Lava Stone, shown above is the stuff (my) dreams are made of.  This natural material is glazed with an enamel that produces the most awesome colors. It’s a solid surface that comes in slabs, like quartz or granite, but it looks soooo much cooler!  Yes, it can crack and chip, but it holds up to heat and doesn’t stain. Sounds perfect, right?  There’s only one drawback.  The price.  It will set you back about $300 per square foot. PER SQUARE FOOT.  So, even the most modest seven foot counter will cost over $4000 not included fabrication and installation. Still want it?  Contact Pyrolave.  They’re the only dealer in the US. Tile is sturdy, inexpensive and easy enough to DIY.  It holds up well to heat and stains, although if you don’t seal the grout every so often, it will start to look crappy.  If you use the right tile, it won’t go out of style (that rhymed!).   The drawbacks?  Many a wine glass has been known to tip over when placed on unlevel tile or grout.  Also, you kind of have to maintain the grout to keep it looking fresh. Soapstone.  If you like the look of matte black, you’ll love Soapstone.  With sealer, it holds up to stains and yes, heat.  Even if it does stain, it won’t look gross as the discoloration just adds patina rather than yuckiness to the counter.  Pricing isn’t horrible, although it won’t be the least expensive counter you come across.  And as you know, black never goes out of date.

As with any slab, you’re stuck with the fabricator cutting and installing it correctly.  I say this because I took a supplier/installer to small claims court when they screwed up my lovely soapstone counter.  It was a nightmare.  That’s why I prefer to DIY just about anything. Concrete.  Speaking of DIY, there is a way you can make your own concrete countertop with great ease.  For real!  Yes, the correct way to do it would be to hire someone to pour it (an advanced level DIY job) but there’s way of feathering the concrete onto mason board.  It won’t look as great and it won’t hold up as well as solid concrete, but hel-lo, it’s dirt cheap!  As in worth doing even if you’re a renter.  Above is what I did in the downstairs apartment in Rockaway because I was on a budget.  Yes, that sink was caught in Sandy and hadn’t been washed yet when I took the photo.

Wood is both timely and inexpensive.  You can pick up a butcher block piece at Ikea or you can use reclaimed lumber like I did in the upstairs Rockaway apartment.  Although I did the awful job of sanding and sealing, it took a competent carpenter to cut and level the boards.  The key is in leveling.  Of course I don’t have a close up shot of the finished counter, but you can see it here from a distance.  Wood needs to be sealed but even still, you have to be cautious about staining.  Also, don’t cut directly on wood!  And it can warp over time.  The good news is that it’s inexpensive.

Resin is the perfect material for spills.  It looks great as you can pour it over just about any cool thang.  Put resin over a piece of artwork. Bam! It’s a countertop.  The only thing is that you have to be careful with heat.  DIY skill level?  Hmm, it took us a few mistakes before we got the technique down, so practice before you do an entire counter.

Or…like most of the materials on this post….just hire us to do it for you!  *We don’t do lava or soapstone.

The post Choosing a Counter Top Material appeared first on reclaimedhome.com.

Back in December I did a post about DIY concrete countertops. The method doesn’t involve any complicated pouring of concrete so I decided to give it a shot. Whaddya think? Not bad.

The photo above was taken before the sealer was dry so any dark areas you’re seeing are actually still wet. Also, pay no attention to the dirty sink that had been sitting in the backyard since the hurricane.

Would I recommend the Ardex Feather Finish that my husband said was basically thin set? Yes. For 30 bucks including shipping, I got myself a new counter and backsplash. The 10 pound bag wasn’t quite enough to smooth it out completely so I’d suggest getting more. I left the backsplash decidedly rough (I decided that I couldn’t be bothered) and the counter wasn’t completely flawless. This material can be sanded but again, because I didn’t have extra on hand, I didn’t want to go crazy sanding it.

