I guess no one here has a good answer for your question. You do know that for the best strength, concrete must be *slo-o-o-wly* cured? Otherwise, I suspect you may be looking for one of the polyurethane finishes since they are good for countertops. You will probably get the best answer by asking the concrete manufacturer and/or polyurethane manufacturers. Also, Go on the 'net and google - DIY concrete countertops -lots and lots of info out there including some forum types.

Hello, Have you searched for feedback on concrete countertops? There was a great one on here that definitely turned me off. I don't like how porous it is, the staining, etc. But I'm a lover of stainless steel which is what I am planning on for my kitchen. One of my friend's sister put in concrete w/out knowing how it is and is now very upset with how it's so easy to stain and she just hates it. Just a head's up. Amanda

Thanks for your responses :) hpny2.. Thanks for the up vote on the oak cabinets. I decided that as soon as I went white that the trend would change and I would wish I hadn't. They go well with the rest of the house & I'm happy with them. I'm also glad to hear you still like laminate. One reason they appeal to me is their durability. I can in the summer and don't want to have to worry when I spill some tomato juice on the counter. Because of the way laminate counters are made, with the particle board under the surface, if you mount a sink undercount or surface mount it will very likely be damaged with the first bit of moisture that eventually gets through any caulk along the sides. There are very few top mounted, or drop in, farm sinks available. I did find a few more online but for their price I would probably be better off with a solid surface countertop. We were able to find a couple of samples of the 180fx in town today & my husband was with me .. I was glad he got to see how different the sample piece looks than a full counter as it really makes a difference in what you think of them. We found a display with a small bit of the golden mascarella and thought we liked that but managed to get large printed samples of that and the antique and I think we will have to wait to get the drink station cabinets to see which color works best with it. May flowers.. I didn't know they made frameless counters. I will have to look into them, but I doubt we will spend the $$. I have a vision of making a pocket door for the kitchen aid since the garage is on the wall behind the stove. With a door and a cabinet behind it, I could have hubby build me a drawer on wheels to pull it out when I want to use it. With the metal backsplash, I might even be able to hide it pretty well. Part of my clutter on the counter is because I just bought a new set of bakeware that needs to find a permanent home :) -------- Lowes had one of the options for the drop in laminate farm house sink made by Kohler. It's a little more modern looking than I had envisioned, & stainless, but Hubby seems to think that w/our drink station being a little more modern that it wouldn't hurt if the sink boring a touch of that in too. I have to admit that I'm a little bummed that we are leaning away from concrete. Hubby is mostly concerned about the weight of it on the floor than our ability. I was looking forward to getting all crafty/creative. Oh well, we have another kitchen we will eventually be doing for a rental that is on a concrete slab foundation and that might have to be my chance to play with that idea.

I've had concrete counters for 20 years in two houses. Love them. I don't coat mine in plastic. I wax them. How much they stain depends on how diligently you care for them. I'm not diligent and mine do have all sorts of marks. I love it. It's like a patina and looks more like stone all the time with the years of use. Mine are "natural" with no colour added We poured them ourselves. No issues and cost under $150. Plan on same in next and forever house.