Rethinking 混凝土: Mad for this Material

混凝土公司., a locally owned and operated artisan concrete company based in South Chatham, is changing the way we think about concrete. The studio specializes in concrete countertops, 汇, 家具, and decorative and architectural pieces for residential and commercial projects, harnessing the versatility of the material. 混凝土公司. 能做到这一切吗, 泡浴缸, fireplace surrounds and planters and even art reproductions and life castings.

混凝土公司. takes its projects to an art form. Their artisans use Glass Fiber Reinforced 混凝土 (GFRC) rather than the mix of concrete you would find at a big-box store. GFRC在10度下非常耐用,000-15,000 psi (pound-force per square inch), compared to a normal bag of Quikrete, 也就是5,000 psi. The firm has done multiple drop tests to confirm its strength, 所有这些都证明了这一点, even after repetitive drops onto the pavement, a ¾-inch thick concrete slab (the width of the average concrete countertop) will not break. 

十有八九, projects are precast—meaning they are completed in the Chatham shop and then delivered to the site. The process typically starts with a template made from ¼-inch wood strips. Then, the templates are taken back to the shop and forms are built around it. With a custom built form for each template, they normally cannot be reused for another cast. 下一个, the concrete goes into the form along with any material (like powders) that the project calls for. The cast of a project typically takes about a day to form from the mold. Because GFRC is polymer based, it does not require a 28-day cure like normal ready-mix concrete. 7天左右就能完全治愈, GFRC is taken from the mold the next day and “processed”, 包括清洁, 磨砂或抛光, 并填充气囊. Finally, GFRC sits for a few days before being sealed and delivered to the jobsite.

With such a refined craft, each piece is unique. 固化组合, processing and sealing makes the concrete surfaces long-lasting and sturdy, 除了引人注目之外. 混凝土公司. can offer virtually any color for their concrete, and match any Benjamin Moore color swatch. 自然, there will be some variances in the surface because of concrete’s inherent composition, but those imperfections are what make concrete perfect, 和可爱的. The studio can also embed a logo into a piece or do inlays, fiber optic lighting or even change colors by running hot or cold water over it.

As for durability, concrete should not crack or chip against everyday objects. Corners, however, can be vulnerable with rough impacts. Elements’ products are covered in a sealer that protects against scratching as well as a sealer that has been approved for food use. 混凝土 is easy to clean with light solvents (mild soap and water) and most stains are easily repaired. It also requires minimal maintenance; concrete surfaces should be resealed every few years.

混凝土公司. takes its motto—“Changing the Way You Perceive 混凝土”—to heart. Common misconceptions about concrete abound, including one that insists that the material is too heavy to hold up in most interior spaces. Standard cabinetry can indeed uphold 混凝土公司.’s custom high-quality offerings due to its composition, high quality and strength. Joren史密斯, 具体的工匠, 创始人兼总裁, and his craftspeople work with the imagination of architects, designers and clients to create one-of-a-kind custom projects; there is no limit to the shop's interior and exterior applications, 完成, 形状和功能.