Tile Countertops

Deciding what kind of tile to use on your countertop is a matter of form, function and price. In general, decorative tiles are used sparingly on countertops and used mostly as trim and backsplashes, while more durable tile is used on countertops.

Different Types Of Tile

Decorative tiles can be painted, etched, raised or recessed and are usually made of ceramic, porcelain, glass or natural stone. Unglazed tile needs to be sealed to protect against water while glazed tile doesn’t. Tile is placed on countertops and backsplashes using grout. Like unglazed tile, grout needs to be sealed and care must be maintained to keep the grout from cracking and water leaking under the tiles.

Granite, or any other natural stone, is an alternative to ceramic or porcelain tiles. Many homeowners are seeing the advantage of granite tiles over solid slabs of granite. One, they are not purchasing a large slab of granite and running the risk the damage anywhere along the way before it makes it to the home. Two, because granite does require special tools, installing a solid granite countertop really isn’t ideal for the adventurous do it yourselfer. However, smaller granite slabs can be purchased at a greater discount, as they are often leftover from larger jobs. Savvy homeowners are mixing and matching slabs as well as adding other types of tiles to their countertops to keep costs down. Finally, with granite, the tiles can be cut much larger, say 12 x 12 instead of the stand 4 x 4 or 6 x 6, which gives the appearance of a solid surface without the headache.

Advantages

Advantages to using tile are:
 Heat resistant.
 Moisture resistant

Disadvantages

Disadvantages to using tile are:
 Grout needs to be kept sealed
 Grout can stain
 If the tiles are small, the surface won’t be smooth

Tile Installation

Your local home improvement store should offer quick courses on tiling and there’s a plethora of information available on the web that will walk you through tile installation step-by-step.

Before you begin any tiling, make sure you have all the supplies necessary. If you plan to lay out a complicated design, do a dry layout first; where the tiles are fit together on the counter without adhesive to test the layout and make sure it looks right. Take a picture or label the tiles carefully before removing them to make sure mistakes aren’t made once the thinset is applied.

Grouting is always the final step once the tiles have been installed. When choosing your grout, try to match the grout color to the tiles and remember that the lighter the grout is in color, the easier stains will show.

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