ask big al

Hi Sharon,
While granite and concrete are both solid surfaces and cost about the same their similarities begin to part there. Concrete can more easily and cost efficiently be fashioned into any shape or thickness because it is formed at the liquid state and not tooled. Concrete, the chameleon of solid surfaces, can be virtually any color. In fact the visual complexity of this material is endless and only bound by the imagination. Concrete is a renewable material and can be made of recycled materials. Ironically, concrete countertops can be made of granite as an aggregate.
Al

Wow Steve!
This is a big question and Big Al is going to give you a big answer. This is not only a question asked by customers all the time but, it is a question we ask ourselves every day. There is a growing number of companies crowing about their products and services being green. We approach these claims with caution when we buy our materials and plan our projects.

There are differing opinions on the environmental impact of concrete.
Concrete can be considered to be a green material for countertops when compared to other solid surface materials. That being said, all concrete countertops are not created equal as far as the measure they affect the environment. There are no hard rules on what is green and what isn't so, here are the things that Big Al considers when he determines whether something is green or not.

Good one Dianna,
One and one half inch thick Concrete countertops weigh around eighteen pounds per square foot. Alpha Stone Concrete uses a light weight aggregate to keep the weight down and make our concrete products more environmentally friendly. Our concrete weighs about thirteen pounds per sq/ft. So a countertop that is twenty-five inches wide and eight feet long would weigh around two hundred and twenty pounds. Sink openings will reduce the weight by somewhere around forty to sixty pounds. That may seem heavy to you but we have seen old or inexpensive base cabinets support the weight with no problem. Base cabinets are basically a box, a structure that is very strong. Also, the weight is evenly distributed over the base cabinets. Any good template guy will inspect your cabinets to determine if there will need to be any reinforcing or modifications to your base cabinets.

Thanks for the weighty question,
Big Al

My dear Alissa,

Hi Jesse,
Cement is a primary ingredient of concrete. You know people ask me about "cement countertops" all the time and I never correct them. It's all right with me what ever you call them.
Concrete is made up of portland cement aggregate and water. Portland cement is made from limestone and sand or clay. Aggregate can be sand, stone, glass or just about any material that is non absorbent and does not degrade over time. For a good overview of concrete countertops click here.

Yours,
Big Al