Concrete for all – concrete forever!

I love saving money. I hate the insane cost of tile and granite. Now that concrete is considered a top-of-the-line option, we will save a bunch. The kitchen countertop and sink will cost around $240, instead of $2700 for granite.

DIY Network’s Kitchen Renovations and this blog are very inspiring and confidence instilling.

We plan to make our own concrete countertops & sinks for both the kitchen and bathroom and a pour-in-place concrete tub and bathroom floor. This tub will be much more wallet friendly and spatially efficient than the $2200 clawfoot that we were initially considering.

We want to use fly ash in all of these projects. Fly ash is a byproduct of coal burning and makes concrete stronger and last longer. Fly ash is very close in chemical composition to the volcanic ash that the Romans used over 2000 years ago in their structures that are still standing today. Because fly ash use replaces some cement, it also reduces the need for cement production – a major energy user and source of greenhouse gas emissions.

The Roman baths of Caracalla, still standing.

Fly ash was first used in the US for the Hoover Dam. May the dam and our bath be monuments 2000 years from this day.