Concrete countertops in Sarasota

Yes. Concrete countertops work in Florida outdoor kitchens when they are sealed with a sealer made for outdoor use. Sun is hard on some sealers, and epoxy is one that yellows in sunlight. The mineral pigments that color the concrete itself hold up in UV light. Our gallery has concrete tops on lanais and on a bar beside the water.

Yes. Creative Edge Outdoor Living has cast concrete countertops with the sink in the same concrete as the counter, with no joint between them. Two are in our gallery: one gray with blue-gray veining and one white. Tell us the size of sink you want and where it goes.

A concrete countertop can get fine hairline cracks, and they are not structural. Concrete shrinks slightly as it cures, and fine shrinkage cracks can show up afterward (source: Concrete Network). A hairline crack does not make the top weaker. If cracks would bother you, say so when we talk, before you choose concrete.

Yes, concrete countertops can stain: sealer makes a concrete top stain-resistant, not stain-proof (source: Trueform Concrete). The sealer buys you time, so wipe up oil, wine, citrus and marinades when they spill instead of leaving them overnight. A cutting board under food prep keeps most of it off the counter.

Set hot pans on a trivet, not straight on the concrete. The concrete takes the heat, but the sealer on top of it can mark under a hot pan (source: Trueform Concrete). The same goes for anything straight off the grill. Set it on a board or a trivet and the finish stays the way it was made.

A countertop on its own is not on the lists of permitted work we have read, but the kitchen under it usually is. The City of Sarasota requires a permit for any new or altered "electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system" (permit guideline 105.1), and Manatee County's list of work that needs a permit includes "Natural Gas Line install" and "Any alteration of electrical" (Manatee County Building Division). So a sink cast into the top means plumbing, a grill on a gas line means gas, and a new outlet or circuit for a fridge or lights means electrical, and each of those is on the permit lists above. Florida's exemption for work valued at less than $7,500 excludes "Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work" (s. 553.79, F.S.). Our outdoor kitchen permit guide says which office issues the permit for your address. Confirm with that office before you build.

The price of concrete countertops depends on the size of the top and what is cast into it. A straight run is less work than an L with a sink, a grill cutout and a waterfall end. Veining adds work too. Call 941-879-4777 or send the form with the rough size of your kitchen.