At a recent trade show I was told by a designer that "Concrete countertops crack.  That’s why I don’t use them".  The statement was stereotypical and generally incorrect, but not completely wrong.  Cracks generally fall into two categories:

Hairline cracks are very fine (nearly invisible) cracks that may develop on the surface of the slab.  These hairline cracks do not affect the structural integrity of the slab and add to the character and uniqueness of a concrete countertop.  Hairline cracks may develop during curing, fabrication, installation, or years later and generally develop around faucet holes and sink cutouts (especially those with sharp corners).  Hairline cracks are not generally covered under warranty. 

Structural cracks are more than cosmetic imperfections; your countertop is literally broken.   At this point the concrete has failed and can no longer hold itself together and is relying on rebar or wire mesh reinforcement to hold your countertop together.  A structural crack should be covered under your fabricators warranty (unless you caused the failure by parking you VW bug on the kitchen island).

At Fundo Design we utilize a special fiber reinforcement (not rebar) in concert with a highly engineered mix that drastically reduces the chances of developing a crack.  The fiber is mixed into the concrete and is present throughout the slab in a 3-d mesh.  In the unlikely event of a hairline crack, the fiber reinforcement prevents the crack from spreading.  The bottom line is if your concrete countertop is designed, manufactured, and installed properly the chances of a crack are unlikely.

Fact:  Some concrete countertops crack due to poor design and execution.

Fiction:  All concrete countertops crack.

Fact:  Whether or not your concrete countertop cracks is primarily a function of its design, manufacture, and installation.   Cracking is not a flaw inherent to concrete countertops.

Fiction:  Rebar or mesh reinforcement will prevent cracking.

Fact:  Rebar or mesh reinforcement only acts after the crack has developed.

The bottom line is a concrete countertop by Fundo Design is very unlikely to develop a crack.  When purchasing a concrete countertop ask your fabricator how they mitigate issues with cracking.