Concrete worktops are fashionable and have a certain aesthetic charm but boy do they require maintenance!
As a professional tile restorer I don’t specialise in concrete worktop restoration but have restored a fair few over the years. This is what I have leaned about maintaining your concrete worktops.
Why does concrete get so easily damaged and discoloured?
Because it is made with calcium! Limestone is one of the key ingredients in concrete and the calcium content makes the concrete easily damaged by anything acidic . Limescale is made of calcium as well so all the products that can remove limescale can also eat into your concrete worktop.
Over time acidic detergents and kitchen products will weaken the structure of unsealed concrete. In the pic above the sealer had worn away in the section by the cooker. Over a few years the concrete got severely damaged and would not easily polish as it had lost density from acidic liquids and products eating into it.
So how can we avoid concrete worktops being damaged over time?
Concrete by itself as a material for kitchen work surfaces is just not good enough. It lacks the durability to keep its appearance when faced with the many acidic products available in the kitchen. So what we need to do is to introduce sealers / waxes and protection into the concrete.
The homeowner should be mindful of their sensitive concrete and constantly making an effort to not spill, wipe things up, not leave liquids on the concrete , and finally sealing or waxing it on a regular basis.
PH neutral cleaning your concrete work surfaces
Before we get into sealing you need to know that alkaline detergents will damage and melt your concrete sealer over time. Some washing up liquids and degreasing detergents are alkaline and need to be avoided. Instead you need to get a PH neutral detergent to clean your concrete as these will remove surface dirt but wont harm your concrete sealer. So by keeping our seal intact with appropriate cleaning we can then talk about topping up your concrete seal..
How to seal your concrete worktops
After a good clean and rinse with fresh water allow to dry for a few hours. Then get some new microfibre cloths and penetrating tile sealer. Penetrating tile sealer is ready available at all tile shops and is the type that sinks into the material and protects it from within. This type of sealer does not form a layer on the surface and is usually a clear liquid.
- fold your microfibre cloth in half , and the half again so that its quarter the size.
- apply your penetrating tile sealer in a little puddle to start and spread it with your cloth. You are aiming to spread the seal instead of trying to buff it in, so use low pressure and plenty of sealer.
- work your way to the other side of the concrete worktop and then wait a few minutes until its had time to soak in. If you look back to where you started you will start to see where the sealer has sunk in and where it is resting on the surface.
- buff the sealer with a dry cloth, spreading the excess on the surface into the dry parts of the concrete. Then give it some time to cure a bit usually 20 mins or so.
- repeat this process of applying sealer, letting it soak in, buffing in the excess followed by some curing time. Eventually there will be more and more sealer that rests on the surface. This is because the concrete is becoming more saturated with every coat. This saturation of sealer stops damage from going deep into the concrete
I undertake this concrete worktop restoration, polishing and sealing service all over North London, West London, Hertfordshire, South Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire.