Cadabra

Granite is here to stay. The price point, while still high, will likely fluctuate downward a bit. Granite's solid character and timeless natural beauty can't be replicated by the cheap laminates or the plastics. Granite's beautiful dark greens and blacks will continue to blow-away all of the cheap imitators. Two of the things that keep Granite at or near the top of the kitchen list are 1.)its cheap imitators always look and feel cheap; and 2). its stunning combination of low-maintenance and solid natural beauty.
Formica, Corian, and ceramic tile will rank in the distance below concrete, sheet-copper and exotic woods. Tile is the most 'yesterday of them all. The Green crowd will make a minor splash with Bamboo and Cork, which have some genuinely appealing qualities. Teak anyone?

The dangerous "CLIMB" cut, when its blade is pulled through a crosscut, is the trademark of the RAS. It should be avoided, at all times. And, when ripping, the motor and spindle of an RAS can wobble, bounce and deflect enough to grab the workpiece and fling it across the shop. Massive, solid, table saw trunions and spindles don't dance around like the overhead RAS arm. Rugged slide arms with heavy ball bearings and a strong pivot bearing don't allow the "play" in a chop saw that is common to the RAS arm. Simply said, science and physics put the RAS at an overwhelming disadvantage.

As already stated in other postings here: Use the right tool for the job. 'Right' encompasses safety as a premium.

Long live the table saw and the sliding miter saw. Eventually the RAS bigots will all pass away and the bones of their extinct machines will be recycled. In the meantime we will all read their stories of being too cheap, or uninformed to equip themselves properly. Lore and legend still finds it way into print from guys who refuse to let their beloved RAS dinosaurs die. They are underwhelming.

Concrete as suggested is very recyclable in any true sense of the word, and it uses renewable sources of energy to make it.
Just because it didn't have roots, leaves and bark doesn't mean its not recyclable. Just think......aluminum siding, automobiles, plastic bags and beer bottles are no less "green" than concrete, yet we all know they are routinely recycled.

Don't put stuff in a landfill unless there is absolutely no other use for it. Miles of concrete roadways are being recycled every day. Scrap concrete is milled and reused as aggregate, and it makes great fill.

I too like wood. Too bad that wood (and composites, and plastics) are just too expensive and have way too many downsides to continue force-fitting them into marginal applications like outdoor flooring.

Ed -
Between you and the Mythbusters I think you've both proved that metallurgy has everything to do with hammer safety. And, of course the drop forging process is the other key. Actually, the two go hand-in-hand. Yes indeed, Metalsguy got it right.

The cheap steel hammers of yesteryear are where the lore, legends and horror stories are made. Millions of them still linger-on in garages, basement tool benches, and Dad's old tool box. Just toss the old dog out if you're not certain of its pedigree! Buy a well made hammer that is drop forged and you will most likely never have a problem with it chipping or shattering. None the less (all the more, even so) just never strike any hardened steel or brittle object with a hammer. Forgo the cheap punches and chisels at Harbor Freight; they are dangerous.

Reading the comments with stories of eye shrapnel are bone-chilling. Wearing safety glasses is a small inconvenience to save your vision. Just wear a patch over one eye for a full day. After that, you will gladly wear safety glasses over both eyes for the rest of your days at work.

BBlackford: Yup, waterproofing over a true living space is indeed, and in fact, necessary. However, in 99.9% of the outdoor decks and porches that are common across North America, there is no "living space" below them, merely patios and walk-outs, if anything at all. A lot of lawn mowers, garbage cans and plastic lawn toys call that place home.

Go ahead, if you like to spend that money, but don't try to hold the position that your expensive attempt at waterproofing is a detriment to the price trade-off benefits of concrete. By far and away, most porches and decks don't need any "waterproofing" at all.

Some 10 Mil. plastic sheet goods atop the galvanized steel roofing substrate is adequate to stop any water that penetrates a crack or a seam. As you may not know, water does not "move through the concrete". Gravity merely helps it find the easiest way downhill, e.g. cracks, through-holes, and along the edges. Giving water a proper gravity drain path & slope to the perimeter does the rest.

Also, your use of plywood (organics) for the substrate design of a concrete deck is, in and of itself, adding unnecessary risk. Plywood swells & shrinks, buckles & bows. Its inherent vulnerabilities to humidity and decay make it a less desireable alternative.

The rational choice for flooring of decks/porches is CONCRETE. I suppose this flies in the face of the wood/plastic bigots who can't climb out of their ruts, but eventually the combination of its environmental merits, its design flexibility, and its low cost will overcome every obstacle thrown in it's way.
Yes, if you are inclined to re-design your deck every few years (MusicalRattie) you can do that with concrete. Do a wee bit of prep/planning in the initial design, and you are off and running for an easy "new look" later on. Forward thinking (robwalker2) is headed in the right direction. When the use of concrete for decks & porches becomes ubiquitous, prices will fall dramatically and better design practices (unlike the expensive and unnecessary one used by (BBlackford) will prevail. I expect steel will take an important place in future design/fabrication practices using concrete. The weekend warrior and semi-pro builder will catch up, or simply be left using the "old stuff".
Wake-up folks, or you will become a road-kill on the highway of construction evolution.

Hey folks, just think about it! Concrete is as SYNTHETIC as it gets. Uses no biomass (new or scraps). Use no petroleum based plastics. Is 100% recyclable for a myriad of uses, including simply fill that is clean and safe.
There are no gaps to collect dirt & leaves, or high-heels. No splinters or warping. Creates a roof, under which rain-free storage (or a patio) is a freebie. No cupping that holds little troughs of rainwater & snow. No nails or screws that eventually loosen and lift. No expensive and time consuming fastener systems. No splits that show up a year or two later. Not slippery when wet. Easy to screed for consistent drainage slopes around corners. No need to carefully build framing to accommodate North/South or East/West flooring lines. Less maintenance (think ZERO) than any wood or plastic, or combination thereof. Can be colored. Can be stained for designs. Can have exposed aggregate. Can have stamped patterns like bricks, stones, and even like WOOD PLANKS. Can be a suitable substrate for tile, slate, vinyl, linoleum, etc. Easy to add an epoxy surface treatment. And on, and on, and on........Come on folks, talk me down on this, or just admit that wood & plastic decks/porches are dinosaurs waiting for extinction.

Mr. 2Paul: In late June I poured a 700 sq. ft. porch which wraps around 3 sides of our house at 36" above a sloping grade. Concrete was way cheaper than TREX, AZEK, and all of those exotic woods like IPE, TEAK, etc.

Even with a PT frame that is way overbuilt, it saved enough $$ for us to add color to the mix, for copper flashing, and for stainless steel fasteners everywhere. This floor will not chip, stain, flake, split, fade, rot, drip, mildew or splinter. We love it. No maintenance unless you choose to seal it occasionally.
Used a 3500 lb. mix with fiberglass fibers for reinforcement. Poured it over 24 ga. galvanized roofing, atop the PT structure. Poured 10" Sonotubes to 48" below grade for post bases. The difference between a 2X12 rim and the 2X8 joists (approx. 4") is the thickness of the floor.
Easy to poke holes through it for electrical. So far, this is a thing of beauty.
While it's true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, concrete has so many positives, I'm surprised it has not caught on everywhere. For us, it's was easy to lose the stigma of a "sidewalk" for this.