No worries! Most people haven't heard of them yet! SIPS panels are basically a couple of sheets of timber board, with a core of polystyrene. They come in panels, or can be pre-cut to size to fit the job. As far as builders go, I don't personally know of any that use concrete panels for residential jobs - mainly because they're not really cost effective until you get to larger commercial sized jobs (as far as I know). Another good way to achieve the industrial look is by using polished plaster render. That gives the look of concrete at a fraction of the cost and can be done in a variety of finishes to suit your taste. It all depends if you want the whole house to have the concrete look or just as features in places that count - all comes down to your design.

Hi All, It sounds like tumeric and grease are the worst culprits for staining. We are looking to put the Cloudburst in our kitchen as our island and backsplash, but I'm very nervous. I love to cook and host. I also LOVE the look of this stone and would like to make it work if we can. Are there any bakers on this thread that have experience with these countertops? If you are rolling out dough or baking with greasy dough, how has that experience been? What if you get butter/oil on it? Any tips? Do you cover the counter before doing your baking etc.? I imagine beet juice would also be a nightmare?

. Concrete is fine on pinterest, it's even fine in corporate canteens but it's not a homely feel at all. If however you are sold on the look but want a more removable option I can recommend lino. NOT vinyl but real, Lino. It's a different thing, harder wearing than vinyl and can actually look very chic and more closely match concrete look without creating an unpleasant surface to walk on in bare feet. The worst thing about hard floorings like tile and concrete is they are unpleasant on your feet in winter. I live in a house with lino however and it's much warmer and a better feel on the feet than a hard surface flooring. Easy to care for and importantly easy to remove when you get sick of it. Marmoluem is a true lino, which BTW is actually a very sustainable and organic product. Lino is made from jute, seed flours and linseed oil. It's compostable. But it's unique composition is what also gives it a warm and beeswax like feel underfoot, which is very comfortable. You can get it in a some very nice concrete like shades, patterns and even raised textures. It's a sheet flooring so there are few joins, something tiles cannot offer. Tiles, once stuck to the floor are an absolute b****h to remove without a lot of damage, noise and expense. Lino can simply be lifted like carpet.

Council will need to approve it and they then take responsibility for it as it is not on your land.