If you want the look of natural stone for a fraction of the cost of a granite slab, consider installing stone tiles. The resulting countertop will not have the massive appearance of a slab, but it will have all the visual interest of natural stone. And, if properly installed, will be nearly as smooth as a slab.
Choosing Natural Stone Tiles & Trim
Granite is the most common choice for a kitchen top. It has tremendous strength and resists staining. You can also use any type of stone tile made for flooring, but ask your dealer about its stain-resistance and whether or not you will need to seal it.
Polished tiles 12 inches square make a good choice for a kitchen top, which is typically 25 inches deep; check your base cabinets to be sure the countertop will overhang them by at least 1/2 inch. You may choose to install a fairly thick backsplash in order to bring the tiles out farther.
At the front edge you have a number of options:• Cut 1-inch-wide pieces of the tile and tuck them under the edges of the surface tile. If you do this carefully, the appearance can be similar to a thick slab. If the face of the tile is polished but the edge is not, pay a fabricator to polish the edges, or apply several coats of clear lacquer.
• Decorative wood trim can be installed, about 1/16 inch below the surface of the tiles. But be sure you have plenty of fastening surface in the countertop substrate. If possible, fasten with a biscuit joiner so there will be no visible fastener heads.
• Install ceramic or stone bull-nose or V-cap of a color that harmonizes with the tiles.
Stone Countertop Installation
Prepare the substrate as you would for a ceramic tile countertop (see “Tiling a Countertop: Preparation”). Plywood topped with concrete backerboard is a good choice, but you can also install directly onto plywood. Take special care to install a subsurface that is very straight and level.
You can install the tiles in fortified thinset mortar, as you would a ceramic tile countertop. Use plastic spacers, and fill the joints with grout. If the surface is polished, keep the joints 1/8 inch or narrower so you can use unsanded grout; sanded grout can damage the surface.
Another method, which creates a nearly seamless-seeming surface: Cut all the pieces and set them in a dry run, butted against each other with no gaps for grout joints. Pick up two or three tiles and set them aside. Use a caulk gun to apply silicone sealant/adhesive in a pattern of closely spaced squiggles, and set the tiles in the squiggles. Continue working, pressing the tiles gently and wiping away squeezed-out silicone with a solvent-dampened rag. Use a beater board to maintain a perfectly flat and smooth surface. The next day, apply granite sealer to the joints.
Photo courtesy of American Olean
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