News — houserenovation

When I first imagined installing a concrete worktop in the kitchen, I assumed that it would be a simple-to-create, resilient and low-cost option

So hard wearing! So utilitarian. Turns out I’d been fooled – concrete might be a bog-standard ingredient in the building industry, but it’s a prima donna when you want to turn it into a countertop. I quickly discover that the primary ballast mix can be bought cheaply enough but that getting something that looks good is anything but straightforward. There is almost limitless online guides to what type of concrete you can use for different effects, the methods of pouring, how you make shuttering to hold it in place when it is wet and how to reinforce it. It’s information...