California Concrete Kitchen Countertops

Contact Gerry Sadler at 619-987-4721

Ben Ashby is the creator of these California Concrete Kitchen Countertops, fireplace mantels and custom tile. The mix is manufactured by Concrete Solutions of San Diego who holds training classes with Ben at various locations including Los Vegas and Chicago and most recently in Australia.

Ben and his growing national network of artisans custom design and fabricate each piece.  Many home owners looking for something unique have had concrete installed in their kitchens but many once they see it want more. Custom sinks and fireplaces are in huge demand.

They are not only in residential homes. The concrete kitchen countertops are being designed and built in high end hotels, restaurants and office buildings.

For more information contact Gerry Sadler of Concrete Solutions at 619-987-4721 .

Utah Concrete Countertops and Fireplace Mantels

The photos here of fireplace mantels and  concrete countertops by Utah based Ben Ashby don’t do them justice.  They need to be seen and touched to be fully appreciated.  The beauty of artistic concrete  releases an emotion. When people see it, they want it. That explains why Ben seldom leaves his local area of Sevier County.

The pictures you see tell part of the story and why Ben has a growing national following of students and many happy customers in Utah. This is custom work done by hand so you need to allow for a fair amount of artistic lincense. The process with Ben starts out like a consultation. Ben shows you his portfolio and starts breaking it down.  With fireplace mantels Ben will show you column options and thickness of the mantel and hearth. Then color and design follow. The beauty of concrete is the ability to design around your room and personality.

Can you handle something bold or is something simple more appropriate? Should your fireplace be rustic, antique or contemporary? Every one is different.

Your concrete countertops are a bit of a different process.  Concrete Countertops are used daily and  seen from a closer perspective. When you use your countertops typically your eyes are only 24-30 inches away. You see everything up close whereas with your fireplace mantel you likely are many feet away. An imperfection in a countertop might bother you but the same blemish in your fireplace looks natural.

Either way Ben is an artist and a professional.  He will guild you through the process from initial design to final installation. If you are one his students Ben is always available. Ben runs his business in Sevier County Utah but builds concrete countertops and fireplace mantels throughout the state.

Ben can be reached at 435-201-3045. Concrete Solutions based in San Diego is the manufacturer and distributor of the Ben Ashby line of products. Visit the Concrete Solutions website for upcoming workshops or for their extensive line of decorative concrete products.

How To Build Concrete Countertops

If you are interested in learning how to build concrete countertops Ben Ashby and Concrete Solutions teach classes every month in Las Vegas.  Classes are 3 intense days covering everything you need to know including design, mold making, building your shop, sealers, transportation, installation and how to work with clients.

Plus you have the opportunity to work with Ben Ashby and learn the Ben Ashby System. Ben along with Gerry Sadler of Concrete Solutions provide hands on personalized training. However the training continues long after the Las Vegas workshop.  Ben has developed a tight social network of artists and applicators. Once you go through the Ashby training you have access to countertop professionals at all levels quickly and easily. The more you work and develop relationships in the Ben Ashby Network, the more you will benefit. 

Learning how to build concrete countertops is one aspect of the training and the network. You will learn how to make columns and fireplace mantles, sinks, shower surrounds and concrete tile, benches, tables, outdoor kitchens and hardscapes. From simple to artistic pieces that look like natural stone.

The skills you develop open up unlimted opportunities and the versatility of concrete means that everyone and every property can use what you can make. Once you have the skills, the network and a marketing strategy you are set. You’ll have a business that you can continually build for a lifetime.

Give Gerry Sadler from Concrete Solutions a call at  619-987-4721  to learn more about how to build concrete countertops. If you are looking for an architect or are a client Gerry can provide you with the appropriate artisan and fabricator for your project.

Concrete countertops alone, stylishly done, can really bring about the “wow” factor. If you’ve seen one, felt one, it’s hard to believe, at first, that it is, in fact, concrete. Durable, stylish, relatively new to the lexicon, but no doubt about it; a real eye-opener.

And like all good, new ideas, it seems like there’s one or two accepted styles that most people seem willing to settle for. My question was this: As dazzling as concrete counter tops are, what is the next step in the evolution of such a potentially deal-making accoutrement to the residential or commercial space? And why can’t the process be less daunting? Less expensive and time-consuming? More cost-effective?  What if all this can happen AND what if you had more control over the finished product?

What if you could actually tailor the design  concrete countertops to wherever your imagination took you? What once seemed entirely out of reach becomes a reality with the Ashby System, offered by Concrete Solutions out of San Diego.  Custom kitchens, baths, counters, fireplaces, commercial and residential, limited only by the imagination. Learning “Ben Ashby’s Concrete Countertops Process” by attending a three-day advanced training workshop (the cost of which can be recouped with as little as one job) means that eye-catching, value-enhancing countertops, mantles, hearths, showers and tubs, tiles, flooring, stairs and so much more, can be made to look like natural stone with molded edges and no need for costly, time-consuming additional polishing. By you.

Stick with the standard contemporary designs or go classic. The choice is yours.  Completely natural looking veins. Sculpted edges. All made simple by the Ashby System and Concrete Solutions products.

Technical support is provided by the originator of the process, Ben Ashby. Classes are also available in the Chicago area. Until recently, there was no way to learn the process outside of Ben Ashby’s own studio.  And as for demand, the artist himself put it best . “If people see it, touch it, or, moreover, feel it, they want it.” Easy to learn, and quite unlike anything else out there.

For more information, call Gerry Sadler in San Diego (or for a countertop for your home or business Gerry will put you in touch with one of their artisans )  at  619-987-4721 .  Visit their website at http://www.concretesolutions.com. Concrete Solutions offers product support for the Ashby System.  In tandem, they can help you build a concrete countertop business virtually from scratch.

