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Concrete countertops can last a lifetime with proper maintenance. That includes regular resealing, waxing, and repairing any chips or cracks. At a minimum, they should last 20 years before major issues occur or performance drastically declines. The longevity of concrete countertops is a major reason people add them to their kitchens. It also makes up for the high cost of installation and added maintenance.

A 4-inch-thick concrete slab can support around 4,000 pounds per square foot if a contractor reinforces the slab with rebar, while that same slab without reinforcements will support closer to 1,000 pounds. For the purposes of a patio, 4 inches in thickness without reinforcement should suffice unless you’re installing heavy kitchen equipment or a hot tub on it. In those cases, reinforcing your slab and sticking with 4 inches of thickness should provide plenty of strength.

Yes, fiber concrete can crack, and contrary to popular belief, it will crack under similar forces to rebar-reinforced concrete. The difference is in how the crack spreads through the slab. When you exert pressure on a slab, the slab flexes downward, putting tensile forces on the bottom of the slab. In rebar concrete, a crack at the bottom will also quickly appear on the top surface. In fiber concrete, the fibers hold the two sides of that bottom crack together, making it less likely for the crack to form on the top surface.

Concrete houses cost 10% to 20% more to build than stick-built homes, and maintenance on home systems is more invasive and expensive due to pipes and wires being buried in concrete. Concrete homes can also look more industrial and less comfortable if you don’t cover the concrete with finishing materials. It’s also more challenging to make changes to concrete, so reframing doors and windows or building home additions will cost more. Concrete needs time to cure, too, so the timeline to build a house out of concrete is a bit longer.