White Concrete Dining Table?

How do you clean a white concrete dining table?

Caring for your concrete surface All of our pieces are hand polished and then sealed to the highest standard possible. Concrete is an extremely durable and practical material that’s easy to maintain. However, as with any porous stone, the sealant isn’t bullet proof.

1. Your Concrete furniture will of course naturally age gracefully and patina over time.
2. Below is our care and maintenance recommendations for you to follow.You certainly don’t need to be precious but a little common sense will go a long way! You can also download our care guide Liquid spills, including red wine, vinegar or anything acidic All of our tables are sealed with a high-grade, penetrative sealant which is food-grade safe upon curing and acts as a barrier against spills.

Having said that, we do recommend that anything acidic, particularly vinegar and lemon juice is wiped up within a reasonable time-frame otherwise it may etch through the sealant and leave a mark. If this does happen, we are always available to talk and help you address this – we have many tips and tricks! General day to day cleaning We recommend the use of a warm damp cloth.

You can also use mild detergent if you prefer, but it isn’t necessary. It is best to avoid cleaning with overly harsh chemical cleaners or with anything abrasive which can dull the surface. We also recommend against any vigorous scrubbing, as to do so could compromise the sealant. Concrete furniture when used for outdoors A concrete table or bbq bench is the perfect choice for your outdoor dining space as it will certainly withstand the elements.

We do however recommend not leaving any items like vases, candles or plant pots on the table for extended periods of time during heavy rain conditions. Rain water can pool underneath and leave a temporary mark. Provided it does not get contaminated with anything acidic it should fade over time (this can take up to 4 weeks).

Heavy items, vases, direct sunlight and centrepieces We recommend the use of felt pads, table runners or mats to sit under vases or other centrepiece arrangements to protect your concrete surface from both scratches and mild colour change that may occur over an extended period of time if exposed to direct sunlight.

Nobody ever intends on it but it’s best to avoid the risk of scratching the concrete if a heavy item does get dragged across your concrete surface and we suggest rotating your objects occasionally if exposed to direct sunlight. Cracks and chips along the edges Despite it’s strength and durability, concrete is not immune to small chips and breakages particularly on exposed edges, if impacted with hard objects.

If we’re making a table for you and you have chairs with arms then we would love as much detail as possible prior to finalising your order. This information allows us to customise your piece in both table height and concrete profile so as to suit your furniture. That’s the beauty of our custom design service! All of the above In a nut shell! Apply the principle, no matter what ‘Wipe as you go’.

use coasters, table runners and placemats. Don’t use your concrete furniture as a chopping board, avoid high impact knocks along the edges with hard objects and don’t go regularly crazy cleaning with harsh chemicals, and as tempting as it may be Strictly NO dancing on your table! 🙂 : Caring for your concrete surface

Will concrete dining table stain?

CLICK TO SHOP FOR OUTDOOR FURNITURE Concrete is, by nature, a porous material and therefore, susceptible to staining. In our concrete furniture, there is a sealant put in the concrete mix when our tables are manufactured to protect them against marks and minor stains.

With this sealant, your concrete will look great and natural for many occasions. Prolonged contact with overly acidic, heavily pigmented or alkali substances should be avoided. We recommend cleaning any spills as quickly as possible. We recommend that you avoid cutting or using hot pans directly on your table.

We caution against use of caustic acids to clean or resurface concrete furniture by Teak Warehouse. Such caustic acids have historically been used to clean pools, sidewalks or other porous, all concrete surfaces. These acids will etch the surface and change the structure of the concrete at the surface level.

For normal spills, a quick wipe up and gentle ” scrub” with a cotton cloth or similar, should be enough to clean. For stains, which contain dark colors or have been sitting longer than a normal spill, you can use a mild soap. If you prefer, you can use a standard mild household chlorine bleach, available in most retail stores, diluted to a weak mixture of about 1/4 bleach to 3/4 water. Use this mixture over the entire surface you wish to clean, to ensure even cleaning.

