Outdoor countertop material?

[ErVikingo]

Looking for feedback/ideas on a durable countertop for an outdoor countertop (for a kitchen/bar).

It will be exposed to direct sunlight at least 4hrs per day. (and torrential rains every afternoon in the summer months). Current natural stone cracked.

Thoughts?

[Zeke]

Concrete comes to mind first. Then granite as a close 2nd.

[911 Rod]

Stainless steel?

[Eric Hahl]

I picked up a bunch of (free) broken granite fragments and built a puzzle like outdoor countertop. It looked pretty good.

[look 171]

Granite or quartz delaminate at the epoxy joint over time. It doesn't like the constant expansion contraction. Usually at the edge where they glue it to make it 1.5 thick from a standard 3/4" material

We found if you decided to use a quartz or granite, do not have a double bull nose edging, just 3/4 thick and you will have no issue. I vote for concrete, but concrete will show hairline cracks and it does not like super hot pots sitting on it due to seal or finish coat.

[ErVikingo]

Thanks for the feedback!

Current top cracked as described by @look 171

I like the idea of concrete, guess we will have to live with the cracks.

Stainless would get scorching hot.

Eric Hahl I like it!

[Tidybuoy]

I did my kitchen countertops in concrete and used the company "Concrete Countertop Soultions". This was a pour in place system that uses edge framing that creates a thick looking slab but only the edges are 3" and the primary slab is 1.5". After pouring and the concrete is set, the edges snap off.

Once the concrete was cured, I stained with a black dye and the finished with an epoxy sealer.

When I build a backyard bar, I will use this same solution. I recommend looking them up on the net as they have numerous videos. Below are a few picks of my project which I did by myself and did not need any help, although that would have been a bonus:

[wilnj]

Originally Posted by ErVikingo

Thanks for the feedback!

Current top cracked as described by @look 171

I like the idea of concrete, guess we will have to live with the cracks.

Stainless would get scorching hot.

Eric Hahl I like it!

Soapstone is another choice, you’ll typically see it oiled which gives it a deep black color but unoiled it’s like grey concrete.

[ErVikingo]

I like that concrete countertop!

We looked into Soapstone but couldn't get a willing contractor around here.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by ErVikingo

I like that concrete countertop!

We looked into Soapstone but couldn't get a willing contractor around here.

Soap stone is soft and can be worked with wood working carbide tools. Soap stone isn't a real popular choice due to influx of cheap granite so there's aren't too many that like to deal with something they aren't used to. Any stone top fabricator should be able to do it with ease and scratches can be sanded out with ease or polished

[masraum]

Originally Posted by wilnj

Soapstone is another choice, you’ll typically see it oiled which gives it a deep black color but unoiled it’s like grey concrete.

Originally Posted by look 171

Soap stone is soft and can be worked with wood working carbide tools. Soap stone isn't a real popular choice due to influx of cheap granite so there's aren't too many that like to deal with something they aren't used to. Any stone top fabricator should be able to do it with ease and scratches can be sanded out with ease or polished

Soapstone is cool, but from what I understand, it scratches relatively easy which is part of the charm as it develops a patina. I also think it's kind of pricey unless you live near the source. We looked into it for our counters in the house.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

I did my kitchen countertops in concrete and used the company "Concrete Countertop Soultions". This was a pour in place system that uses edge framing that creates a thick looking slab but only the edges are 3" and the primary slab is 1.5". After pouring and the concrete is set, the edges snap off.

Once the concrete was cured, I stained with a black dye and the finished with an epoxy sealer.

When I build a backyard bar, I will use this same solution. I recommend looking them up on the net as they have numerous videos. Below are a few picks of my project which I did by myself and did not need any help, although that would have been a bonus:

Cool. Looks great! I wonder about dying/staining the cement pre-pour. I'm sure that'd add to cost, but seems like it would be nice to have the color go all of the way through.

[wilnj]

I had zero experience with stone fabrication and installation and did it myself. 22 years later, I’d do it again.

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by masraum

Cool. Looks great! I wonder about dying/staining the cement pre-pour. I'm sure that'd add to cost, but seems like it would be nice to have the color go all of the way through.

I added a dye powder to the concrete mix and that gave it a dark gray color. I was shooting for black but the powder did not color dark enough so I used a concrete stain after that. It's really hard to judge the amount of dye that you need as 3 scoops made it look pure black, until it dried.

Watching the many videos on "concrete countertop solutions" website, they do a variety of coloring to create "veining". However, I tried and was unsuccessful at getting a look that looked natural - therefore, I covered the whole think up with the black dye.

One thing I would do differently is to dye the concrete and then give it a light sanding to cause some of the aggregate to sparkle. I may still do that some day when I get the energy.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by wilnj

I had zero experience with stone fabrication and installation and did it myself. 22 years later, I’d do it again.

Good to hear!

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

I added a dye powder to the concrete mix and that gave it a dark gray color. I was shooting for black but the powder did not color dark enough so I used a concrete stain after that. It's really hard to judge the amount of dye that you need as 3 scoops made it look pure black, until it dried.

Watching the many videos on "concrete countertop solutions" website, they do a variety of coloring to create "veining". However, I tried and was unsuccessful at getting a look that looked natural - therefore, I covered the whole think up with the black dye.

One thing I would do differently is to dye the concrete and then give it a light sanding to cause some of the aggregate to sparkle. I may still do that some day when I get the energy.

Ah, OK. Yeah, natural looking veining is hard to do, ever for mass produced stuff. We looked at "quartz" that was supposed to look natural, and none of it did.

The first thing that I thought of when I read the first post was "concrete". I would think it should be fine in FL. I wonder how it would do outside someplace that gets lots of freezing temps.

[wilnj]

This is where I bought mine.

https://www.soapstones.com/

They have another showroom in FL i believe and they do ship.

[ErVikingo]

Originally Posted by wilnj

This is where I bought mine.

https://www.soapstones.com/

They have another showroom in FL i believe and they do ship.

[LWJ]

I have wanted a natural copper counter for a while. Yes, it Will oxidize. But it would be so very cool.

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by LWJ

I have wanted a natural copper counter for a while. Yes, it Will oxidize. But it would be so very cool.

How bout something like this:

[look 171]

Steve, look at honed Black absolute granite. It isn't shiny due to no polish. It was really popular about 15-20 years ago around here. I have it in my master bath downstairs only that is is polished. Not too bad.