I applied three coats of Ardex and three coats of Aqua Mix sealer, letting them dry thoroughly each time. Does this take any less time than pouring? No, but if you don’t feel like building the form, this is easier.

Started with plywood and hardibacker.

First coat. Thought this would never disappear but it was gone once dry.

Pre-sanded second coat. The counter is much smoother now but I left the lines and patches in the backsplash. Even thought it would be a cool idea to add fossils! But I didn’t have any on hand. Next time.

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I tend to go with tile countertops because they are inexpensive and easy to do but sometimes one needs a change in life. So, I’m researching. You can stick just about anything in resin but the problem with that is that heat will melt the epoxy. So what’s a DIY gal to do? I’ve always wanted to try a concrete countertop. Hell, why not? I’ve done concrete floors.

Then I came across Kara Paslay Designs’ blog post on a DIY concrete counter that you don’t have to pour. Duh! Why didn’t I think of that? I could never be bothered with pouring a countertop because you have to build a mold for the pour first and let’s be honest…Who wants to do that?

So all’s ya gotta do is skimcoat any roughed up and prepared surface with Kara’s recommended product called Ardex Feather Finish. A few coats, sand and seal.

Sounds too easy. I’ll let you know if it’s idiot proof since I’m pretty sure this idiot will give it a shot pretty soon.

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Since Linn from Christonium sent an email describing her DIY stainless steel countertop, I’m just gonna be lazy and cut and paste the whole thing. Yeah, even though it’s on her own blog (hit link above). But it looks great and her how-to post is more informative than anything I can come up with myself. Because I’m lazy.

Soooo, here’s Linn…

I wanted to share a project of mine which I’m very happy with: my new stainless steel kitchen counters which me and my husband installed ourselves. When we were remodeling our kitchen we were debating about what counters to choose. I loved the idea of stainless steel counters, so industrial, natural and durable, however if you get them professionally installed then they can be pretty pricey.

We worked with a local sheet metal place that gave us a very reasonable quote on shaping a piece of stainless steel if we did some of the work ourselves: so we made a plywood model of our counters, brought it to our local shop and later installed it all on top of our old counters. The result has been great. We got really nice counters which ended up costing us around $400 (roughly $20/square foot.) Now, that’s an excellent price, and our counters are perfect!

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I’m loving the look of Torzo Sustainable Surfaces, but even cooler than that is what their product lines are made from. Post agricultural recycled sorghum, sunflower hulls and hemp? Yeah, they use post industrial recycled fiberboard and chip board too, but it’s way cooler to say “Look at my hemp floor.” now, isn’t it? I mean, let’s get our priorities straight.

Torzo products aren’t 100% green. It’s tough to be fully green when you want a countertop or floor to last. Depending on the product line, 25%-50% of it is acrylic resin. The good news is that the resin used is manufactured by Torzo’s parent company, an Oregon based, family run, woman owned business.

Looks like Stone Source is the only place that carries Torzo locally.

The post Sustainable Surfaces appeared first on reclaimedhome.com.

Web Urbanist recently featured ten of the coolest counter and surface material designs. Although they’re all really beautiful, I noticed that the more spectacular ones are lit from behind.

So my question is, do you really need to spend a fortune on semi precious gemstones or lava to get that same glowing effect? Sure, if you have the money, be my guest (and loan me some). But I’m thinking that you can probably achieve a very cool effect by backlighting just about anything.

Some ideas:

1. Colored glass or plexi

2. Individual glass marbles, tiles or quartz stones

3. Transparent paint for glass

4. Stained glass

5. Embedded anything in resin

6. Punched metal

7. Old photographic transparencies

8. Strings of Christmas lights under clear glass

Now obviously if these are surfaces where water will penetrate, you’ll need to protect them. Do I even have to mention that any paint, holey metal or photo should be underneath the glass? And if it’s a countertop, make sure you’ve checked into heat, breakage and seams? But you knew that already, right?