Please also note that fissures can appear on the surface due to age and/or exposure to the atmospheric conditions. These commonly do not impact durability. Do not compromise the structural integrity of tables by dragging, sitting, or standing on them. For customers residing in areas where temperatures drop below 0 degrees and/or who experience large amounts of snow & ice:

Re-seal your concrete at least once a year, preferably before the winter months. Cover concrete items during heavy snow/ice. Make sure the water-based sealer you use is manufactured specifically for stone or concrete. Cover all areas exposed to moisture.

Your concrete items can withstand the extreme elements when these precautions are taken. Click to Learn More about Lightweight Concrete Outdoor Furniture

Is concrete good for tables?

Concrete’s use as furniture is relatively new. Only a few decades ago, concrete furniture would have been laughable as a concept. But you look at modern houses nowadays and it won’t be at all a surprise to see households sport a stylish new concrete dining table.

As a whole, concrete’s versatility as a building material is unquestionable. Concrete has been used as early as 4,000 years ago in older civilizations like Rome and even the Mesopotamian empires. As such, its viability as a building material is time-tested and has been refined over the millennia. Its use in more intricate details however, such as interior design applications and furniture uses, is fairly new.

Its innovation in those aspects of space design started in the early part of the 1900s. Thomas Edison, interestingly enough, is known mostly for his development of the modern-day light bulb, but had a plethora of other groundbreaking innovations, concrete furniture being one of them.

He set up the Edison Portland Cement Company which would use different ore mining and milling technologies to create cement mixes suitable for use in house construction and masonry blocks. Some notable furniture that Edison made using concrete was the concrete phonograph cabinet, as well as other proposals for concrete furniture and musical instruments.

The various applications and the sheer versatility of concrete have produced many not-so-conventional uses for the material. Concrete can be used in furniture, yes, but also for sculptures and other artistic media. Centuries of refinement and development resulted in various effective concrete molding and setting methodologies.

• To really understand the characteristics of the material, let’s take a brief look at the basics of concrete.
• Concrete is generally made of two main parts: the cement and the aggregate.
• The cement, which functions as the main binder or “paste” of concrete, has a consistency, stability, and structural integrity that is dictated by the amount of water that is mixed into it.

The basic science behind it is that the cement paste has a very specific chemical reaction with water which causes it to crystallize and harden. When it comes to the water-cement ratio, the lower the amount of water in relation to the cement, the harder the cement.

• On the other hand, enough water should be added so that the cement is plastic and viscous enough to flow smoothly.
• The aggregate, which is qualified as either fine or coarse, are added to supplement the strength and stiffness of concrete.
• These are made from cleaned and consistently sized particles of rock.

Coarser aggregates can be made from up to 1-1/2 inch diameter gravel pieces, and finer aggregates are usually made of smaller sand particles, usually with diameters below ¼ inches. A third optional component is different admixtures that can be added to concrete slurry. Concrete countertops are done by hand, meticulously and precisely, so that different defects and imperfections can be avoided. As a material for countertops, concrete can both be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional and clean; this makes it suitable for any type of kitchen: large or small, formal or informal.

1. The designs and layouts of concrete countertops are also endless due to the very versatile and moldable nature of concrete.
2. Concrete countertops can also be used not just in residential kitchens, but also in commercial restaurants and office spaces.
3. With its viability as a heavy-duty kitchen countertop, concrete can also be effectively used as dining table surfaces.

The difference between countertops and tables is the movable nature of a table, as opposed to countertops which are fixed. As such, certain considerations have to be made when choosing to utilize a concrete dining table set. Overall, concrete’s use a viable workable surface – whether in the form of concrete countertops or concrete dining tables – is quite commonplace in the design industry today.

1. There’s just something about the rawness and honesty of concrete as a design material that just appeals to designers and homeowners alike.
2. As mentioned before, there are certain precaution that have to be taken into consideration when considering to purchase and use concrete furniture and dining tables.

