• Is Concrete Right For You?

    We often get asked how our concrete compares in price to granite or quartz or acrylic (Corian, Staron, Tristone etc.) The answer is much the same all told. However, that particular question always makes our ears prick up. If our client is talking about concrete in the same breath as granite, quartz, acrylic etc. it usually means they are under the impression that they are from the same fold. They’re not. Concrete is different. Why? Granite, quartz, acrylic etc. are all different but all variations on a theme. In essence they're all perfect. They are either manufactured or processed in such a way that allows the edges to be perfect. Any bevels run straight and true or match the curve exactly. Each section will undoubtedly be of uniform thickness across its entirety. Beginning to get the idea?

    “Concrete is Different.”

    They are all stain-resistant, heat-resistant, non-porous and in the case of quartz and acrylic have decades of development carried out by the likes of Dupont and Samsung to name a few. The manufacturers of course are far more humble when they talk of their products in terms of maintenance, but in practice, 5 years down the line after countless spillages they perform really well. And so to concrete and more specifically our concrete. All of the concrete products we manufacture are made using our own hands. It's alway bespoke. We use small portable powertools like mixers, polishers etc. but we don't have equipment capable of reproducing on an industrial scale. Our concrete is an honest reflection of who we are, crafted by hand. We work to within tolerances of a millimetre or so, we don't, cannot and don't want to use equipment that will take a lump of stone/concrete/acrylic out your hands and machine it to one thousandth of a mill. That's not who we are.

    "Our concrete is an honest reflection of who we are"

    When you take delivery of one of our counters, our tables, our benches etc., it then becomes a reflection of you. It will change with age and use. It will change depending on how you use it, how much care you take of it. Concrete is more akin to oak than granite. When you split a piece of oak in two, each half is different despite it coming from the same tree. When we make two pieces of concrete side-by-side each piece will have its own subtle variations in colour, texture and flaws. No two pieces are the same. No two concrete mixes are the same. We seal our concrete using the best sealer available to us. It will leave our workshop able to fend off wine, vinegar, sauce and more, for a good period of time. BUT, unlike granite, like oak, it will stain eventually if left.

    "Concrete is more akin to oak than granite."

    We will of course provide you with a maintenance pack and care instructions. We like to use natural products which are easy to apply and enhance the natural patina of the concrete, including the marks and blemishes it picks up along the way. Once applied our Carrot Wax nourishes the concrete as any wax does to an old oak table. Look after your concrete - maintain it, enjoy it, embrace it for what it is. It's not made by machines. It's handcrafted honestly and earnestly.

Carrotgram

Have a peek at our Instagram pics to see what we get up to.....