Concrete countertops are the pour man's answer to granite. It's not the perfect counter top material, but if you supply your own labor, you can end up with a high end look for under $300.
Construction Details: Each countertop is 2" thick. The green dye is mixed in with the sack mix concrete. I add enough additional Porland cement to bring the mix up to a 7 or 8 sack mix. The counters are reinforced with 3/8" rebar in a 6"x6" grid pattern. I add fiber to the first batch of concrete I mix and pack that into the forms keeping it a few inches from the edges and at least a half inch from the surface. The second batch of concrete I mix contains no fiber so I can get a smoother surface.
Finishing Details: I made 3 2'x2' test pieces before I settled on a finish I liked. First I hard trowel the surface when I pour the counters. Once the concrete has cured, I sand the surface with belt sander using 80 grit paper until I have just exposed the aggragate fines. I then polish it up a bit with 80 grit on an random orbital sander and then 120 grit on the same sander. After 28 days the counters will get a two part urethane food safe finshing. The finished product looks like green granite.
2.14: I poured 2 of the 7 concrete countertops. The kitchen counters will be assembled in 5 pieces, plus one more for the bar. The other counter top goes on the master bathroom vanity. The on on the left goes in the master bathroom, the other one goes under Glenda's newly refinished Youngstown kitchen sink in the kitchen.
2:18 Here's two pictures of the third and fourth forms used.
3.8: More pics:
3.15: The counter tops are sealed with three coats of a two part water-based epoxy. It's USDA approved. Nice stuff.