Here are some select dos and don’ts when working with concrete furniture.1) Do take it slow When transitioning from regular wooden or upholstered furniture to concrete furniture and dining tables, you don’t want to go all out right away. Even with its amazingly popular look and aesthetics, concrete will still not appeal to every homeowner. 2) Don’t expect curves Although concrete molding technology has come a long way, it’s an undeniable fact that creating curvilinear volumes and forms with concrete isn’t nearly as easy as creating blocky, streamlined shapes. You’ll often find concrete furniture and concrete dining tables with very sleek lines and straight edges. 3) Do use them as accents When you’ve gotten the feel of using concrete furniture and see that you like the look and feel of them, try to be experimental and creative with their use. Concrete furniture, by their nature, are centers of attention and shrine brightest when used as bold, accent pieces. 4) Don’t expect perfection Concrete is well-know and well-loved for its raw, texture look and feel. As such, if you’re a fan of clean, sterile-looking surfaces, you shouldn’t expect to love the look of concrete. Granted, there are ways to make a concrete look and feel more “perfect”, you’d be better off with other materials if that’s the look you’re going for. 5) Do mix it up Contrast and complementary textures are great when using concrete furniture. With its almost rough and raw look, concrete dining tables look great next to warmer, smoother wood textures, or softer pastel block colors. Experiment with contrast and see how to really make your concrete furniture enhance the look of your rooms. Concrete dining tables come in many different shapes and sizes. It would be impossible to list all the variations within one list, but just to give you a general idea of how versatile concrete can be, here are some interesting examples of concrete dining tables. This example just goes to show how effective complementary and contrasting textures look together. The concrete and wood dining table was made by using concrete that was poured and molded alongside reclaimed slabs of wood. The grains and texture of the log perfectly fit with the smooth, gray surface of the concrete. When going with concrete dining tables, you’re going to want to go for more modern, more minimalist looks. This simple yet striking dining table has a solid, concrete top supported by an intricate framework made of solid wood underneath. For concrete dining tables, it’s never a good idea to produce monolithic pieces that are too large. Several transportation and installation issues will arise. In this particular example, the manufacturers created two separate halves and joined them together with a seam and a center piece at the middle of the table. You could very much also go for rounder forms when it comes to concrete. A concrete dining table round piece such as this one work well in fancy restaurant settings. You could even incorporate a fireplace centerpiece at the middle; concrete is a stable enough material to be able to take the heat from that. A concrete top dining table round set will also always be a nice accent piece to any room. Concrete dining tables, due to the nature of them being made from concrete, can also be used outdoors with little for you to worry about. Unlike wooden tabletops, concrete will not degrade or rot under extreme weather conditions. This concrete dining table outdoor set is a good use of outdoor concrete furniture.

Concrete has the unique ability of being incredibly versatile and flexible as a material while also being incredibly durable, long-lasting, and weather-resistant. As a building material primarily used in the exterior of building facades as both walls and roofs, and as the surfaces of exterior flooring, its ability to withstand any type of weather is unquestionable.

This is especially useful in four-season climates where drastic changes in temperature come in the form of extremely hot summers and absolutely frigid, snowy winters. A concrete top outdoor dining table is perfect for this type of climate. On that note, it’s definitely not an exaggeration to say that concrete furniture can suitably be used anywhere – whether it’s indoors or outdoors.

• There are a few key differences however, when considering whether to use concrete furniture and dining tables indoors or outdoors.
• First is surface treatment.
• In outdoor situations (and certain indoor situations like in the kitchen), surface finishes have to be applied to prevent water from seeping into the concrete.

If glossy surface treatments aren’t your thing, you could always opt to get concrete furniture with hydrophobic admixtures added into its mix. Secondly, you need to consider quality. Typically, quality, well-crafted furniture will be used indoors where its quality can be appreciated without being worn out by the harsh outdoor environments.

• It’s a matter of picking out which concrete furniture has an aesthetic that is worth keeping inside.
• Third, you shouldn’t forget about its intended use.
• From the get-go, most suppliers and manufacturers will include some kind of description or note about what the furniture’s intended use is.
• Just take a quick glance at that and see if it’s suitable for outdoor or indoor use.

