Concrete basins buying guide
A concrete basin, sometimes searched for as a concrete sink or cement basin, is a basin cast in concrete and sealed so it can sit in a wet room. This page holds concrete and terrazzo basins from Fienza, Eight Quarters, ADP and Otti, mostly above counter, with a few wall hung, in round, oval, pill, arch and fluted shapes. The guide below answers the questions people ask before they buy: what the material is, whether it is a good idea, how it is sealed and cleaned, how heavy it is, and what to check about taps and waste.
What a concrete basin is
Some Australian makers pour glass fibre reinforced concrete, known as GFRC, and seal it in coats. Fienza concrete basins have a food-grade nano sealant, and the Eight Quarters concrete and terrazzo basins are pre-sealed and need no further treatment. Terrazzo basins have chips set in the base. The Eight Quarters terrazzo circle in the Como colour has a white base with chips in black, white, grey and ochre. Each basin has its own fleck pattern and may vary from the basin pictured. Whichever the material, the sealed surface is what you wash in, so the sealer matters as much as the concrete under it.
Are concrete basins a good idea
They are a good idea where the surface is the feature and the household will follow the care rules. The advantages are a striking appearance, almost any shape and size, a colour range, low upkeep once the basin is sealed, hard-wearing material, and repairability, since concrete can usually be resealed, repaired or patched. The trade-offs are plain too. Concrete is naturally porous, so it needs sealing to resist stains and moisture. The finish can differ from the sample, and the basin is heavy, so the vanity or the wall has to carry it.
Both trade-offs show up in the product. The colour of a concrete basin may differ from its images because of the high colour variation in concrete, so order a sample to see the colour in real life. If you want a basin that looks the same every time, ceramic is the more uniform material, and the ceramic basins page covers it. If you want a surface with character, concrete is the better call.
Sealing and care
Concrete needs the sealed surface kept intact. Rinse the basin with warm water after use and dry it with a soft cloth to avoid water spots. Use a pH-neutral cleaner, such as mild washing-up liquid on a soft microfibre cloth, because acidic or alkaline cleaners can corrode the sealer and let liquid into the concrete. Avoid bleach, ammonia, abrasive scrubs, steel wool and scourers, and avoid acids such as vinegar, lemon juice and wine, which can etch the surface. Do not put very hot hair tools on it, and avoid pouring boiling water into the basin, since rapid temperature changes can cause thermal cracking.
For stains, rub dish soap on a damp cloth gently over the affected area and rinse, and use a baking soda paste sparingly for oil or make-up marks. Scratches usually affect only the sealer and can be polished out. How often to reseal depends on the maker. The Eight Quarters basins are pre-sealed and take a wax polish every 6 months to keep the original appearance, and for any other concrete basin the practical test is the water bead test: if water still beads on the surface, the seal is working, and if it soaks in, the seal needs attention. Follow the instructions that come with the basin you choose, and seal around the waste hole when you fit it, because water flows there most.
Weight and mounting
Concrete is heavy, so a wall hung vanity and its stud frame must be able to support it, and a floating basin is held on heavy-duty steel brackets fixed to wall studs. Wall hung furniture and basins are fixed to a support beam fitted between the studs, with support noggins added before the wall is sheeted. The Fienza Valentina concrete wall basin includes extra heavy duty mounting brackets and bolts, and the wall hung basins page covers how the wall is prepared. Water connections need a licensed plumber.
Tap holes, overflow and waste
Every concrete basin on this page has no tap hole, so the mixer mounts on the bench behind the basin or on the wall. The Otti Hudson fluted basins are compatible with a 12 o'clock tap position or none for wall tapware, and not recommended with 10 or 2 o'clock. An above counter basin raises the rim, so it takes a tall basin mixer or a wall mixer; see above counter basins, basin mixers and basin wastes.
No concrete basin here has an overflow. The Fienza basin needs a 32mm non-overflow waste, which is not included, and the Eight Quarters concrete basins take a 32mm plug and waste sold separately. The Eight Quarters terrazzo basins come with a colour matched pop-up plug and waste, ADP basins are sold with the plug and waste separate, and the Otti Hudson takes a pop-up waste sold separately. Check the plug and waste before you order, because it decides whether the basin is ready to fit.
