Unusual Uses of Concrete
Concrete need not just be thought of as a construction material. Its durability and timeless look means it can be put to a wide range of uses in the home, and not just for the buildings themselves.
As expert concrete suppliers to destinations across Cambridgeshire, including Ely, Huntingdon, Royston and St Ives, Madmix know everything there is to know about its qualities and characteristics. Here we highlight a few of concrete’s more unusual applications.
Kitchen Surfaces
Concrete is ideal for use as a kitchen benchtop or worktop because it is so strong and durable. It is also possible to add a concrete sink as a single unit moulded into the countertop. Lower-weight reinforced concrete can be as strong as stainless steel or porcelain and will only need sealing occasionally. Due to its durability, any moulded concrete in a kitchen will last for years and stands up well to knocks and scratches.
Concrete is also becoming increasingly popular for countertops and worktops in bars, restaurants and other businesses in which the surfaces get a lot of use.
It is also suitable for a range of outdoor dining furniture; for example, tables and chairs on a patio or for constructing an outdoor kitchen. They won’t blow away and you won’t have to worry about weather damage. The patio itself can be made from polished stones or slabs.
Jewellery
You can now buy jewellery in a wide range of styles in which the main component is concrete! Concrete can be incorporated into necklaces, rings, pendants and earrings in a variety of ways. Whether on its own or combined with contrasting gemstones to achieve a stylish, contemporary or minimalist look.
Concrete is easy to dye with household materials, such as food colouring and can be poured into moulds to create all sorts of weird and wonderful shapes.
Chairs
A Canadian-based company has come up with an idea for minimalist furniture by pouring super-strength concrete into a specially-made mould and creating a chair suitable for indoors or outdoors. This chair, if turned onto its side, can also serve as a beautifully designed table.
Speakers
Various high-end audio companies around the world have begun developing and manufacturing concrete speakers, which sound as good as they look. The speakers are very weighty and irregularly structured, so sound vibrations cannot spread and distort – creating a perfect audio resonance.
iPhone Case
You can now buy mobile phone cases made of concrete called Luna Cases. The designers have applied a thin layer of flexible concrete to the outside of the case, so they don’t weigh much, don’t take up any extra space and provide plenty of protection to your fragile phone. Every case is slightly different as the bubbles created during the setting of the concrete form unique patterns on the surface, similar to the moon’s craters – hence the name.
Concrete Suppliers
Madmix supplies and delivers high-quality ready-mix concrete to Ely, Huntingdon, Royston, St Ives, Newmarket, St Neots and other areas right across Cambridgeshire.
We supply every type of concrete, including concrete mixes, foam concrete, pumpable, lean mix concrete, kerb mixes, waterproof concrete, sulphate resistant concrete and polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete. If you’re unsure of which type of concrete is best for your project, please get in touch as we are more than happy to advise on the best choices to get you the best results.
We offer a same or next-day service, including Saturdays, at extremely competitive prices. We provide concrete for both large commercial jobs or small domestic projects and our minimum delivery is 1m³. We also offer a collection service if you would prefer to take your order away yourself.
Madmix is a fully BSI-accredited company and has been awarded the British standard kitemark for our assured concrete complying with BS EN 206 and BS 8500-2 standards. Our friendly sales team are on hand to give expert advice and discuss any of your concrete requirements. Give us a call today on 01954 212 212 or visit https://www.madmix.co.uk/contact-us/.
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