For the most part, homeowners are going to be choosing to place their concrete dining tables indoors as accent pieces. With a piece as eye-catching as a concrete dining table, we can’t blame them. So, if you’re among those homeowners, here are some design considerations and useful tips with using concrete dining tables in interior spaces.1) Consider prices,

Don’t be too caught up in how the price tag looks when it comes to concrete dining tables. Concrete, by its very nature, is a very cost-effective material. So when you’re trying to decide between two concrete dining tables and the price point is the main difference, go for the cheaper one. There won’t be too much of a difference in quality.2) Be careful of scratches,

Especially in activity-heavy interior spaces, there will be more than enough opportunity for accidental scuff and dings. Concrete as a whole is pretty durable and can take large compressive forces pretty well, but it doesn’t fare too well against concentrated, sharp forces.

So either keep your sharp objects away from concrete or find concrete dining tables that are specifically engineered to withstand these types of blows.3) Take advantage of its texture, Concrete is famous for its rough, raw texture. That characteristic is one of its main selling points, in fact. As such, make sure the rest of the room complements this type of aesthetic.

Interior design themes that lean to the modern, industrial, mid-century modern look are perfect for concrete dining tables.4) Use them as accent pieces. Concrete furniture and concrete dining tables especially are very eye-catching pieces. As such, you’re going to want to use them as the main selling point of your dining room.

Be careful not to add too many bold statement pieces in any one room; you’ll run the risk of making the room feel stuffy or cluttered. As such, it’s a good tip to keep concrete dining tables in rooms that have more subdued furniture and décor. When you’ve decided you want a concrete dining table in your home and you’ve figured out the type of look you’re going for, the next step would be to find a place to purchase the right fit for your design vision.

Purchasing furniture can be a bit harrowing to some people, so let’s ease the burden a little bit by going through some considerations when shopping for concrete dining tables.1.) Consider going online. Although it’s always nice to get to actually see your furniture before you decide to purchase it, shopping in local furniture stores can only get you so far.

1. Going online gives you the freedom to choose from an infinitely larger variety of concrete dining tables and can give you an opportunity to really find that one furniture piece that would be perfect for you.
2. If you really want to personalize, you can even go the concrete dining table DIY route.2.) Choose what’s most convenient.

When it comes to customer service, ease of accessibility usually gives you a hint as to how well-managed a furniture supply store is. The better the easy of accessibility with the purchase, the better the chance that the store has good management and good quality products.

1. This is another good point for online shopping since you can do your browsing in the comfort of your home.3.) Compare, compare, compare.
2. Don’t just settle for the first concrete dining table you see.
3. Look through many options first before picking out your chosen piece.
4. Consider price points, quality, looks, and functionality.4.) Keep an eye out for return policies.

Concrete dining tables can be a bit more fragile than other types of dining tables, so it’s always useful to buy from a vendor that offers reasonable warranty terms and great return policies, just in case.5.) Check out reviews. There’s nothing better to speak about the quality of a product than the testimonies of actual users.

Look online for review posts on the concrete tables you’re eyeing to see if there are some details or future issues that you may have overlooked. When you’ve purchased and installed your concrete surface, your work is still not done. Like with any quality furniture and design centerpiece, regular maintenance is required.

Granted, concrete may not be as needy as some wooden materials or rust-heavy metals, but it still needs some love and care to last as long as it can. Concrete, as durable as it is, is still a porous (and therefore moisture-prone) material. With that comes the potentiality of getting stains and other discolorations.

1. So the first thing you need to make sure of when maintaining your concrete surfaces is checking out if a water-resistant surface finish has already been applied.
2. For most purchased surface, it usually already has a finish like that, but it’s always useful to double-check.
3. Another thing to consider is the types of activities you do on your concrete surfaces.

Avoid any sharp blows to the surface as some of these, if forceful enough, will leave dings and cracks on the concrete. Also try to avoid any extreme heat, like hot pots and pans, since doing so might cause discoloration, if not on the concrete, then perhaps on the top finish of the concrete.

Needless to say, you’ll want to keep acidic or volatile chemicals (like in some cleaning products) away from concrete. This holds true for most materials anyway, and even though concrete can withstand some heavy chemical punishment, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. When it comes to cleaning concrete surfaces, avoid using high-pressure washes too often.

These are good for very occasional washes, but in order to avoid any untimely deterioration of the surface, a good scrub with some soap and water will suffice. Using concrete countertops and concrete dining tables is a design trend that is quickly getting more popular in the design industry.

