Thinking of giving your old worn-out countertops a makeover? You can have brand-new concrete countertops at a fraction of the cost of granite with a very cool concrete look that can be painted to complement any color scheme you can dream up. In this article, we will cover some of the problems you may face when updating your kitchen.
Problem: Homes in this area are older, with outdated countertops
Problem: Cabinets in these older homes may not support the weight of granite
Problem: You may not be comfortable with the idea of do-it-yourself tiling
Problem: Countertop replacement can be very expensive and messy
Homes in this area have typically been around for a while, which means countertops are dated. Formica, or even tile countertops done 20 years ago can have an extreme impact on the beauty and the value of your home. Nothing dates a kitchen like old countertops, even if you have painted everything and installed all new appliances.
Old tile can be outdated in color, texture, even the grout can show signs of age, and can be full of nasty kitchen leftovers you weren’t intending to keep! Formica, while inexpensive, isn’t very durable, and doesn’t stand up to the test of time. Granite, while it looks beautiful and is durable, does not pass the budget test, typically, as it is very expensive to buy. There are even more expensive countertops than granite, but suffice it to say, there are not very many options that are durable, modern, customizable AND inexpensive compared to the alternatives.
Additional considerations should be made when thinking of your options. One client had an old, brown tile countertop with wide, brown grout lines, which dated her kitchen, and had several tiles missing, as it was the original tile in the home, built in 1984. She had a quote for a granite replacement, at a cost of more than $7,500. She had already had a new island installed, and the granite for the island cost her $4,550, just for the granite!
She was also warned that the installation and weight of the granite on the rest of her existing kitchen cabinets could actually collapse the cabinets, as they were made of particle board, which have a “shelf life” of seven years. Since the house was 26 years old, the cabinets would require replacement to accommodate the new granite, which can actually crack, break and collapse on such cabinets. Now, she was faced with not only the cost of the granite, but another $15,000 to replace her cabinets. Demolition of the current countertops (without replacing the cabinets) would’ve been another expense to the contractor. Her specific problems:
Problem 1: Old, broken tile countertop dated the house and made the kitchen appear dirty, even when clean.
Problem 2: Cabinets were not sturdy enough to hold the weight of granite.
Problem 3: She did not have the budget to replace the cabinets or even buy the expensive granite.
Solution: A concrete overlay can be applied to your countertop, right over your existing countertop. There is no demolition required. For instance, an overlay can be applied over existing tiles, formica, or whatever material your current countertop is made of. No demolition and nothing needs to be hauled away.
For this client, a concrete overlay was applied to her countertops, and was thin enough that it didn’t create a support problem for the cabinets. A paint finish was applied to match her paint colors and her new granite island. The cost of the entire custom counter makeover was $1,600, a fraction of the cost of her previously desired granite.
If you are thinking about new countertops, don’t make a decision until you see how a concrete overlay can help with structure, budget and color matching problems, another problem with granite slabs. Contact us today to see how concrete can modernize your kitchen and increase the value of your house at a fraction of the cost. Call us at 530-277-4348 to make an appointment.
