If you’re familiar with RTA… You’ll know that our islands come standard with concrete outdoor kitchen countertops. It’s an incredible material! However, there are some downsides to be aware of before you order them for your outdoor kitchen.
We’ll start with some of the advantages. For one, concrete is extremely structurally sound. You don’t have to worry about these tops going anywhere! In fact, the high performance concrete we use is 3-4x stronger than regular concrete. The concrete itself is also rated for 100 years. However… There are some disadvantages to be aware of.
Concrete outdoor kitchen countertops are naturally an imperfect material. There will be some surface imperfections, air bubbles, it won’t be perfectly smooth or flat… And there may be some natural variations in the color. These are not flaws in the concrete, that’s simply how it behaves!
Over time, you may also encounter hairline cracks in your concrete outdoor kitchen countertops. Again, this is not a flaw in the concrete! This is a natural phenomenon, and part of the curing process. That’s why we reinforce the concrete with microfibers and rebar to ensure the cracks will not continue.
You’ll also have to be aware that these countertops require added maintenance. To ensure they perform optimally over time… You’ll want to reseal your countertops annually or biannually, at the minimum. Now, you may not want to deal with all of this maintenance! If concrete outdoor kitchen countertops don’t sound like the right fit to you… Consider granite countertops as an equally suitable replacement!
