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.