Kitchen countertops and ceramic tile

[lovemachine]

I need to replace my kitchen countertop. I know they can be quite expensive. So, I was curious about laying ceramic tile on top of my countertop.

Has anyone done this? What do you think about ceramic tile on top of countertops?

 

[E5RANGER375]

i have seen it tastefully done.

 

[E5RANGER375]

i think you will be surprised at how affordable nice new counter tops can be though

 

[shooter1054]

The big downside to ceramic counter tops is all the grout joints. You have to seal it up but good. If you don't, and you spill sometihing on it, it will stain. Then you will have to remove and regrout to get the stain out. SEAL, SEAL,SEAL.

 

[Mog]

We had ceramic tile for 20+ years-- loved it. But by the time we got rid of it, I was more than happy to get RID of it and upgrade! The issue was the grout lines-- they are a real PITA over time. Depends to an extent on the size of the tile-- the bigger the tile the less grout lines. We upgraded to granite when we finally redid the kitchen, and I *LOVE* it!! 2 1/2 years later I love it as much or more than I did when it was new! Check out Cabinet Barn 2, Kitchen, kitchen cabinets, vanity, shelbyville, indiana Wayne is a shooter, and has a lot of good products that are good quality and very affordable.

I need to replace my kitchen countertop. I know they can be quite expensive. So, I was curious about laying ceramic tile on top of my countertop.

Has anyone done this? What do you think about ceramic tile on top of countertops?

 

[Mog]

Don't know if that link made it through-- it's Cabinet Barn 2, Kitchen, kitchen cabinets, vanity, shelbyville, indiana

 

[Diesel Dan]

The grout lines a a real pain. They do look nice but a lot of cleaning.

 

[Mog]

That's what I *hated* by the time we finally replaced it. When we first did it was exactly what we both wanted! And looked GREAT!! But then I had to clean it . . . .. we had chosen 2" tiles. . . .

The grout lines a a real pain. They do look nice but a lot of cleaning.

 

[Brandon]

im not a fan of them. to me its a little old looking. i have seen several nice jobs... but personally im against it.

however it should be a fairly simple process. depending on the tile you use the thin set you use may bleed thru (think its marble?) that bleeds the color thru... i think.

also do yourself a favor if you havent thought about this yet.. buy several extra tiles just incase a few break over time...

 

[88GT]

i think you will be surprised at how affordable nice new counter tops can be though

Particularly if you aren't opposed to a laminate. I've walked into a kitchen that had granite-looking laminate and I literally had to get up close and personal with the edges to confirm that it was indeed laminate. The trick is to get a glossy style that mimics the shine and reflectivity of the stone variations. The matte laminate styles just don't look as good.

You could also check out the big box stores. They always have brochures of new products that simulate the look and feel of granite (and granite substitutes) without the price. Lots of options.

 

[rjstew317]

Go solid surface and don't look back. As a contractor I can tell you that tile on countertops is a pain. They are harder to clean, require more care, and you won't save that much vs a granite or quartz.

 

[gunman41mag]

The big downside to ceramic counter tops is all the grout joints. You have to seal it up but good. If you don't, and you spill sometihing on it, it will stain. Then you will have to remove and regrout to get the stain out. SEAL, SEAL,SEAL.

It's the bacteria that get in your grout, that is why nobody tile their countertop, I had my kitchen countertop done with granite & I had granite go all the way to the cabinets

 

[lovemachine]

Particularly if you aren't opposed to a laminate. I've walked into a kitchen that had granite-looking laminate and I literally had to get up close and personal with the edges to confirm that it was indeed laminate. The trick is to get a glossy style that mimics the shine and reflectivity of the stone variations. The matte laminate styles just don't look as good.

You could also check out the big box stores. They always have brochures of new products that simulate the look and feel of granite (and granite substitutes) without the price. Lots of options.

I wasn't aware of laminate. I'll have to check that out.

 

[eldirector]

My old place downtown had a tile counter top. It looked nice. My FIL put it in. He has it in his house as well. Tile is nice if you want an "old" look or some sort of pattern.

Here is the only shot I could find showing the old kitchen. You can see the tile backsplash with the blue accent. The small blue diamond tiles on the countertop don't show very well.

That said, it was an OLD house (built 1903), so the tile kinda fit in. It may not look right in a newer kitchen.

 

[justanotherjarhe]

You can seal it pretty well with a commercial grade sealer. The trick is using good grout that will take the sealer. i always bought the same brand grout/sealer from a flooring place. I cant recall any brands as ive been out of the biz for some time. seal the heck out of it and keep it clean. Reseal once a year and it will stay clean. Yes that is overkill, but stained grout sucks. We have ceramic tile countertops and backsplash with glass tile accents. The problem with glass tile is you cant use convetional grout sealer because it will frost the glass which looks like crap. So we bleach and reseal it with the crappy stuff every so often. No biggie really. If you like the look, go for it. If you are looking for an affordable replacement, there are better options. Habitat for humanity has stores where they sell all kinds of stuff including countertops for dirt cheap. There is one in Griffith.

 

[88GT]

I wasn't aware of laminate. I'll have to check that out.

Laminate is the "cheap" stuff put in production built homes. It's the particle board/plywood underlayment with the sheet of plastic heat bonded to the surface.

It's come a long way since the first 'tops were installed with it. If you can afford a solid surface alternative, it pays off in home value in the long run. But if you just can't justify the cost, there are some pretty convincing styles in laminate.

 

[theweakerbrother]

Do you need new counter tops or do you "need" new counter tops?

 

[patience0830]

I've done it tastefully.

i have seen it tastefully done.

Its heavy as h-e- double hockeysticks if you do it right with a mortar bed. You have to seal it periodically,(the grout), It's unforgiving if you drop anything glass or ceramic on it. The dish will darn sure break and you may crack a tile. and it's hard on knives.
It can be really pretty, BUu-u-T I'll never do it again. Corian or other solid surface if you can afford it. Formica if you can't. I'm gonna put in about a 4' piece of granite to work pastry on away from the main countertop.

 

[Mog]

My cousin redid her kitchen about 2 years ago-- she chose a laminate over solid surface to save costs. She really loves it, and it looks great! The difference (for the near term) is, she has to be more careful about what she sets on the surface-- laminate is not nearly as heat resistant as solid surface. She has no problem with the tradeoff-- she just uses trivets or hot pads to protect the surface. I LOVE the granite I got from cabinetbarn2, and although we haven't done the math to compare exact costs, it's not that much more for the granite. Point is, we're both very happy with what we have-- either option will serve you well.

Laminate is the "cheap" stuff put in production built homes. It's the particle board/plywood underlayment with the sheet of plastic heat bonded to the surface.

It's come a long way since the first 'tops were installed with it. If you can afford a solid surface alternative, it pays off in home value in the long run. But if you just can't justify the cost, there are some pretty convincing styles in laminate.

 

[Mr. Habib]

I would go with Line X.