Are concrete worktops any good?
In a word “NO”. After cleaning and restoring so many different types of stone and tiles over many years I can confidently say that cement and concrete based materials are no good for kitchens bathrooms and any high traffic area where the material is expected to keep its aesthetic properties.
Concrete worktops , stain and etch from acidic products , which is quite allot in the kitchen and bathroom. In fact you would be surprised how many every day products will mark your concrete worktops.
They are super porous so limescale and dirt finds its way deep into the cement and damages it from within. Acids cant be used to remove the limescale so resurfacing is the only option. Some acidic products go so deep into the cement that they etch it too far down to be cut out. So essentially you risk creating a depression in the concrete surface if you try to remove some staining through abrasive means or marble resurfacing pads.
This also applies to cement encaustic tiles and concrete floors. Granite on the other hand is bulletproof and would always be my recommendation. Having said all of this we can really restore concrete work surfaces through a process of deep cleaning and resurfacing. We offer our concrete worktop polishing and cleaning service in Hertfordshire, Stevenage, Welling , Harpenden, St Albans and surrounding areas.
So how do we clean and polish cement concrete work surfaces?
Sometimes we find clients have applied oil and products to their concrete surfaces which have been recommended by suppliers etc. This can be a good thing as these products do protect the concrete. However these oils and sealers often get quite discoloured and grubby over a period of years. Below you can see a yellow linseed based oil that was recommended by a supplier. It was a nasty yellowy colour that completely ruined the sleek look that these concrete work tops can offer when fresh and shiny.
So my first job was to apply appropriate stripping chemicals to remove this oil before I could begin the resurfacing and polishing process.
Polishing of concrete worktops
This is the process of resurfacing the concrete with abrasive diamond pads to remove all the scratches and etches as well as surface staining and discolouration. These pads can then be used in higher and higher grits until we slowly start to close the pours in the concrete to create a shine. Once an adequate level of sheen or shine has been reached to the clients preference we allow the concrete to dry and then we can seal it.
Sealing process for concrete work surfaces
Sealing of concrete work tops is something that really has to be done thoroughly and professionally. Concrete worktops require much more sealer than natural stone and this has to be done diligently in order to ensure a good consistent look. The sealer also adds to the lustre and sheen of the concrete as it is repeatedly buffed into the surface.