Why are concrete tables so expensive?

Are Concrete Countertops Expensive? Are concrete countertops expensive? If you think of them as a more affordable option to other stone countertops, you may be disappointed to find that concrete costs are comparable to stone. Why? Concrete requires as much fabrication as stone countertops.

Do white concrete tables stain?

2. Concrete countertops scratch & stain easily. – This is especially true for white concrete countertops! Cement is actually a pretty fragile surface that stains and cracks easily. It is also highly absorbent and must be sealed before you can use it in your kitchen.

How do you keep white concrete clean?

Pressure washing is one of the fastest, most effective ways to get your concrete white again. Concrete can change color over time due to pollen, algae, or dirt buildup, but a good pressure wash can easily remove dirt and stains and make your concrete look new again.

How do you get stains out of a white concrete table?

How to Bleach Out a Stain in Concrete – Stains (mustard, wine, etc.) can be bleached out using household bleach. If you are doing this on a sealed concrete surface, be sure to check first whether the sealer can withstand bleach. (Omega Concrete Countertop Sealer TM is completely impervious to bleach.)

1. Soak a folded paper towel or cotton ball with straight bleach and set it on the stain.
2. Cover with a plate, cup, or glass to keep the bleach from drying out.
3. Check the stain every 15 minutes until it’s disappeared.
4. Clean up with water and a mild cleaner like Windex.
5. Allow the area to completely dry out.

This simple process, while more complex than just spraying on and wiping off a household cleaner, is an easy way to restore the appearance of your concrete countertop. After the stain is removed, you may repair scratches in or reseal the concrete countertop according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of whatever sealer you have chosen.

Does concrete table scratch easily?

Functionality – 1. Concrete lasts a long time, potentially thousands of years, as Roman concrete structures have. Concrete can hold hundreds of pounds, resists scratches and gouges, and is highly heat and cold resistant. It will never warp, though it may develop hairline cracks that are non-structural and often enhance the beauty of the piece.

While corners and edges can chip, it generally takes a heavy object hitting the table or the table being dropped for that to happen. The Pantheon has stood for more than a thousand years.2. Great modern sealers make concrete very stain resistant. And even if it is stained, the stain will often go away after a while, especially if bleaching out in the sun (though many sealers also make concrete highly UV resistant so the sun won’t damage concrete or yellow the sealer).

Spending a few minutes waxing the table every few months with beeswax or concrete floor wax (not automotive wax) will further protect the sealer and extend the stain resistance for decades, and the table can be resealed after many years if needed. If you take care to not let acidic substances sit for extended periods of time, your table might not need to be resealed for decades.

• The sealer we use is a penetrating densifier, which means it hardens the surface and makes the concrete less porous so liquid can’t easily penetrate the surface.
• It will never flake off since it has changed the chemistry of the concrete itself, and does not affect the look of the concrete.3.
• Can be refinished and repaired more easily than some materials.

If a table does get a nasty stain or scratch that won’t come out, or just generally has been neglected for a long time, re-polishing the table can often revitalize the table. Chips can often be filled in and mostly or nearly completely repaired, with no experience with concrete required, just by grouting with matching cement (though it depends on what kinds of aggregates and cement used to get a complete match).

1. In the worst cases, color staining the whole table can make it feel brand new without completely covering up the beauty of cement, unlike how staining or painting gorgeous wood can often ruin what makes the table beautiful.
2. Existing color stains can be touched up or reapplied.
3. Other materials like glass and acrylic can be very difficult to refinish at all.4.

Our tables can easily go from indoor to out without need of a different sealer that changes the look of the concrete like often is the case with wood. Since UV, heat, moisture, cold, and freeze-thaw cycles have little effect on our concrete, you don’t have to worry about bringing in the concrete in extreme weather.

Nor will all but the toughest winds blow tables over.5. No off gassing of odors. Non-toxic and food safe. Easy to keep clean with just soap and water. No or negligible amounts of VOCs are emitted by concrete, and concrete won’t harbor dust like softer materials. And of course (just to pad this list) concrete is not flammable.6.

