Like many natural stones, including granite, concrete is porous and must be sealed to reduce the risk of staining.  The sealers will provide a buffer against staining, but do not prevent it.  The best way to prevent stains is to wipe up spills as they happen - often referred to as the golden rule for stone (and concrete) surfaces.  Prompt clean-up is most important for acidic substances, such as vinegar, lemon juice and wine, which will etch the concrete if left on the counter for more than a minute or two.  Etches are the result of a chemical reaction between an acid and certain cement compounds.  They appear as a light coloured mark with a rougher texture, and can be repaired by repolishing the affected area with a set of diamond hand pads.  Other common substances that have a high tendency to stain include oil, coffee and mustard.  Most stains can be removed using bleach and paper towel, while oil stains are best removed using Stonetech Oil Stain Remover (available through D.A.S. Concrete Countertops). 

In short, stains will happen if you're not diligent about keeping your counters clean.  But you can rest easy knowing that, whatever happens, there's a way to fix it - and most of the time, you'll be able to do it yourself.  

One of the great things about concrete countertops (when sealed with a penetrating sealer) is their high heat resistance. Hot saucepans, cookie sheets and casserole dishes can be placed directly on the countertops without risk of damaging the surface.

We do recommend, however, that you place a hot plate under slow cookers or other countertop appliances that emit heat over a long period of time. This will reduce the likelihood of hairline cracks caused by the prolonged expansion and contraction of the concrete over time.

Like granite and marble, concrete is porous.  This means that concrete countertops and surfaces must be sealed to protect against stains and, in an outdoor context, against water penetration that can lead to freeze/thaw damage. 

At D.A.S., we use a water-based food safe penetrating sealer that offers resistance to both water and oil-based stains.  While this sealer does not PREVENT stains, it does provide a reasonable buffer against most stains, provided that you wipe up your messes promptly.  It also ensures that any stains – or etches - that do occur remain close to the surface for easy repair.  Note that penetrating sealers do not protect against acid etching.

While other types of sealers exist, each with its pros and cons, we have chosen to use a penetrating sealer as part of our commitment to a durable and sustainable product that is easy to maintain and repair over the long term.  Penetrating sealers also help preserve the best qualities of the concrete itself, such as heat and scratch resistance, and a natural look and feel. 

Depending on how well you care for your concrete surfaces, you will likely need to reseal them every 5-10 years.  We recommend cleaning your surfaces regularly with Stonetech® Revitalizer® to help prolong the life of your existing sealer.  If you prefer, you can buff your concrete every few months with a beeswax paste to provide an added layer of protection.  Note, however, that this wax will need to be removed prior to resealing.   

• Concrete Network: https://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/countertops/
• Concrete Countertop Institute: https://concretecountertopinstitute.com/
• Build with Rise "Sustainable countertops": https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/sustainable-countertops-face-off

While concrete is porous and can stain, the risk can be minimized with a simple care and maintenance routine. As with many other natural stone surfaces, the majority of stains can be avoided by maintaining your sealer and wiping up any spills promptly with water or a pH neutral cleaner. 

Particular care should be taken with oily and acidic substances, such as red wine, hot sauce, vinegar and lemon juice, as the marks left behind are more time consuming to repair.  Note that the marks left by acidic substances are not stains, but etches, caused by a chemical reaction between an acid and certain compounds in the cement paste.  If left on the surface for more than a minute or two, acidic substances will react with the cement, leaving behind a rough, light mark.  The quicker you wipe up the acids, the less severe the etch will be and the easier it will be to repair.

As a rule, concrete can always be repaired. The extent of the repairs will depend on the severity of the damage, but we believe that it is always better to repair than to replace – for your wallet and for our planet. You can remove most stains yourself using common household ingredients and a few specialized products, such as Stonetech® Oil Stain Remover.  Etches, likewise, can be repaired by repolishing the surface using water and a set of diamond hand pads, which we supply as part of the care kit that accompanies all of our custom projects.   

