Tiled Granite Countertop

A typical kitchen upgrade these days includes a new countertop. Granite countertops are a popular choice. Many opt for a solid slab of granite cut from a giant piece of rock. While I don’t really consider any granite to be a green product, using tiles instead of a slab seams like there would be less wasted stone. Anyway, this project used large granite tiles (18″x26″) to replace an old ceramic tile installation. See “Before” photo top right. If you have your heart set on Granite these can be a cheaper alternative to a slab. Since they a large there are fewer joints than with the typical 12″ x 12″ granite tiles you find at the big box stores. One word of caution on these is you want to make sure they are flat. During the polishing  process of manufacturing they can heat up and warp. I would check the stock you get before you bring it home or accept delivery. You can imagine how hard it is to get the tiles all in the same plane if they are twisted. I always recommend checking natural stone tiles for square as well.

The deck underlayment is made from one layer of 3/4″ cdx plywood (doubled up at the overhang) with Schluter Ditra membrane covering the whole surface and edges. The tiles were bullnosed at the tile edger ahead of installation. The backsplash is a 4″ x 4″ travertine with a 1/2″ x 1/2″ mosaic stripe. Both the backsplash tile and coutertop required stone sealer after grouting. The client had a few painting touch-ups to do, install the stove & sink and the transformation was complete.

A little note about ceramic tiled coutertops: Have you ever seen a ceramic tiled countertop, like the one in the before photo, that didn’t have a broken tile? I haven’t. If you are thinking about using this type of ceramic tiles for your kitchen consider other options. While these will work beautifully in a bathroom they just don’t stand a chance against that cast iron frying pan you just dropped on it. Read my article on Tile Selection for some help or give me a call.