Concrete Countertops on a Boat ?

[Mark1977]

I used 1/2 ply and ''Stone effects'' for steps and driveways. Looks great, lite weight and you can put hot pots and such on it.

[atoll]

concrete flower pots for the cockpit as well?

[hellosailor]

I think I'd go with air-entrained concrete with fibers in it to prevent cracking. But...heavy objects high up are generally a bad thing if you plan to go out of the harbor. There are supposed to be some special lightweight "quartz" composites or Corian type materials for the marine trade now, emphasis on getting the weight out.

[tri-man]

I have been reading the various posts concerning concrete tops for boats. I am currently a professional concrete counter top manufacturer. ( soon to be full time cruiser). We have won many national awards for our tops and sinks, our web site is hollowrockdesigns.com We have developed a concrete overlay that would work good on boats, its thin 1/2" thick crack resistant and very hard. This concrete system chemically and mechanically adheres to any surface and it weighs less than 6lbs per sq ft. We are currently outfitting and old Ed Hortsman 48ft trimaran and we will be installing this system in parts of our boat. If cruisers would like more information we will be putting together a DVD this Spring. Let us know your contact info.

[Ann72]

As we all know, if you have countertops in unusual shapes, concrete may be a good choice, as they're often cast right in your kitchen. The high price tag may be beyond most people's budget. Other reasons I like most about concrete countertop are due to its heat and scratch resistant. It can be color-tinted, looks exotic and unusual and new treatments eliminate cracking. Additives reduce porosity and new finishes are more decorative. Yes, cracking is possible so that's one thing you have to think of.

Why not try plastic laminate countertops? Modernize your yacht by replacing those tired looking plastic laminate countertops with Wilsonart Gibraltar Solid Surface material. Solid Surface products were recently compared to various modern countertop materials such as granite, plastic laminate and other man made stone products. In strict laboratory testing for optimal sanitary friendly surfaces, Solid Surface products proved superior to all other materials. This has the effect of making the countertop look thick like real stone. Hinges and pneumatic assist lifts on those heavy refrigerator/freezer tops keeps them in place in rough seas. A custom fabricated backsplash completes your new countertop installation.

[witzgall]

Anne, This sounds like an ad for Wilsonart. Do you work for them, or represent their products?

Chris

Originally Posted by Ann72

As we all know, if you have countertops in unusual shapes, concrete may be a good choice, as they're often cast right in your kitchen. The high price tag may be beyond most people's budget. Other reasons I like most about concrete countertop are due to its heat and scratch resistant. It can be color-tinted, looks exotic and unusual and new treatments eliminate cracking. Additives reduce porosity and new finishes are more decorative. Yes, cracking is possible so that's one thing you have to think of.

Why not try plastic laminate countertops? Modernize your yacht by replacing those tired looking plastic laminate countertops with Wilsonart Gibraltar Solid Surface material. Solid Surface products were recently compared to various modern countertop materials such as granite, plastic laminate and other man made stone products. In strict laboratory testing for optimal sanitary friendly surfaces, Solid Surface products proved superior to all other materials. This has the effect of making the countertop look thick like real stone. Hinges and pneumatic assist lifts on those heavy refrigerator/freezer tops keeps them in place in rough seas. A custom fabricated backsplash completes your new countertop installation.

[GordMay]

Take a look at Tri-Man’s website at hollowrockdesigns.
Hollow Rock Designs has experience fabricating beutiful concrete countertops, tables, sinks, vessels, fireplace surrounds, mantels, tubs, water features and hearths.
➥ + + + Hollow Rock Designs + + +

[osirissail]

Any material you intend to use in a boat has to be able to withstand considerable flexing; shock loads; and have compatible coefficient of expansion and contraction. This is what makes most "land" household products incompatible with boats.
- - Boats flex like crazy in a seaway. Both twisting and bending are major problems for anything that is not inherently "flexible". Take a crane and lift your house and kitchen 14 feet into the air and drop it. If the kitchen counter survives maybe you can use it in a boat. Falling off a short period wave literally puts your boat into free-fall and the shock load when it contacts the bottom of the wave trough is teeth jarring.
- - Coefficient of expansion/contraction is very important as the boat travels from cold to hot climates and heats in the daytime and cools at night. If you look at your plastic windows/ports you will see considerable space allowed for the expansion/contraction of the plastic sheeting.
- - What this means in real life is that using anything inherently rigid doesn't work unless the overall size is rather small. Even larger expanses of "cultured marble" which is merely colored epoxy need to be bedded in a thick layer of silicon to allow for the different degrees of flexing between the plywood/wood/metal undersurface and the cultured marble. It becomes a challenging engineering exercise to use any such "inflexible' material in a boat.

[redhead78]

I am in process of doing my ct. I used 1/2" Azek sheet. Some ss edge,and splash. I glued it over the old mica top. Price is on lower side, I am throwing money at this beast from every angle,so I am trying to keep this project from getting out of hand. Its looking pretty good here are some pics.

[redhead78]

here are the pics I hope.....Red

[delmarrey]

My question is; how well will this stuff hold up to scratches and an occasional hot pan?

[osirissail]

According to their data sheet Azek is "Free foam cellular pvc material with a small-cell microstructure and density of .55 grams/cm3." So it should be fine as far as flex and shock loading is concerned. But Delmarrey's concern about surface hardness is quite valid. Even Corian and cultured marble (epoxy) suffers from knife cuts, sharp corners of dropped objects and impact chipping from breaking ice cubes, etc.

[redhead78]

I usa Azek for exterior and interior trim in all temps. AS far as break or crack, the fact that its laminated to the old makes it as strong as wood. If you work at it you will be able to mar the surface.Its white and does not show marks. AS far as a hot pot, for the number of times this may occur, I also made a piece for cutting and pots that lives over the sinks. Another thing look close at the pics after all the cutouts, there is not a whole lot of surface to damage. Red

[hellosailor]

So this is not the Azek "plastic wood" fake lumber that is used as a decking material. Or is that the same material with wood grain and color added to it?

[redhead78]

Yes, it is actually a composite lumber we use on exterior trimming as it is impervious to water or rot. It comes in nominal width lumber sizes, 1x4",6,8,10,and 12", also 5/4"x 4,6,8,10, and 12"x 18' lengths. Also comes in 4'x8 or10' sheets,1/4, --1/2--3/4--or 1" widths. One side has a woodgrain texture, other side is smooth...Red