SurfaceFabrication.com |

This finish is one of the few that separates the application method from the appearance. Application to the concrete can be with a roller, a brush or anything else that puts down a fairly even film of sealer. The sealer will remain tacky until it is cured with a special UV light. The curing process takes only a few seconds. Then the finish is hard enough to be sanded and processed the same way acrylic solid surface is. Once leveled and smoothed (often with a 150-grit sandpaper), the same sanding discs are used to refine the sheen. Field repairs can be performed in minutes, and the repaired countertop looks just like new.

The greatest advantage this finish brings is that solid surface fabricators already have the knowledge, experience and tooling to finish concrete countertops to the quality level sought after by today’s savvy customer.

Each of these three advances can elevate the concrete countertop industry to new levels, but I believe the greatest contribution is to combine all three. GFRC countertops made with CSA cements and sealed with a UV-cured finish makes quick turnaround of high-quality concrete countertops possible for the first time ever. These advances finally make concrete countertops a viable surfacing option poised to take the market by storm.

About The Author: Jeffrey Girard is the founder and president of The Concrete Countertop Institute. He worked with concrete countertops since 1998 and has more than 14 years of experience with cutting-edge civil engineering. For more information visit www.ConcreteCountertopInstitute.com.