Decorative Concrete Finalist

A “green” as “green” concrete countertop
Upland, CA - When the client an environmental lawyer and her husband Mr. Taylor decided to remodel their kitchen, they wanted the project to reflect their professional and personal commitment to the “green” movement. Surfacing Solutions Inc. (SSI) helped the Taylor’s achieve their goal by creating a beautiful and environmentally friendly concrete counter top.
Shawn Halverson, President of SSI said “I was excited to work on this project from the moment I first saw the house and spoke with the clients.” “Mrs. Taylor has a keen eye for detail, color and design; she knew exactly how she wanted her counter tops to look from the beginning.”
Working with the Taylors was not only rewarding, it was challenging as well. “Most customers allow us a bit of freedom to design and create with colors for a project, said Chris Johnson of SSI. “Mrs. Taylor had a very specific vision of the end product so I knew we were going to have to work hard to meet her expectations. It was a good challenge for us.”
Adding to the challenge was the use of several stains to create the colors Mrs. Taylor was looking for. Part of her request was to incorporate multiple sage green colored stain tones from L.M. Scofield Company. “The stains never do the same thing twice,” said SSI’s color specialist Jared Denham. “But it’s always fun to create new designs with stains.” The stain color was carried down the edges and through each piece. Everything was then sealed using Concrete Solutions Acrylic Urethane.
The sheer size of the kitchen and weight of the counter tops also presented some obstacles. The island counter top size 11 feet long by 7 feet wide, the counter had to be divided into 3 sections so it could be transported and installed, while its weight required the use of a concrete leg to support it. SSI was able to turn these challenges into opportunities by incorporating a curved design feature at the joints which was continued onto the 10 foot by 32 inches wide raised bar counter top as well as into the support leg. The shape and weight of the concrete counter tops required a crew of seven men to help transfer, support and install.
The finished product adds greatly to the uniqueness of the overall remodel project. The counter top makes a beautiful statement aesthetically as well as environmentally. Surfacing Solutions Inc is proud of this “green” project.

GFRC or Glass-fiber reinforced concrete

GFRC or Glass-fiber reinforced concrete
In a nutshell, GFRC is a super strong concrete that has been infused with a glass fiber composite that makes the end product stronger, and gives it more flexural strength. It reinforces the concrete while dramatically increasing its load-bearing capacity over a typical concrete mix.

This technology is being used by only a handful of innovative companies. We understand the potential of this technology and are on the fore front of precast GFRC technology.

When used correctly GFRC can produce very lightweight, durable concrete pieces that can be used to create countertops, tabletops, fireplace surrounds and accessories as thin as 3/4 inch.

GFRC or Glass-fiber reinforced concrete is handled and shaped similar to that of a standard cement mix. In the design phases custom edging or other treatments can be cast separately and integrated seamlessly. With a relatively lightweight product, these strong countertops can be shipped anywhere in the United States.

A major difference between GFRC and traditional concrete is that GFRC allows for limitless creative and design opportunities.

Concrete as a countertop or design element allows for the customer to include personal or even, landscape elements from their property into the design of the piece. Examples that have been done include, fern leaves and tree branches to stones and animal prints. To finish the design all details are hand painted, with rollers and sponges to intricate brushwork for the final to GFRC technology is environmentally friendly and is a nice way to help live green without sacrificing decor. By using concrete as a building material it is a great way to use up recycled waste for example the glass fiber elements are from reclaimed or recycled materials, and the cement mix can include fly ash (the waste bi-produced of industrial smokestacks.) The finishes are ecologically friendly water-based materials that give off no pollutants or toxins when produced and can make you feel good all around.

Beauty in Concrete

I will take you to job site visits and discuss everything from problems to solutions and raw material to art. I hope you will join me in the months to come as we find “The Beauty in Concrete”