New York City Concrete Countertops

If you’re looking for  Concrete Countertops in New York City and surrounding areas the Concrete Countertop Institute may be your best resourse.

Concrete Countertop Institute based in South Carolina has trained many concrete countertop professionals and artists on the East Coast and around the country. They manitain an active forum with over 400 concrete countertop artisans.

The Concrete Countertop Institute teaches many classes from novice through advanced. Jeff Girard PE provides the technical training providing an unbiased education about use of the many products on the market. Concrete Countertop Institute does not sell products so their training covers the positives and negatives of the various mixes available today.

Recently I spent some time speaking with Jeff about the science of sealers, the methods of achieving a functional protective finish as well as an aethetic result thats fits with the overlall design.

Most owners of New York City Concrete Countertops want a matte finish while in other parts of the country many want a high gloss result. Sealers become a huge factor in the final result. Those artisans who are trained at the Concrete Countertop Institute get a complete education which differs from those who learn about how to use specific products that manufacturers sell regardless of the outcome.

If you are in New York City and interested in Concrete Countertops, artistic vessel sinks, concrete tile or other custom pieces call Jeff or Lane, tell them about your project and they’ll be able to steer you towards the artisans most appropriate. Every artisan creates different results so be sure to find the one who is perfect for what you are looking for.

New York City Concrete Countertops

For Your New York City Concrete Countertop call the Concrete Countertop institute at   888-386-7711   or click any of the links here.

Concrete Countertops Brea California

 The more projects I learn about completed by Surfacing Solutions of Temecula California the more I appreciate their talents with concrete. In recent months I have updated concrete countertop projects they’ve designed and built in Newport Beach, Upland, Murietta, Chino Hills, Temecula and now these concrete countertops in Brea California.

This one is an open air outdoor kitchen and living area around the owners swimming pool.  The area is approximately 1,500 square feet with bath, large grill area, flat screen TV and seating overlooking the pool.

The designer of the magnificent space was Carol Peltzer of Venture 1 Design.  Carol contacted            Shawn Halverson of Surfacing Solutions to help create the finishing function and design.

The Color was created using 4 different acid stains by manufacturer Westcoat. In other area such as the grill and bar area they used LM Scoffield “Nutty Brown” concrete stain. As in many Surfacing Solutions projects the seal coats were Concrete Solutions high gloss Arylic Urethane.

The results of the Brea Cailfornia Concrete Countertops, ”one of the coolest outdoor projects we’ve ever been involved with” according to Shawn Halverson.

Concrete Countertops Upland California

It’s always a treat to hear about projects completed by Surfacing Solutions in Temecula California. This one is a concrete countertop project in Upland California.

The client an enviromental attorney wanted to maintain the “green” theme in the kitchen remodel so choose concrete. She had a keen eye for color and design and knew exactly what she wanted. This presented a unique challenge for materials that require a lot artistic license. Concrete being a unique material with variation every time. Compound that with 5 different acid stains used as colorants is on par with taming a wild stallion.

They pulled it off. Jared Denham Surfacing Solutions color specialist gets the credit for the artistry of color.

Products used were:

1. EnCounter Mix and edge forms
2. LM Scoffield Acid Stains
3. Concrete Solutions Acrylic Urethane Sealer

It’s hard to describe how it was constructed. The large and unique size meant engineering various pieces. There was a bar/island with two levels and a few others as you can see in the photos. Construction was one challege, color another and finally installation obstacles. The island was 77 square feet and another approximatley 30 square feet with a 10 foot length.

Here’s another fine project completed by Shawn Halversons Surfacing Solutions of Temecula California.

The new pool and outdoor kitchen area had a design dilemma. How to create countertop surfaces to flow and blend with the Tuscan home design. The pool contractor used reflective tile in the pool spillways which Shawn Halverson crafted into the countertop backsplashes. Some of the engineering issues were cutouts for the 48 inch grill top, a side burner, trash chute, shelves, sinks, electric outlets and refrigeration unit.

Concrete Countertops were the only solution but clearly only in the hands of artistic talent. If you notice the concrete was ground down exposing the aggregate with a natural stone edge. The countertops were fabricated with EnCounter Countertop mix with rubber edge forms. Then to achieved a natural Tuscan color Surfacing Solutions used LM Scoffield concrete acid stains. The finished product was sealed with Concrete Solutions acrylic urethane. “Absolutely Gorgeous” according to Shawn.

For artistic concrete solutions in the Chino Hills California area Shawn Halverson can be reached at 951-699-0035

We just finished the World of Concrete Convention in Vegas and now it’s time for for the next show. This years Concrete Countertop Industry Conference is held in conjunction with the Surface Fabrication and Design Expo in Orlando, Florida February 19-21.

Jeff Girard

Jeff Girard P.E. President of The Concrete Countertop Institute will be a featured speaker. Jeff will be speaking about new countertop mixes and sealers. I recently spoke with Jeff at length about sealers. Jeff is clearly an industry leader on this topic. Sealers are an issue when it comes to concrete countertops but Jeff through extensive R & D has figured out numerous functional and decorative solutions. The result of Jeffs research will be instumental in expanding this evolving growth market.

Most of the time they are crafting works of art out of concrete. Take note of the first one which is in the first aid room at the summit of th Arizona Snowbowl. Reports are that this is the highest altitude Concrete Countertop in existance.

Michael and Lynda have made furniture pieces like the beige one on the deck at the Arizona Snowbowl and othet unque custom pieces like tabletops, chairs and tile. Check out their web site at InCrete

First Aid Station Top of Arizona Snowbowl