Basin sizes
The Eight Quarters concrete circle is 390mm by 390mm and 125mm high, with a 10.2 litre bowl, and the Mini Pod is 400mm by 280mm and 120mm high, with a 7.5 litre bowl. The Fienza Jada round basin is 390mm across and 120mm high and holds 10 litres, the Jada pill is 600mm by 280mm and 120mm high and holds 12.3 litres, and the smaller Alba round is 362mm across and 145mm high and holds 7.2 litres. The ADP Jean is 400mm round with an 8.5 litre bowl, and the ADP Norma is 550mm by 350mm with a 10.5 litre bowl. The Otti Hudson fluted basins come as a 400mm round, a 520mm square and a 600mm oval. For wall hung sizes, the Fienza Valentina fluted arch basin is 465mm by 360mm and 119mm high, and the Blanca is 650mm by 300mm and 200mm high with an 8 litre bowl. Pick the size the bench can carry with room left for the mixer. Small hand basins lists the compact sizes.
Shape, surface and colour
Concrete suits shapes that ceramic finds harder to hold. The range includes round, oval, pill and arch basins, and fluted basins with vertical ribs. The colours here include oat, white, blush, grey, charcoal, sage, tuscan, warm grey and warm white, and terrazzo mixes with flecks of black, white, grey and ochre. Textures run from polished to ribbed, and pinprick holes are a natural feature of some pours, so look at the finish in the photos before you decide.
Heat, sun and the first weeks
Concrete expands when heated, so avoid excessive localised heat. Direct sunlight can slowly discolour concrete over a long period, which is a reason to think about where a basin sits near a window. Treat a new basin gently for the first weeks: keep objects out of the bowl while the sealer settles, and ask the supplier if your basin has a curing period.
Concrete compared with terrazzo, stone and ceramic
This page holds concrete and terrazzo together. Terrazzo is a composite of marble, quartz, granite or glass chips in a cementitious or polymeric binder that is ground, filled, polished and sealed after curing. Alkalis and acids can break down binders and strong acids can attack marble chips, so the same care rules apply: pH-neutral cleaner, soft cloth, no acids. Stone composite basins, such as the Kaskade range, are composite resin stone with a matte finish that can be cleaned with mild detergent and sanded for scratches, which is a different routine. Glazed ceramic has a glass-like surface that needs no sealer. See stone basins, solid surface basins and ceramic basins for the alternatives.
Choosing between the makers on this page
The Fienza concrete range is the widest, with round, pill and wall hung forms, published weights and a nano sealant finish. The Eight Quarters range adds terrazzo with a colour matched pop-up waste included, and a wax schedule of every six months. The ADP concrete basins are round and oblong above counter forms with the plug and waste sold separately, and the Otti Hudson basins bring the fluted profile in round, square and oval. If the basin will carry the room, choose by shape and colour. If the vanity is the limit, choose by size and weight first, then by finish.
Living with a concrete basin day to day
A sealed concrete basin asks for very little, and the routine is short. Rinse after use, wipe the rim and the bench dry, and keep toothpaste, hair dye, make-up remover and nail polish remover off the surface, because strong chemicals are the commonest cause of marks. If a mark does appear, deal with it the same day with dish soap on a damp cloth. Keep a soft cloth by the basin so the wipe-down takes seconds. In a household with children, a bench mat or tray under toiletries stops bottles scratching the rim. Over the years the surface will soften in tone and pick up a gentle patina, which is part of what people choose concrete for.
Brands on this page
Browse Fienza basins, Eight Quarters, ADP basins and Otti basins for the full ranges. The Fienza concrete basins and Eight Quarters concrete basins pages narrow the choice to one maker.
How to choose
- Decide whether the surface is the feature. If it is, concrete is the right material; if you want a uniform finish, choose ceramic.
- Check what the vanity or the wall can carry, since concrete is heavy.
- Read the tap hole line: none on every basin here, so plan a bench or wall mixer.
- Read the waste line, because the plug and waste is not included on most of them.
- Order a sample if the colour matters, since the finish varies.
- Plan the care: a pH-neutral cleaner, a soft cloth and no acids or abrasives.
The bathroom basins page sets concrete basins beside the other materials, and stone basins and solid surface basins cover the other cast and cut options. For the cabinet that carries the basin, see bathroom vanities.
