Countertops: go for concrete?

After watching several episodes of DIY Network's "I Hate My Kitchen," we've started to consider concrete countertops. They don't require mining into the earth, and they can be customized. You can come up with your own color and grind in bits of recycled glass or shells. Drainboards and trivets can be built right into the surface. We love our new Mint Green granite counter as the most artistic part about our kitchen, with its white cabinets and white subway tile and cork floor.

In the new place, though, we'd like to make more of a statement with a backsplash with some Motawi art tiles, so we're thinking toward a more subtle, monochrome surface for our counters. Concrete is one of the contenders that might complement rather than compete with a stronger design element in tile.















Last weekend we went to Amicus Green Building Center and checked out a few products. But I keep wondering, is concrete really healthy?

Here are a few articles on the subject:

Green Home Guide's Top Picks for Countertops
Health note: inquire about the toxicity of dyes used in concrete

Concord Green blog notes that concrete normally takes four weeks to cure

eHow Home says that concrete and granite both pose a radiation risk. Get a radon detector!

Well, there's a start. Nothing that sounds a whole lot scarier than anything else.

Now onto the possible products...

The concrete countertops we were most interested in came from Luke Works, a Baltimore-based company. Their Lukecrete requires less maintenance than some other concretes: an occasional waxing (Amicus recommends Cheng's wax)

Artisan Concrete Concepts in Falls Church, VA is also on my list of places to check out.