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Find a Concrete Contractor 24 Services in 221 Metros -- U.S. and Canada © 1999-2012 ConcreteNetwork.com None of this site may be reproduced without written permission |
Find a Concrete Contractor 24 Services in 221 Metros -- U.S. and Canada © 1999-2012 ConcreteNetwork.com None of this site may be reproduced without written permission |
Concrete countertops are impressive at any time of the day, but you can really turn up the wow factor at night with the addition of fiber-optic lighting. These illuminated strands of flexible cable can be
cast directly into concrete countertops to transform them from a utilitarian surface to a luminous work of art. With a bit of experimentation, you can produce special effects ranging from a starry glow to an eye-popping light show. Read on to learn more about installing fiber optics and how to create your own nighttime magic.
Light in a fiber-optic cable travels through the core by constantly
bouncing back and forth. This allows the cables to bend and curve and
still carry light from the main source of illumination -- typically a bright halogen light. The light is
carried down the cables to create hundreds of points of light from just
the one bulb. Special illuminators are available to create multicolored light shifts and twinkling "starry sky" effects. 
There are two ways to install fiber-optic cables in concrete, according to expert Scott Cohen of The Green Scene. One is to place the cables through the finished surface so you can easily see the points of light at the ends of the
cables after polishing the concrete. Or you can glue the ends of the cables to chunks
of glass to defuse the light and give the counter a subtle glowing
effect. See Cohen's 
The real magic of fiber optics are the one-of-a-kind effects you can achieve, the sort of abracadabra only possible with decorative cast concrete. See these project profiles to get some bright ideas: