made styles and also surfaces in their kitchens. Particularly, they are seeking to share their originality and unique layout preferences with the quick growing style product of choice-- concrete. Actually, concrete countertops have actually ended up being rather of a condition symbol for kitchen areas, matching granite as well as various other premium counter top surface options. Consumer Information Magazine (August 2004) ranked concrete highest for its "personalization" as well as "exclusivity" among high-end kitchen area countertops. As a custom-made product, the quantity of time as well as workmanship called for to produce concrete counter tops positions them as one of the most labor-intensive and also priciest amongst leading counter top products. Nonetheless, concrete countertops are becoming much more accessible for those on a small budget plan. The most up to date diy (DIY) pattern to mesmerize property owners and also contractors is constructing your own concrete kitchen counter. This sensation has actually gained appeal mainly as a result of Cheng's very successful book Concrete Countertops: Design, Forms, and Ends Up for the New Kitchen as well as Bathroom (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little financial financial investment in making concrete countertops, yet the creative gains of working with concrete are plentiful. THE SHOWSTOPPER Progressively, homeowners are moving away from the boring, manufactured look of traditional kitchen counter surfaces as well as choosing concrete for its natural, ageless appeal. And also, the choices for personalizing concrete counter tops are endless: one can color, gloss, stamp as well as stain concrete or imbed individual things like rocks, seashells and fossils into the counter top's surface, adding belief and also character. Useful functions such as drainpipe boards, soap meals, and trivets can additionally be included to fit the home owners' very own needs and way of living. Concrete is slowly coming to be demystified as typically cool and commercial. In contrary, this old-time material is cozy as well as surprisingly responsive; individuals can not help but touch their smooth, polished surfaces. Realty representative Pleasure Rasmussen, who has just recently offered her mountain house-- a short-term investment home in Boat Springs, Carbon Monoxide-- states her site visitors' experiences with concrete: "When I had open residences, visitors gravitated to the concrete counter tops-- lots of people around right here have never ever seen them". Pleasure's 2,265 sq. ft. hill home was custom develop by her partner, Ken Otterman, in addition to KJ Otterman, president of Classic Special Customized Homes. They constructed pour-in-place concrete counters for the home's kitchen area and also 3 shower rooms by utilizing Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand-colored concrete counter tops were brightened smooth, then paired with natural slate of differing colors-- like charcoal, corrosion and gold tones-- that creates the backsplashes in the cooking area and bathrooms. As a design accent, little rectangle-shaped slate ceramic tiles were contributed to the edge of the shower room sinks, which supplied an one-of-a-kind detail to the custom vanities. When Joy as well as Ken determined to market their residence, their financial investment in concrete counter tops confirmed its worth. "We had the ability to list the house $20,000 over market value, and had no worry offering it," remarks Pleasure, while discussing the lengthy listing of upgrades throughout their house, consisting of knotty want strong doors, all-natural slate wall accents as well as wood floors. "The concrete kitchen counters were conveniently the most unique and also excellent of all the coatings. I believe they were a huge component in adding value to the house. Around here, all you see in homes are granite countertops-- as well as I truly believe property buyers are obtaining rather numb with granite."

2. " Concrete kitchen counters are a distinct offering to property buyers that see the same finishes used in house after house they visit," explains Happiness, supplying her observation as a skilled realtor. "Having concrete countertops almost provides you boasting civil liberties-- you have something various from your neighbors." DAMAGING THE MOLD AND MILDEW One more advantage of concrete is its versatility in either modern or typical setups, particularly when coupled with other materials like varied metals, wood or rock. "Concrete includes numerous [possibilities] to stone, and the mix with slate, which is widely popular here, provides the mountain homes a general cozy, natural touch," claims Joy. Pleasure and Ken have actually because constructed a much bigger residence (4,000 sq. ft.) that provides expansive sights of the Steamboat Ski Hotel and is indicated to work as a long-term investment for the couple. They have actually additionally broadened their list of custom-made finishes, including hand-troweled walls, classy oil-rubbed bronze equipment, knotty want doors that arch on top, countertops for less cabinets in a natural, knotty alder, and their favorite-- concrete kitchen area countertops. Unlike in their previous home, KJ and also his specialized crew put charcoal-colored kitchen counters using the pre-cast method in the incomplete cellar of the brand-new residence. Before pouring the concrete, they sprayed a variety of semi-precious stones in the mold and mildew consisting of Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl as well as Blue-green. After the surface was ground as well as lightly polished, the completed outcome was an impressive blend of colors, "By far, the Mother-of-Pearl was one of the most incredible," says Delight. The L-shaped concrete counter top has a harsh, rustic stone appearance, matching its tough nation environments. An important drainpipe board and also trivets supplies function and also added rate of interest to the concrete counter top. Natural slate backsplashes, distinctive wall accents, and a butcher block countertop at the cooking area island all resonate with the conventional heat and earthiness of the concrete kitchen counters. Delight as well as Ken's respective histories in real estate and also customized homebuilding, and also as financial investment homebuyers, have aided them understand that concrete counter tops can add tremendous aesthetic and also economic value to a home. Concrete's modification and also "show-stopping" appeal is like nothing else countertop surface. Cheng is a supporter of emotional aesthetics as well as developing homes that capture these feelings, as when it comes to Delight as well as Ken Otterman. Cheng wraps up: "Individuals truly desire differentiation, something individual, something personalized-- as well as concrete can do that for them."