It’s really not that heavy. In fact, hollow concrete can enable shapes and sizes of tables that would be extremely heavy if made of wood or steel, and stronger than tables made of lighter materials like plastic or ceramic. GFRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete) techniques give concrete a nice solid weight that’s not back-breaking but feels very sturdy.7.

Concrete can be ecological since it lasts such a long time. Cement production is not the most ideal process, since it takes energy to heat the cement in kilns, but concrete tables (especially end tables) require relatively small amounts of material to create long-lasting, strong furniture. Also, since we replace about a quarter of the cement with a recycled product, that means even less of a footprint.

Other materials may take less initial energy input, but if it lasts much shorter then concrete, then concrete wins out. Concrete plays the long-term game of green.

What is concrete not good at?

Concrete to the sky – Long before Monier began experimenting with his plant containers, concrete was already known to be a useful material. The Romans built an empire with it. Opus Caementicium went into aqueducts, the Colosseum, a European network of roads spanning some 85,000 kilometres and, of course, the Pantheon in Rome, which is still the world’s largest dome made of non-reinforced concrete at 43 metres across. Concrete is a composite material made of 60-75% sand and gravel, 15-20% water and 10-15% binding agent – the crucial ingredient holding it all together. The Romans used a volcanic ash known as pozzolana, In modern concrete, that binding agent is called After Roman times, it was not until the 19th century that concrete came into widespread use. The compound known as Portland cement was invented in 1824 by a bricklayer named Joseph Aspdin. It’s a combination of sand, clay and lime (calcium oxide). It gets its name from its similarity to Portland stone, a type of limestone found on the island of Portland off the coast of England. Read more about cement here ” aria-expanded=”false” aria-controls=”contentitem-infocard-contents-aceb5ab7-6518-4912-968a-0a242f34feef”> “Portland cement”. Concrete has tremendous compressive strength but very low tensile strength. This makes it great for building the support pillars of a bridge, for example, but not the connecting elements between the pillars. Gravity would stress the spans to the breaking point, causing the concrete to crack. That’s why a Roman aqueduct has so many arches: they transfer the tensile forces on the span, transforming them into a compressive force on the pillars. In a modern bridge, this is unnecessary; with the addition of metal reinforcing elements (now made primarily of steel instead of iron), concrete can handle both compressive force and tensile force. This combination of qualities is what makes reinforced concrete an ideal building material. Still, there was a healthy degree of scepticism in 1903 when the first “skyscraper” constructed from reinforced concrete – the 16-storey Ingalls Building in Cincinnati, Ohio – went up. One year earlier, the building permit application for the Ingalls had been rejected; the building inspector found the design too experimental and had concerns about the building’s safety. Many were convinced that the building wouldn’t last a day after the construction supports were removed. The story goes that one reporter even camped out during construction, watching the building the whole night through, hoping to document the This story about the photographer appears in Robert Courland’s book Concrete Planet: The Strange and Fascinating Story of the World’s Most Common Man-Made Material. Newspaper articles of the time make the general scepticism clear, but I was unable to find any corroboration of the photographer and his overnight vigil. It may be merely, as one source calls it, “local lore”. Read more here ” aria-expanded=”false” aria-controls=”contentitem-infocard-contents-20f0185f-5f1b-4871-8140-daad2c13fdcf”> moment of collapse. But it didn’t collapse. When the building was topped out and the flag ceremoniously raised on it, The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote: “It is now assured that the building is a success.” It’s still standing to this day.

Can you paint over concrete table?

Take the paint roller or brush in your hand to apply primer on the concrete bench surface. Make sure to use smooth, even and thin brush/roller strokes. Use the concrete primer called block primer to fill the pores and uneven surface.

Does concrete crack with age?

4. Plastic Settlement – Plastic settlement is a common factor that leads to early age cracking. It occurs when solid particles in a concrete mixture settle under gravity and bleeding water and move upward. The downward movement of solid particles creates stress if the concrete is locally restrained from settling. Figure-3: Plastic Settlement of Newly Placed Concrete

Does all concrete eventually crack?

