# Granite tile for countertop



## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

Don't do tiles if you actually use the kitchen... The grout will hold bits of this and that and it will get nasty and disgusting. 

Check your local Habitat for Humanity resale store. Sometimes they have things you're looking for. 

Another reason you're right about the cabinets is that if they were originally painted then they probably used inferior wood -- it's called "paint grade" instead of "stain grade."

Another DIY countertop option to consider is concrete. Taunton has a book. Most of it's about making slabs and polishing them with diamond grinding wheels, but the last chapter is about poured in place. You finish it with a trowel. It's not as pretty, but I like the look myself. At least in the pictures in the book.

We have Corian in our kitchen, which we both love, but it's about the same price as granite -- all the solid surface countertops are about the same price (at least where I live).


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## TileArt (Sep 26, 2009)

You can use granite tiles just fine for a countertop. 

You want to make sure you have at least 1 1/2" of plywood on top of your cabinets for support and brace up any wide spans. You then want a tile underlayment of some type directly beneath the tile. I use Schluter Ditra, but a cement backerboard such as hardiebacker or fiberrock will work as well.

The key to a good granite tile countertop installation is FLAT. Take your time and get the substrate absolutely flat and use a good medium-bed mortar to install the granite. Keep your level or straight edge on the countertop as you work to ensure that everything remains flat and planar. 

You can use a 1/16" grout line (1/32" if you really take your time) to minimize your grout lines and your best bet would be to use an epoxy grout such as Laticrete's Spectralock to assist in making it stainproof. Also make sure you seal the granite if need be and definitely the grout if you do not use epoxy. Epoxy grout does not need to be sealed.

Here are some photos of a Granite Kitchen Countertop and Bar I tiled a while back. This counter has 1/8" grout lines (customer wanted) and I just finished grouting so there is a bit of 'framing' going on. (That's when the water from grout cleanup is absorbed into the sides of the tile and it looks darker around the tile edges than in the center - it dries out and looks normal)

Hope that helps, if you need any more info just let me know. :thumbsup:


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

Granite tiles are great for a countertop.

Use the same product that *pyper* would use to seal the concrete to seal the grout between the tiles.



> Another reason you're right about the cabinets is that if they were originally painted then they probably used inferior wood -- it's called "paint grade" instead of "stain grade."


*NONSENSE!!!*


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## jerryh3 (Dec 10, 2007)

Here is a thread with a picture of my countertop. Double 3/4" plywood with Ditra. Don't know if I would do it again. I should have went with a darker epoxy grout. The materials were about a quarter the price of granite slab and right around the same price as a higher end laminate(Wilsonart HD). 
http://www.diychatroom.com/f19/counter-remodel-14314/


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## jerryh3 (Dec 10, 2007)

TileArt said:


> You can use granite tiles just fine for a countertop.
> 
> You want to make sure you have at least 1 1/2" of plywood on top of your cabinets for support and brace up any wide spans. You then want a tile underlayment of some type directly beneath the tile. I use Schluter Ditra, but a cement backerboard such as hardiebacker or fiberrock will work as well.
> 
> ...


How did you do the bullnose?


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## TileArt (Sep 26, 2009)

I fabricate my own bullnose but there should be a shop or fabricator somewhere near you that can do the same.


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## jerryh3 (Dec 10, 2007)

TileArt said:


> I fabricate my own bullnose but there should be a shop or fabricator somewhere near you that can do the same.


Carbide router?


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## TileArt (Sep 26, 2009)

No, I use a diamond bullnose blade on my saw and dry pads from there. The diamond router blades work fine, too, but they still need to be sanded and polished.


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

> Carbide router?


*NOPE!* 
Carbide router bits won't last 30 seconds. This is stone my friend, not wood or laminate or solid surfacing - stone.

You'll need a diamond profile wheel then a right angle grinder with various size finishing and polishing pads. That's the cost of least resistance.

It is possible to use a belt sander with silicone carbide belts. First a 50 grit, then an 80 grit, then a 150, then a 220, then a 400, then a 1000, then a 3000. get the picture?

