Concrete is being increasingly used these days to make kitchen and/or bathroom countertops. Concrete being durable, not to mention, easy to use and clean, finds its place in many areas of a home, right from floors to fireplaces to countertops. In case you are planning to have a concrete countertop, it is essential for you to know concrete countertops pros and cons before installing it.

If you have an unusual shape or style counter area, concrete can be molded into any shape you desire and consequently, is considered as wonderful for countertops. Apart from this, there are other concrete countertops pros and cons that you may want to consider before making such a – pardon the pun- concrete commitment.

The PROS!
The biggest advantage of concrete countertops is that it is resilient or long lasting. You will not have to bother about it once it is installed. As concrete can be molded into different shapes, you can even make an angular countertop of concrete. This will give you much more flexibility to be creative in style to match your kitchen and your personality.

Concrete countertops are more resistant to heat, scratch and stains as compared to countertops of other materials. You can easily place hot pots and pans on a concrete countertop without causing any damage to it. You know how those little hot spots cause little bubbles on your tops? Well, not with concrete.

Concrete countertops are available in different dyes and stains and hence they can be as bold as you desire. A friend of mine a few years ago wanted to do something extreme to add boldness and to reflect her style- I suggested colored bottles broken and mixed in to give it a unique look. She did it and not only did it look fantastic, but it was a conversation piece! Cleaning concrete counter tops is also very easy. All you need to do is to wash it with soap and rinse with water. Concrete counter tops are not affected by decay.

Along with these advantages, however, there are also some drawbacks of concrete counter tops. Here are a few of them.

The CONS of Concrete
The biggest drawback of concrete countertops is that installing them is expensive. Trying to do it yourself- well, unless you have done it previously, I would not suggest taking on such a task. There are times when you got to know when you can do something on your own and when to pay for it. This is one of those times I don’t mind writing a check.

Concrete countertops work best only when they are properly sealed. As they are porous, they can be damaged or stained if not sealed properly. Although concrete countertops look decorative and attractive, some people find it industrial and not suitable to the ultra-modern type of kitchen. It’s all a matter of personal taste.

Now that you have been given some insight to the pros and cons of concrete counter tops, you can decide whether they are suitable for your kitchen or not. Looking at the quotient of pros to cons, you may realize that concrete countertops are really worth it.