A concrete destiny. Given enough time, weather and wear, your concrete will eventually develop at least a hairline crack — or multiple cracks. There are many forces that lead to cracking, some of which can begin to appear only hours into the drying process.

• There’s an old saying that there are two kinds of concrete: concrete that will crack and concrete that is cracked.
• But why does it crack? How is it possible that the concrete that looks so stable and gorgeous in this backyard will certainly crack somewhere as the years go by? Forces such as soil upheaval, expansion and freeze-and-thaw cycles all guarantee that your perfect concrete patio won’t stay perfect forever.

But more immediate forces are most commonly responsible for the early, hairline cracks that can blight concrete slabs almost as soon as they’re poured. Shrinkage cracks. Hairline cracks are common and can’t be entirely avoided. The most common type is called a shrinkage crack, which materializes as the water evaporates from the concrete mix during hardening.

Moist concrete fills a defined space, but as it dries, water evaporates, and the resulting reduction in volume literally pulls the concrete apart. A hairline crack typically is not merely a surface crack, but runs through the slab. That said, it’s not usually a sign of a major problem. Hairline cracks are inevitable, unfortunately, but good contractors carefully monitor the water and mix ratio (too much water will increase the likelihood of shrinkage cracks), use synthetic-fiber additives to minimize cracks, and provide crucial control joints to accommodate unavoidable cracks.

Concrete floors and countertops. Interior concrete slabs have a propensity to crack just as exterior slabs do, and this is often listed as a disadvantage of exposed interior concrete surfaces. The good news is, interior floors are typically large and structurally designed, with more substantial reinforcement than an exterior patio.

Also, for concrete surfaces poured over an existing slab, the interior climate is often manageable, allowing installers to create perfect installation conditions. I’m sorry to say, even with these advantages, interior concrete still cracks. Control joints. In the slab shown here, the contractor has attempted to patch extensive hairline cracks of recently poured concrete.

Properly spaced control joints, grooved 1 inch deep into this section, would have alleviated the extent of visible cracking. Control joints are separations in the outer layer of the concrete (see the next photo for an example of well-spaced control joints), providing a weakened location across the visible plane where hairline shrinkage cracks occur but are not visible.

1. From the surface, you see the intentionally placed line (or joint), but not the crack itself.
2. Concrete installations in hot weather often develop more shrinkage cracks than those poured under more moderate weather conditions.
3. The reason is the quick drying caused by the heat, which requires more water mixed into the concrete during the pour.

The poured concrete fills a defined space, but as evaporation and hardening occur, the water disappears. If there was too much water in a soupy mix, the remaining matter is forced to fill excess volume, pulling the concrete apart. In short, too much water results in more shrinkage, which results in more hairline cracks.

Proper control joints (the lines you can see on the surface of concrete slabs) and the use of synthetic fibers and sufficient rebar all help control cracking. It’s difficult to provide hard and fast rules on slab thickness or the amount of metal support needed. In some cases, as with structural slabs for home foundation systems and some driveways, all details for sub-grade rebar installation and slab thickness will be carefully determined by a structural engineer.

Driveways that bear heavy loads require thicker slabs and more reinforcement than, say, a backyard dining patio, where a 4-inch slab with minimal rebar (24-inch spacing or wire mesh) may be sufficient. Expansion cracks. The new slab shown here was made with extensive control joints (the lines dividing the surface of the slab into sections, typically cut 1 inch deep).

They provide a natural place for the concrete to crack beneath the surface, keeping the top from looking unsightly. The slab also uses an expansion joint between the concrete slab and bricks on the left, providing a space (the line separating the brick and concrete) where the materials can expand during hot weather.

The expansion joint runs the entire depth of the slab, providing total separation between the two materials. Hot summers cause slab expansion even in mature slabs, and without a proper expansion joint where the forces of two static objects (like bricks and a concrete slab) meet, the force of the expansion can cause substantial cracking over time.

This expansion joint on the left is filled with a flexible, compressible material such as an expansive foam, fiber or asphalt mixture. Heaving and subsidence. Tree roots, freeze-and-thaw cycles and other forces of differential soil movement are unavoidable causes of concrete cracks. Substantial steel reinforcement and proper sub-grade preparation can alleviate major cracks early in a slab’s life.

