Contractor Casts His Fate in Concrete

A former contractor has a business
that creates custom-designed
concrete countertops, tables and floors.

Posted on Thu, Sep. 27, 2007

BY YOLANNE ALMANZAR

Concrete is not a traditional medium for artists, but Daniel Leidke has been using it as his canvas to create scenes of fish, chessboards and even safaris that can be found in homes from Key West to Palm Beach.

Leidke started his company, Art in Counter, five years ago as a way to battle retirement boredom. Formerly a general contractor, his work mostly involved remodeling projects that had him painting and installing tile, fixtures and drywall. Now he specializes in designing concrete counters, tables, floors and specialty items.

''This is fun to me,'' said Leidke, 65, who lives and runs his business in the Redland. ``It's something to keep me busy and that allows me to be creative.''

Concrete products are a current design craze among homeowners and decorators. But the creations are not like what is seen on neighborhood sidewalks and streets. Unlike other mediums, concrete's unique texture allows decorative elements -- such as tiles or mosaics -- to be embedded within it. Leidke loves the creative freedom that offers.

''I can do anything, any color and shape. I'm just limited by my imagination,'' he said.

For a Leidke original, customers spend thousands of dollars. He said prices vary according to the size and type of design, but start at about $65 a square foot. He is currently working on a $10,000 kitchen counter job in Coral Gables.

''People don't realize how expensive the materials can become,'' he said. ``This is a labor-intensive process.''

It takes two to four weeks to complete and install a project. First, Leidke visits the customer and collaborates on a design. At his workshop, he makes a mold.

Cages of steel reinforce the countertops; tables are created with a wire mesh. A cement and paint mixture that Leidke created is then added. After bubbles in the wet concrete are removed, the mold is allowed to dry for a few days. Once it is ready, the piece is smoothed, polished and sealed with a paste wax to protect the surface from damage.

''It glows like a piece of furniture,'' said Leidke as he ran his hand across the surface of one piece.

Leidke has been a contractor for more than 30 years, doing ''a little bit of everything,'' including carpentry, plumbing and electrical work, he said. But his expertise with cement is what sets him apart, he said.

''He knows exactly what to do and how to do it,'' said Angel Colls, one of Leidke's customers who lives in West Kendall.

Rodolfo Vega, Leidke's assistant, said he considers Leidke an artist.

''He sees the cement differently,'' Vega said.

Leidke has transformed his garage into a workshop. In the center, a giant table holds cement pieces in various stages of creation. Samples of his designs line one wall while supplies including caulk, sealant and paint are on another. Glass, sand and wood are piled in corners. The work even spills out into the driveway, where a huge cement slab lies under the sun waiting to be polished.

''This is like play for me,'' he said with a laugh. `I don't do it for the money. If I wasn't getting paid, I'd still be doing something like this.''

Leidke has begun experimenting with new colors, and recently entered an art contest being sponsored by The Miami Herald. Four winners will have their work shown at Art Basel Miami Beach in December as a full-color newspaper page. He plans on entering more art expositions and to show his work at local arts and crafts shows. Leidke hopes his work will give him credibility as an artist.

''I want people to think of this as art and functional design in a home. It can be both,'' he said.