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|  | |  | | | Concrete at Home | | | | | SKU:
003202 | | In Stock | | Availability:
Usually ships in 1 business days | | | | | | Fu-Tung Cheng's surprise bestseller Concrete Countertops paved the way for a fresh look at a familiar surface. His new book moves beyond the kitchen and transforms this commonplace material into an elegant medium that can be used throughout the house. Combining cutting-edge design with helpful how-to information, Concrete at Home offers ingenious ideas for planning and building walls, fireplaces, mantels, hearths, and exterior and interior floors, as well as tips on incorporating architectural elements such as counters, sinks, columns, and water pieces into the project. The construction of forms, footings, and ties is detailed in clear, easy-to-follow instructions, and special attention is given to finishing techniques, including adding color, texture, and inlays. | | | |
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| | Product Details | | Author: | Fu-Tung Cheng | | Paperback: | 224 pages | | Publisher: | Taunton Press | | Publication Date: | February 01, 2005 | | Language: | English | | ISBN: | 156158682X | | Product Length: | 10.82 inches | | Product Width: | 9.08 inches | | Product Height: | 0.59 inches | | Product Weight: | 2.02 pounds | | Package Length: | 10.8 inches | | Package Width: | 9.1 inches | | Package Height: | 0.6 inches | | Package Weight: | 2.1 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 26 reviews |
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| | Features | ISBN13: 9781561586820Condition: NewNotes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 26 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 39 found the following review helpful:
 I expected more... Apr 07, 2005
By Scott Knudsen
I expected a bit more out of this book than I got out of it. It seems to touch on a little bit of each aspect of using concrete for floors, walls, countertops, etc. But really doesn't go into too much depth, which leaves it up to the reader to do lots of their own experimenting. I would like to have seen the book about twice as thick, with a section more devoted to all the different colour variations and textures that the author has come up with.
People tend to buy books like these so they don't have to spend a bunch of money on trial and error testing. And I think this book could have been a whole lot better in that department.
There is some really nice concrete work in this book that will get the imagination fired up. And there is also some pretty corny concrete work, that may turn some people off. Lots of photo's of some of the kitchens the author has done. Not exactly Johnny Grey work, but quite nice.
Even though I only gave it 3 stars, I would still recommend it.
31 of 35 found the following review helpful:
 Great Marketing Deliverable Mar 03, 2005
By Johnny Concrete
Author Fu-Tung Cheng has opened up the idea that concrete isn't just something you skinned your knee on when you were a kid. His first book "Concrete Countertops" was a great instructional book, aimed obviously at amateurs, on how to use the massive substance and form it into any desired shape. Albeit, it leaves you learning from your own mistakes on a few things left out in the book, but all in all, it introduces the reader to concrete and gets them pointed in the right direction.
With his sophomore release, "Concrete at Home", Cheng has assumingly done it again. However, what appears to be an instructional book on how to take your concrete forming ideas to the "next level", just isn't quite up to par. The book shows off over a 1000 pictures of Cheng's work, and while the work is phenomenal in design, the summarized procedures that go along with them, are hardly enough for the reader to mimic the process. Granted, it is safe to say that Cheng doesn't want to give away all of his secrets, but his procedures skip important areas. For instance, he tells the reader that they inserted rigid foam into their countertop to drastically lighten the weight, but what he fails to mention is how exactly they form rounded angles with it, and how they place it in the mold for the pour. Rigid foam isn't the easiest of materials to manipulate into a rounded shape if you're not familiar with it. Another example is Fu-Tung shows you a rough blue-print for a fireplace surround designed to go around a zero-clearance firebox. However, what he neglects to mention is whether or not you are supposed to strip your walls to the studs, insert bolts into the studs that will protrude out into the surround, and then put up green board before you pour your surround, or if you proceed based on what he shows you, assumingly pouring against your existing textured wall, with nothing to anchor it to the wall. Timber!
"Concrete at Home" is a great photo-filled marketing deliverable for Fu-Tung Cheng's business. He purposely sends the reader in the direction of creating something extravagant, but intentionally leaves out key issues so that the reader will become frustrated and in turn, give up and commission Cheng's services.
If you are a professional in the field of concrete, this book is a great visual addition to add to the rest of your concrete books.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
good pictures but short on how-to Jul 09, 2006
By Elta Wilson
The pictures were great and the book needs more of them. The technical side of how to create the looks needs much more material and better presented.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Concrete at Home book Jan 03, 2007
By Michele
We used this book along with Cheng's other book and DVD when making our own concrete countertops. It was very helpful to us because we did a "pour in place" countertop where you build the molds right on your existing cabinets and pour the wet concrete in the molds for a seamless finish. Cheng's method for countertops focuses mainly on building molds in your backyard or garage, pouring the concrete, and then flipping the finished pieces over so you start with a smooth finish. This book has a lot of good examples of poured in place projects, so it was helpful to use this in conjunction with Cheng's countertop book.
17 of 21 found the following review helpful:
 It's a pity.... May 29, 2005
By Art for Art's sake
That people expect to have the years of knowledge and experience Mr Cheng possesses handed to them on a platter in this book. Any true craftsman wouldn't ask for that, and any novice shouldn't expect it (and particularly not for $22!). This book is a wonderful overview of the amazing qualities and possible applications of concrete. It's designed to get your mind working, and the creative juices flowing. Not as a "Concrete for Dummies" (and how flattering are those books to the average intelligence anyway?). Buy this book for inspiration, for some tips and tricks, and prepare yourself to be amazed. If you want further insight into the methodology, buy the first book as well. And despite another reviewers claims, most of Cheng's work is NOT poured on site, but in the shop, and the pictures on the website are gorgeous! Professional jealousy perhaps, but even as 'just' a coffee table piece, this book is really beautiful.
See all 26 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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