Please refer to our stain and etch repair guides in the Resources section below, or check out the 'how to' videos on our Youtube channel for more details on how to repair common stains and etches.  Got a stain that you don’t know how to deal with?  Please drop us an email with the details, including some photos if possible, and we’ll do our best to find a solution. 

Yes, they can!  When it’s well made and properly sealed, concrete makes for an excellent outdoor countertop.  It is durable and heat resistant, and capable of withstanding our harsh winter weather. And of course, it looks great.

We recommend an exterior-grade penetrating sealer for outdoor countertops that will protect against both staining and water penetration, which can lead to freeze-thaw damage.  We also recommend that you keep your outdoor concrete countertops covered in winter, when not in use, especially if they are exposed to snow and ice. 

If you really want your outdoor space to stand out, ask us about our glow-in-the-dark aggregate options!     

We offer a range of standard colours, including both grey and white concrete.  There is no additional cost for standard colours with a grey concrete base.  There is, however, a premium charge for colours with a white concrete base (e.g. white and beach) due to the higher cost of the raw materials.  If you are looking for something very specific, we can produce custom colours upon request, for an additional fee.  See the Colours page or drop into our showroom in Dieppe (New Brunswick) to see our latest colour selections. Please note that, due to natural variations in the colour of our raw materials, we cannot guarantee an exact colour match with samples.   

In addition to colours, we also offer options with respect to aggregate colour and exposure.  Aggregate refers to the crushed stone that makes up a large portion of our concrete mix.  Exposure refers to how much of the aggregate is made visible on the surface during the polishing process.  We can offer anywhere from a fine ‘salt and pepper’ finish to a heavily exposed terrazzo-like surface, based on your personal preferences and your vision for your space. Our personal favourite is an ‘organic’ finish, with varied exposure across the surface, as it accentuates the inherent uniqueness and character of concrete.  See the Colours page or contact us for more details on these options. 

Concrete countertops are comparable to granite when it comes to weight. At our standard thickness of 1 1/2 inches, concrete countertops weigh approximately 20 lb per square foot.

As a rule of thumb, if your counters can handle natural stone, they can handle concrete.  At a minimum, your cabinets should be well built and level, and ideally sitting directly on the floor.  For pre-fabricated cabinets that use floor levelers and/or rely on wall anchors for structural support, it is your responsibility to make sure that your cabinets are securely anchored into the wall studs.  If you are getting new cabinets built, let them know that you are planning to install stone countertops. 

If you have an older home, and/or will be adding significant extra weight to the floor in a particular area, it is a good idea to have a builder check that the floors are sufficiently supported before moving forward, especially if you are installing a large island.

The answer, of course, is “it depends”.  It is common to read about seamless options as being one of the major benefits of concrete countertops.  Because concrete can take the shape of whatever mould you pour it into, you can, in theory, minimize the need for seams in irregular shapes where other materials would require them.  In reality, however, every material has its limitations.  With concrete, slab weight, structural integrity, on-site access, handling considerations and customer budgets are all key considerations that will determine whether seamless is an option.

We often include butt-joint seams in L-shaped countertops, behind farm sinks and, if necessary, in oversized islands that exceed our handling capacity.  As is standard practice in the concrete countertop industry, our seams are visible and closely resemble a tile grout line.  This type of seam allows for movement should your home or building shift, or if there are significant changes in humidity, which can cause the concrete to expand or contract.  In the end, it is far easier to fix a cracked seam than a cracked countertop. 

If you are interested in a seamless option, we would be happy to review your plans and let you know what may or may not be possible.  We will often propose a seamless L-shape where the return (the short piece of the L) is small, provided the overall size and weight are manageable. 

If your design does require seams, we will gladly work with you to determine the best placement and design options. 