Making sure not to install a slab too near mature trees (20 feet is a good rule of thumb, but the fact is, some root types can extend as much as 40 feet from a tree) and not planting new trees closer than 20 feet from concrete can help reduce the effect of thrusting roots.

• There’s a reason concrete always cracks eventually, and it’s not that subcontractors don’t know what they’re doing.
• Unfortunately the forces of time are insuppressible, and eventually they win.
• Uncertainty.
• In some cases, there’s no precisely verifiable cause of a crack.
• The cracking seen here was likely caused by upheaval, but it might also be related to expansion and freeze-and-thaw cycles.

If you live in Florida, your cracked concrete probably wasn’t caused by freeze-thaw cycles. But Florida has unstable soil, causing subsidence issues, so there are differences in slab requirements resulting from different geographical climates. An experienced professional in your area will know the proper techniques to use to minimize cracks.

Is concrete table easy to clean?

Cleaning Concrete Furniture – Cleaning concrete furniture may seem like a very trivial task that does not require specific products, tools or skill. It’s true that you can clean concrete furniture with a number of tools. Soap and water or a pressure washer may get the surface of the furniture clean.

How heavy is a concrete dining table?

So you’re interested in buying a concrete table but want to find out a little more about them before moving forward? We can help! Let’s answer some of your questions. Are concrete tables durable? Short answer: Yes! Concrete is, after all, concrete; it’s a pretty tough surface that can a handle a lot of wear and tear. Our concrete tables are made from a special mix called Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) that is even tougher than the regular concrete you find on your driveway, sidewalk, or street.

Our mix includes small fibers that are added into the cement just before we pour it out into a mold. These fibers are dispersed throughout the mix and create additional reinforcement. Think of them as tiny ropes running in every direction inside the finished table top. When you try to bend the concrete all the ropes tighten up and prevent it from cracking.

It’s kind of like how wood is made up of individual fibers that help it bend instead of breaking. As these fibers make the concrete stronger, we can then make it thinner and still have the same strength of a much thicker piece of regular concrete. This helps keep the weight down. Will it look good in my space? Absolutely. We can make your concrete table to be exactly what you want. We have many different sizes from small such as coffee table and end tables to dining room table size to even conference tables that are much larger.

Do you want a razor thin 1/2″ thick table top? Or maybe a statement piece with a massive 6″ tall edge? Talking about edges, we can do a simple, yet elegant straight up and down, a more eclectic angled edge, or a rustic, chipped stone edge. Looking for something more ornate? We offer bullnose, wedge, French cove and even ogee.

With concrete, if we can mold it, we can pour it. Colors? Yes, look below for what are available. Lastly, what type of finish would you like for your table top? You can go with either a natural, low key matte finish or make it pop with a high gloss clear finish. What colors are available? Glad you asked. The most popular colors for concrete tables by far are grays. We use an integral powdered pigment that is added to the mix to create the colors. We offer light gray, natural gray, and dark gray. The next popular color is black, followed by white.

However, the white is not “paper white” it’s more of an off-white. We also offer various shades of red, browns, and greens. Here is a link to our CONCRETE COUNTERTOP COLOR GUIDE that has our color library. If you are looking to dial it up a little, we can also stain the table tops. Staining creates a translucent color that has much more mottling and variegation all over the table top.

How much do they cost? We have pricing for the concrete table top itself and then for the base. You can find the pricing for the table top by using our CONCRETE TABLE TOP ESTIMATOR, We can install the table top on a base you provide or you can select from some of the bases we provide. How soon can I get one? If you just want the table top, our normal lead time is about two to three weeks. If you want the entire concrete table including the base we are running closer to about four to six weeks for delivery. At the moment we are only delivering in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. We can ship nationwide but only if you arrange for all of the shipping details. We are here to answer any of your questions regarding concrete tables. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Thanks.

What is the disadvantage of concrete?

Compared to other binding materials, the tensile strength of concrete is relatively low. Concrete is less ductile. The weight of concrete is high compared to its strength.

Jordan McKenzie