Consolidated Film Industries has an area where messengers deliver or pickup film. They want this area to be nice since once in a while a messenger is an intern film student who may go on and be a big producer.
Enter Gary Simpson, owner of the firm Kaldari. Gary is a concrete artist in Orange County, California who CFI's in-house architect had seen written about in the Orange County Register. He builds cement countertops, works with concrete stains on concrete floors, and builds concrete furniture.
CFI needed a three-sided countertop with an outside edge length approximately 23'. They elected to pay a little more to have the countertop built in one piece at Gary's shop and have it trucked to their facility.
Many applications for concrete countertops, however, are for homeowners that are looking for something different.
Kaldari in Laguna Beach, CA
The Process
The entire process consists on determining the shape, size, and finish of the countertop. (There are a wide variety of solid or variegated colors available.)
The countertop area is then measured precisely. In this case both ends abutted existing walls.
Next, the countertop is built and trucked to the job.
Lastly, the countertop is scaled on the job.
Costs and Secrets
Concrete countertops cost approximately $100 per square foot.
The concrete is 1 1/2" thick and comes in large, seamless sections. Gary has his own secret recipe for the durable lightweight mix, but does reveal there are nine ingredients in it.
Why Concrete?
Kaldari in Laguna Beach, CA
Concrete countertops are catching on due to the trend in building toward natural materials: stone, rock, and concrete. With modern methods of staining and treating these materials, there is no sacrifice in beauty in selecting these products.
Limitations
Concrete countertops are sealed after installation and require normal care. "Most clients who select concrete countertops are discriminating and by their very nature take care of the countertops. And these countertops are installed in heavily trafficked restaurants such as Jack Rose in Long Beach."
Simpson, however, does not recommend setting hot pots or pans on the countertop surface.
Gary Simpson of Kaldari may be contacted at 949-494-3046.
HARD STUFF: A concrete answer - from Orange County Register
THE APPEAL OF CONCRETE IS ETCHED IN STONE - from Los Angeles Times