The lighting is something that can be adjusted. You may not want it evenly lit. Perhaps some shadow areas would give a more dramatic effect. Just make sure you have your wiring and spacial issues worked out in advance! Keep in mind that lighting from behind will take up at least a couple inches, and that’s some narrow lighting I’m talking about.

The post Lighting Countertops appeared first on reclaimedhome.com.

Since we looked at vintage cabinets yesterday, we figured we would give you some options for matching retro laminate countertops.

Formica’s Classic Boomerang: Coral

We all know the biggie: Formica. Their “Classics” collection includes Boomerang, originally designed in the 50’s. This pattern bounces back to us (Get it? Because it’s a boomerang) in 4 historically kitsch colors, including aqua, coral, charcoal and skylark.

Formica’s Classic VirrVarr: Light Blue

Also available from the Classic collection is the VirrVarr, a European pattern. VirrVarr means criss cross in Swedish. This only comes in white and blue.

Read about Formica’s participation in environmental programs such as LEED and Greenguard here.

Nevamar, from Panolam Industries, came out with the Twist N’ Shout retro design not too long ago. There are 3 different color options: orange, blue or yellow.

Nevamar’s LamMate’s “Way Cool Encounter”

Nevamar offers custom print laminates that can allow any digital file to be incorporated into the laminate. They also offer some funky solid colors. They are not as readily available as Formica, so check out their dealer locator.

Nevamar Laminates are Greenguard certified.

Wilson Art’s Retro Mint

Wilson Art offers 4 “retro” designs under it’s Indie Collection. They also have some groovy retro looking designs such as:

Kaleidascope

Mondrian

Plaid

See here for Wilson Art’s Green Guard certification and other environmental info.

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Antique tiles are NOT inexpensive! But they are oh-so-gorgeous. Best bet to save money is try to find the tiles at a salvage place such as Island Girls (ok, pricey also). Those high brow tile boutiques will set you back a few bills, but keep in mind, you can always accent boring Home Depot tiles with a few pieces of the good stuff.

Here are some local and online sources for your antique tile needs. If they don’t fit your budget, at least get some ideas.

Bungalow Bill

Solar Antique Tiles

Luxetile

Karen Michelle Antique Tiles

L’Antiquario

The post Antique Tile Sources appeared first on reclaimedhome.com.

This month’s quick, cheap and easy DIY counter top choice comes from The Hardware Aisle.

What is it? Plywood! There’s no need to remove your existing counter top to feed the landfill. Furniture grade veneer can be affixed to existing material. Edges should consist of solid wood and surface can be coated for protection.

Full DIY here.

My own input? I doubt this will last forever, so why not make it look as nice as possible while it’s there? I’d add trim around the edges to fancy it up a bit. You can caulk it, but water will eventually find it’s away between the top and trim. If you plan on keeping the counter top for a long while, you should stay on top of the sealer and caulk! But remember that bars often have wood counter tops and they seem to last just fine.

Related:Charles and Hudson

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FYI: There’s a glass tile manufacturer right here in Beacon. The Architectural Glass tiles are constructed of new material but the company does their best to reduce waste during processing.

The 4″x4″ Lume Series is a machine made tile that comes in 20 vibrant colors. These 3/8″ thick tiles are comparable to today’s ceramic tiles except they are much more beautiful. And more expensive. If a whole wall is not an option, they would work nicely as accent pieces.

The Studio Series is hand made. Each 4″x4″ tile is 5/8 thick and comes in a variety of colors. There is a rope accent piece that is to die for. I’ve seen them in person. Trust me, the website doesn’t do them justice. Obviously pricier than the Lume Series.

Architectural Glass also offers custom tiles. These are the same folks behind some of the work at Hudson Beach Glass, one of the most inviting galleries on Main Street, Beacon.

2006 Interview

The post Local Glass Tile appeared first on reclaimedhome.com.