The cost of concrete countertops will vary significantly based on the level of customization, the type of concrete and production methods used, the size of the business, and the market you’re in, among other things.  The materials are relatively cheap, but the skill and labour required to produce consistently high quality concrete products is not. 

OUR custom-made concrete countertops – by which we mean countertops made specifically for you and installed by us – are generally competitive with mid-range granite and quartz.  Exact pricing will be affected by factors such as the size and dimensions of each slab, the number and type of cut-outs required, the level of customization, and your location.  While we are happy to give you an idea of our square foot pricing, we encourage you to request a formal quote before going too far with your budgeting.  We can easily adjust the quote if you need to tweak your design later on. 

If you are looking for a more affordable mid-range option, we also offer pre-fabricated, supply-only slabs for simple, DIY projects where minimal cut-outs or customization is required.  Think simple outdoor kitchen, cottage countertops, a home office work surface, a new dining or coffee table top, or even a small kitchen island…

If you take good care of your concrete surfaces, they could last the lifetime of your home.  You may want to refinish them at some point along the way, and you will certainly need to reseal them (you can probably do it yourself), but the fact that you CAN refinish them rather than replace them when they’re starting to show their age is a huge advantage if you care about reducing waste and material consumption. 

Concrete is surprisingly versatile when it comes to design.  It works just as well with country charm as it does in an industrial design, so even if you feel the need to change up your style, you don’t necessarily have to change your countertops. 

Our standard slabs are 1 ½” thick with an eased edge profile.  We polish all of our slabs for a beautiful, durable surface, and seal them with a professional grade, food safe penetrating sealer, which offers a reasonable compromise between stain resistance and ease of repair.   We also have standard pricing established for common features such as undermount or farmhouse sinks, extra faucet holes or drop-in cooktops.

There are three basic options to customize your countertops within our standard offerings.  There is no additional cost for these options.

• Colour: We offer a range of standard concrete colours, including both grey and white concrete.  Please note that there is a premium charge for colours that use a white concrete base given the higher cost of the raw materials.
• Exposure: crushed stone, or coarse aggregate, is an integral part of our concrete mix.  When you place a custom order, you can specify how much of this aggregate you want to see showing through on the surface.  You can specify anything from a fine salt & pepper finish to a heavily exposed terrazzo-like finish, or – our personal favourite – an organic exposure, with natural variation across the surface.  We can’t guarantee a completely uniform finish, as we can’t control where the aggregate falls when we pour the concrete, but we do our best to give you what you ask for.  To note, we are told by our existing customers that a higher level of aggregate exposure can be helpful for hiding small stains and marks in heavy use areas.   
• ​​​​​​​Aggregate: Our default aggregate is a mix of black, grey and, to a lesser extent white, crushed stone known as trap rock.  However, we also have a beautiful river rock aggregate, which offers a warmer and more colourful flavour.  It’s your choice!  If you are looking for a fine finish, the aggregate colour is less important, although you should expect to see higher exposure over time as the surface wears in heavy use areas or if you decide to refinish your countertops.

Beyond these standard options, you can also request the following at extra cost:

• Thickness: We can make slabs up to 2” thick or as thin as 1 ¼” where handling and structural considerations permit.  We can also do custom lips that are thicker than the rest of the countertop, depending on the design. ​​​​​​​
• Colour: If you are looking for a specific colour outside of our standard colour pallet, we would be pleased to work with you to develop a custom colour.  Please note that we do not currently offer white concrete. 
• Specialized aggregate: In addition to our standard trap rock and river rock aggregate options, we can also incorporate glow-in-the-dark marble aggregate or recycled glass into your countertops, depending on the design and application.    
• Waterfall edges:  We offer seamed waterfall edges, using a clean butt joint seam.

If you’re project goes beyond the options discussed above, please don’t hesitate to contact us with the details of what you’re looking for (pictures and sketches are always helpful).  We’d be happy to talk through options, pricing and, if need be, design alternatives.