Remember this sneak peek from...oh, about 6 months ago? We are now up and running with a new product: Aurastone. Aurastone is a concrete overlay system for creating countertops and other surfaces that are seamless and durable. The surface is easily maintained with a beeswax finish and mild soap & water for cleanup. With USDA approval, Aurastone has one of the highest food safety ratings in the country, is bacteria & stain resistant and will withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees. Because of it's wide color palette, the artistic applications are endless. We can create a natural or fantasy stone look or create original artwork within the epoxy.
Our first project was a kitchen counter. The new countertop was constructed with MDX, a denser version of MDF. A water-proof sealent was applied to the entire surface.
Two passes of concrete were then applied, creating a scratch-coat.
Some painting magic...
...with dyes, mica and metallic powders...
...followed by a coating of a water-based 2 part epoxy system. This epoxy has no odor and is low VOC, so it's great to work with. The blow torch is used to disperse air bubbles. A more natural, matte stone finish is achieved by honing the surface with an orbital sander: 4 passes with sandpaper-400 to 4000 grit!!! The surface is then buffed with beeswax.
Here is the awful, laminate butcher block before:
The newly installed countertop. A handsome, polished concrete finish.
Aurastone can be used for countertops, tables, art and so many more possibilities. We look forward to creating many more projects and posting them in the future.