VitraStone manufactures sinks, countertops and tiles. The material looks like concrete, but in fact it’s a blend of ceramic cement, fly ash and recycled glass.

70-85% of the material is recycled glass. The glass is pulled from the local recycling center. It’s crushed there and then delivered to the VitraStone facility.

The fly ash used in production is a bi-product of local coal burning plants. Millions of tons go to waste in landfills and flyash waste ponds every year.

Ceramic cement is used instead of Portland cement because the production of Portland cement accounts for 7% of all Carbon Dioxide emissions from human resources. Chemicals such as water reducers, plasticisers and acrylics that are not used in the proprietary blend of VitraStone ceramic cements.

The products come in a range of colors and can also be customized. Stained glass, fossils, stones or metals can be inlaid into the material which is then sealed with a deep penetrating sealer (food grade, no VOCs).

On the down side, VitraStone is located in Colorado. The closest showroom seems to be in Philly.

Oh yeah, and it ain’t Home Depot prices.

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Here’s another recycled countertop option for ya….Bio Glass is a solid surface material made from 100% post consumer waste.

Coverings, Etc is the company behind Bio Glass. The Miami based firm, founded in 1998, also has a New York showroom. Members of the US Green Building Council, their ECoverings line of products are produced from naturally occurring elements such as sand and clay.

But back to the glass. The slabs come in 4 colors: Fossil Amber, Ocean Saphire, Oriental Jade and White Diamond. The glass is made from almost 100% crystalline silica in the form of quartz. Here’s a spec sheet with a bunch of info I can’t understand.

Beautiful. Eco-friendly. So, can anyone guess what the down side is?

Bio Glass will set you back over $3000 for a 4×9 slab.

Available at A&K Tile in Brooklyn or a dealer near you.

The post Bio Glass appeared first on reclaimedhome.com.

Although slate is not a renewable source, there are some things to consider before dismissing it.

Let’s start with the negatives first. Is it raping the earth? What impact does the mining have on the environment? Does it create pollution?

If you really want your renovation to be green, these are questions you’ll have to ask about every product. You can buy a 100% recycled countertop that is fabricated under the best conditions, but if it’s being shipped from California and will be out of style by next year, what’s the point?

A few things to consider:

Buy local.

Get something that will hold up for many years.

Go with something that won’t go out of style next year. A classic look.

Is it recyclable once the life expectancy is over or if someone buys your house and guts it because it’s “not their taste”?

I found a local (enough) quarry in my search. Sheldon Slate is a 4th generation family owned business with locations in NY, VT, ME and PA. They mine and manufacture tiles, sinks, slabs and roofing.

Beats Italian marble or granite.

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This was just posted on our forum yesterday. We’ll continue to post forum items on our main page until folks start to get comfortable using it.

If you have any questions, best to call them directly. I was told the discoloration is just dirt.

“We have seven slabs of White Carrara marble that were used for various projects 30 years ago have been stored outside since. Will sell at a large discount off retail ($50-60 sq foot). The slabs are odd sizes that you can have fabricated and polished for table tops, dresser tops, vanities, etc. Will sell for approx $20 sq foot … or less (very negotiable) based on the dimensions that you need. Contact Dianne at 347 482-7042. If you have questions about fabrication, cutting or polishing, please call Statewide Granite and Marble (201) 653-1700.”

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Via Get With The Green

Meld USA, a concrete manufacturer out of North Carolina launched a line of recycled concrete countertops a few month ago.

Eco X is comprised of 76% recycled content from post-consumer bottle glass and post-industrial fiberglass in a cement base. The raw material used in the process comes from suppliers located within 500 miles of their manufacturing facility. The products are sealed with low VOC sealer. Countertops are stain resistant but not stain proof.

12 colors are available as is custom matching. The company can also customize texture and design. The product will eventually take on a patina, much like concrete counters.

No dealers as of yet in the New York area. Price range: $87-120 per sq ft.

Meld

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