Take the Tour!----- 1. Project Overview 2. Builder 3. Neighborhood 4. Friends 5. Head Decorator----- ROOMS 6. Sherilyn's Room 7. Bonus Room 8. Teenage Bedroom Suite 9. Guest Suite 10. Master Suite 11. Dining Room 12. Home Theatre 13. Kitchen (Cabinets) 14. Kitchen (Appliances) 15. Kitchen (Countertop) 16. Family Room----- FEATURES 17. Details 18. Water System 19. Tile 20. Elevator 21. Staircase 22. Building Materials 23. Roof 24. Concrete Masonry 25. Concrete Countertops 26. Landscape & Hardscape 27. Pool

NHI DREAM HOME | CONCRETE COUNTERTOPS



BY KATHY GRANT WESTBROOK/PHOTOS BY RAY STRAWBRIDGE
WINTER 2005 ISSUE

Light brown countertops complete the elegant look of the morning bar in the master bedroom at the NHI Dream Home.

The mantle on the fireplace and the bathroom in the master suite also feature the same special countertops. In the dining room, a sideboard is accented with a light top featuring cut glass. But, visitors to the house often take a second look when told the countertops and sideboard top are actually made of concrete. Obviously, concrete has undergone some dramatic changes in recent years.

Just ask Lane Mangum and Jeff Girard of Raleigh. Husband Jeff owns FormWorks Concrete, a company that specializes in concrete countertops, and wife Lane works in sales and marketing for the company.

Jeff founded the company in 1999. A licensed professional civil engineer, he decided in 1998 to make a concrete countertop for his own kitchen remodel. In the course of his research, Jeff saw that there was a demand for concrete countertops. So he put up a website, set up shop, and FormWorks was born. Today, the company has a shop in Raleigh.

Concrete countertops can be custom crafted in a wide variety of colors with intricate designs. Small pieces of glass, shells and other items can be imbedded in the concrete for a one-of-a-kind look. The concrete sideboard top in the dining room features small glass tiles in a flowing river pattern.

“We had one customer with a boxful of broken glass from her crystal pattern that we placed in a top for a bar,” says Lane. “For another customer, we imbedded two quarters into the kitchen countertop—one for North Carolina and one for New York, their home state.”

All of the slabs are cast in FormWorks’ shop on specially designed casting tables.

Each cast begins with a custom, hand-made mold that is tailored to the particular configuration for the project. The concrete is then poured into the mold. After the slabs have cured and are strong enough to move, FormWorks grinds off the surface cement “skin” with progressively finer diamond polishing hones.

“The cement skin that forms on all concrete is very thin and easily scratched. By grinding it off, we prevent the possibility of scratches forming in this eggshell-like coating, and we remove a barrier that prevents the sealer from penetrating into the concrete,” Lane says.

By grinding and honing the concrete, FormWorks reveals the complex patterns of aggregate and colored cement that would be hidden by the drab, monochromatic cement skin. Once the honing is complete, the company seals the concrete to provide stain resistance and to enhance its appearance.

FormWorks’ sealer is heat resistant, says Lane, so hot pots placed on a countertop will not damage it.

“You may have heard that concrete stains easily and requires periodic resealing or waxing. FormWorks concrete is different,” she says. “FormWorks has developed a proprietary sealing system that is very stain-resistant and low maintenance. You don’t need to worry about getting food on your countertop, and all you need to do to clean it is to use regular household cleaners.” ▪

JANE PAIGE IS A FREELANCE WRITER FROM CARY.

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