Another way is to use a $3400 wet router with a $400 nosing (round over) tool attached.


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

I type too slow!


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## jerryh3 (Dec 10, 2007)

Bud Cline said:


> *NOPE!*
> Carbide router bits won't last 30 seconds. This is stone my friend, not wood or laminate or solid surfacing - stone.
> 
> You'll need a diamond profile wheel then a right angle grinder with various size finishing and polishing pads. That's the cost of least resistance.
> ...


Sounds like a lot work. I guess that's I just went with the Rondec. Do you need a saw that has an adjustable blade depth? I have one of these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97360
I guess I could just buy a 6" profile blade and use shims to get the tiles to the correct height to cut.


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## TileArt (Sep 26, 2009)

That is an option. You can place more tile beneath the ones you are bullnosing and shim up as needed. Just don't use wood or anything that will soak in water and swell - but you knew that.

It is easier to bullnose each opposite side of a full tile then cut them down to size rather than keeping a 3" strip in place and get a consistent bullnose on it. Bullnose 'em first - then cut to size. :yes:

There is a fairly large learning curve to doing this so you may want to look into having it done for you. It'll probably end up being cheaper. If you have them done cut them to size first - let them deal with it, they have the equipment to hold them in place.


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

Speed I agree you should have someone else do the bull nosing for you. The profile wheel will cost around $160 and then may not fit your saw anyway. My profilers don't fit all of my saws.

Then as mentioned the learning curve is enormous. You will waste a lot of tile getting the saw setup to do the profiling.

Once the edges are profiled they will appear chalky and grooved and will have to be refined with a series of dresser grits.

A skilled shop will probably profile and finish the edges for you for around 10$ a linear foot. You can't begin to do it for that price.

The RONDEC is good too!


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

The nice thing about granite tile countertops, if the look works for you, is that if you were to drop something on it and create a crack or somehow stain a section? You just pull out the damaged section and replace it assuming you buy extra tiles (hint, hint).

I will back up and steer off track to reinforce another comment made and put in a plug for the Habitat for Humanity ReStores. If you have the patience to swing by and look around once in awhile you can find some great deals. A friend was renovating an antique building in downtown here and I stumbled on palettes of brand new, boxed, drop dead gorgeous Italian tile he got for a small fraction of what it would have cost on the open market per square foot. Leftover from some really large house somewhere (or someone goofed ordering) it was enough to do all the bathrooms and the entry to the restored space. 

Pier One here was redoing their track lighting to halogens or something and donated the old track fixtures to the ReStore. He got really nice, quality track fixtures (not box store crappy ones) for $1 each and the bulbs to go in them for $.50.


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the tips. Considering the price I can get on the tile it would probably be worthwhile. One thing I will certainly do first though is to paint those cabinates and see if I can live with them. If I'm not happy with them I'll probably not bother doing a tile job because I'd eventually replace the cabinates.


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## Phillysun (Jun 19, 2008)

Granite tiles can be used and set edge to edge so there is very little grout edge at all - less than 1/10". Just use a very dark grout color. There is more labor involved than with a granite slab and it is more important that the supporting cabinet top does not flex. This is usually not difficult to remedy and any added height is usually beneficial. 

The least expensive countertop material that looks decent is still ceramic tile. Not as resistant to abuse as granite but a lot easier to install and finish.


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## trendstone (Dec 16, 2009)

I think if you use your kitchen very often, it may be wiser not to granite tiles; stuff might get caught between them (no matter how tight they are next to one another) and cause it get dirty fast. Maybe you can save up some money for now and then have a giant slab installed when the time is right (I would recommend trendstone as well if you could afford it, it's beautiful)


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

Unfortunately I was being over generaous with my time and had hoped to complete this taslk sooner than later. I've had my house now for 1 week and I can tell I'm way behind and not going to get to do all the thing I wanted to. I'll be lucky to get it painted and get new flooring installed/finished.


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