Are KOBASTONE Counters Heavy since they are made of Concrete?

When people think of "Concrete Countertops" they think of the 2" thick slab that cracks easily and is extremely heavy. Although our counters do contain concrete, there are other materials used as well, so there is no need to reinforce your floors or cabinets to accomodate heavy counters. The weight of our counters are comparable to formica counters. Also, the concrete we use has flexural strength to it, which means it will move and flex slightly withough cracking, as opposed to traditional concrete and other material types.

What is the process of making the counters?

The structure of our counters is actually built out of MDF- medium density fiberboard. On top of the MDF is 4 very thin layers of concrete. After we apply the concrete and it dries we use various types of sprayers and paints to color the counters to replicate granite similar to our customer's samples (customers will provide a formica or granite sample for us to work from). Although we can never exactly replicate the sample, we can give similar results with our paints and application methods...And just as in nature where no two stones are exactly alike, we never color two different counter projects exactly alike. After applying the colors to the concrete layers and letting it dry, we use a two-part epoxy to cover the entire counter which locks in the color and gives it strength and shine. After the epoxy is applied, when the customer prefers, we apply a matte finish to take some of the gloss off of the counters. We highly recommend the Matte finish because it is easier to keep clean and will not show the fingerprints and smudges as the high gloss counter will. We prefer to store the counters in our work space for about a week to ensure curing time before transporting. After that time we will set up a time and date to install the counters in our customer's homes.

Can my existing countertop be resurfaced or will it have to be built from Scratch?

We custom build each countertop to perfectly fit our customer's space. Every counter we build is seamless, a look than cannot be acheived with other materials. Although it is possible to resurface an existing countertop, as we sometimes have to do, we prefer to build each countertop from scratch to ensure we have the best possible underlying structure. The case in which we would resurface an existing countertop is if the counter is to large to carry in the home in one piece, since everything is seamless. We would also ensure that the existing counter does not have any cracks, water-damage or other issues that would compromise our product in the future. If the project can be built in our own workshop, this is preferred as it is more convenient for our cusotmers and we have more control over the environment as opposed to working on-site. Whatever the scenario, We will work with our customers to ensure the creation and installation is a smooth transition

 Are the KOBASTONE Countertops suitable for Commercial Kitchen use?

Absolutely! This product has been USDA approved: "Crystal Top Ipoxy will meet the performance requirements to the USDA as a sealer and topcoat for floors, countertops or walls." Also, Crystal Top Ipoxy will stand up to rigorous cleaning and dampness and is grease and acid resistant. Unlike Granite, KOBASTONE is not pourous and will not hold germs and does not need to be resealed.

Research has shown real Granite countertops to outgas Radon at unhealthy levels...Has KOBASTONE been tested for outgassing of any type of chemicals?

Yes, there has been extensive testing on KOBASTONE and all testing performed shows it is impervious to moisture and contains no known carcinogens, mutagens or tetragens classified as hazardous substances. This is not a pesticide nor does it have any known pesticide characteristic. KOBASTONE has actually been classified as a "Green" product!

How does the KOBASTONE Overlay flooring system compare to Stamped Concrete?

When a person decides to install stamped concrete, they actually have to have the cement poured and stamped before the concrete is set up. It should also be resealed every 1-2 years depending on how well it was sealed from the beginning.

Inside you need to reseal every 5 to 10 years depending on the amount of traffic. Outside you need to reseal every 3 to 5 years depending on the traffic and weather elements.