How to Install Granite Tile Countertops Kitchen TileStep 1 Introduction to granite tile. Natural beauty, durability, resistance to heat and a sense of permanence are the hallmarks of a granite countertop. But ordinarily solid stone countertops are a pricey proposition due to the special tooling and installation required. In this story, well show you how to install an alternativea solid granitetile countertop that costs about the same as a professionally installed plastic laminate countertop. Thats for a wide variety of standard granite tile selections, but be aware that you can pay considerably more for premium selections. Well cover preparing a solid subbase of 34 in. Next well add a lightweight tile backer material called Denshield over the plywood. Learn how to install kitchen cabinetsbase, wall and peninsulausing professional techniques. Hanging cabinets is easy and youll save money. I LOVE the black cabinets I have solid cherry we had limited choices with K. Hovnanian. I would give anything to paint them. My husband cringesIf you cant paint your builder grade oak kitchen, check out these great ideas to update oak kitchen cabinets in other ways Give shape substance to your dreams with IKEA Planning Tools. Plan your perfect kitchen, bathroom, office, wardrobe or storage system before making a commitment. Use granite tile to create the look of a stone slab or solid surface countertop for your kitchen or bathroom for a fraction of the cost. How-To-Install-Self-Adhesive-Backsplash-Tiles_White-Wooden-Cabinet_White-Cabinets-Granite-Countertops_Twenty-One-Pilots-Kitchen-Sink_Faucets-Denver-615x457.jpg' alt='How To Install A Laminate Countertop Without Cabinets For Laundry' title='How To Install A Laminate Countertop Without Cabinets For Laundry' />And finally, well lay out and install the 1. The trickiest part of installing stone tile countertops is cutting a crisp, clean countertop nosing or front lip. This difficult task is simple when you use a homemade jig Fig. B thats clamped to a tile saws sliding table Photo 9 to cut perfect 4. To finish off the gap at the backsplash of the counter, weve designed a unique, easy to install detail Fig. A and Photo 1. 6 that efficiently uses the leftover tile trimmings from the nosing cuts. Figure A Countertop Details. To calculate the number of tiles you need, multiply the lineal footage of 2. Then add as many tiles as required to cover wider peninsulas or islands and subtract for cooktops, stoves, sinks or other built ins. Keep in mind that youll probably need partial tiles for filling around built in appliances as well as at least a half dozen more tiles to allow for breakage and miscuts. Have extra tiles on hand you can always return the leftovers. In addition to the tile, youll need A 2. A 5 lb. bag of unsanded grout for the tile joints. Unsanded grout is easier to work into the narrow 18 in. A quart of polished granite sealer to treat the tile and grout surfaces a week or so after grouting the tile Photo 1. It will help prevent stains from penetrating the porous surface and enhance the natural beauty of the stone. A roll of fiberglass mesh tape for taping the Denshield seams Photo 8. A 14 in. notched trowel for spreading the thinset Photo 7. A 4 in. or 6 in. A 2 in. Photo 1. A honing stone to soften sharp exposed edges Photo 1. A grout float for spreading and embedding the grout Photo 1. Color matching caulk to substitute for grout at inside corners Photo 1. Plastic spacers for supporting the backsplash tiles Photo 1. Step 2 Cutting granite. At first it might seem intimidating to work with tile thats made from rock, but its not difficult. While you cant score and snap it like ceramic tile, it cuts easily on a conventional diamond tile saw. In fact, youll make all of your cuts that way. Other than that, youll use the same tools, materials and techniques needed for ceramic tile except for the grout and sealer types. In addition to standard carpentry tools, you can rent or buy the tile cutting saw. If youre really organized and have underlayment installed and all the tile laid out and planned ahead of time, you can do all the cutting in one day. But if you want to take more time, it may be worth buying a saw, especially if you plan on tiling floors or perhaps a bathroom in the future. Also buy four rubber padded mini clamps Photo 9 to hold the tiles to the jig. Steel C clamps may crack the tiles. But use a couple of small C clamps to secure the jig to the saw table. Step 3 Preparing the cabinets. Photo 1 Getting started. Move aside stoves and refrigerators and pull the kitchen sink before removing the countertops. Then remove all of the lower cabinet drawers and doors and cabinet contents. Photo 2 Take out the old countertops. Unscrew the old countertops or pry them up with a flat bar if theyre glued. Youll have to climb into the cabinets to access the screws at the corners. Photo 3 Install the blocking. Screw blocking along the backs of cabinets into the studs with 2 in. Screw blocking to hidden cabinet sides. At finished cabinet ends, glue on the blocking with construction adhesive and clamp until it sets. Photo 4 Screw on the plywood backing. Rip 34 in. plywood to project past cabinet fronts 58 in. Put the plywood factory edge to the front. Cut plywood to length so joints meet over blocking. Predrill and screw the plywood to the blocking and cabinet fronts with 1 58 in. Photo 5 Cut out the opening for the sink. Lay out the sink opening following the manufacturers template or instructions and cut the opening with a jigsaw careful, dont wreck the cabinet fronts. Use a clamp and a block of wood to support the cutout until you finish the cut. Removing the old countertop can be easy if its just screwed to cabinet corner braces Photo 2 or tough if its glued down. One peek inside the cabinets will tell you how its secured. If its glued down youll have to pry it loose with a flat bar. Its best to pry from inside the cabinets to avoid damaging the finish. The key to flat, long lasting tile countertops is a solid plywood base. Thin cabinet sides or corner braces simply wont provide enough anchorage to hold the plywood flat and stable. After the tops are removed, youll have to build up cabinet edges with 14 or 24 blocking along cabinet backs, ends and areas where plywood splices will fall Photos 3 and 4. Cut the 34 in. plywood underlayment to length so it splices over blocking using the factory edge of the plywood in the front for straight nosings. Cut plywood to length to fit flush with finished cabinet ends and 1 in. Lumberyard Materials. Its not hard to estimate your lumberyard purchased materials. Heres what you need 34 in. Youll need a full sheet of 34 in. Tile backer Buy a 3. Denshield or cement board if Denshield is not available for every five lineal ft. Pick up enough 1x. Photos 3 and 4. 13 backsplash trim cap Buy enough 13 trim lumber that matches your cabinets along with the necessary stain and finish to cap off the finished backsplash Photos 1. Fig. A. One 1 lb. Denshield. One 1 lb. Step 4 Use cement board or Denshield for the tile backing. Photo 6 Cut the tile backer. Rip 3 12 in. wide 34 in. Score and snap the tile backer to fit flush with the plywood edges. Span over sink openings and mark the underside with a pencil, then flip it over and cut out the opening with a jigsaw. Photo 7 Spread a layer of thinset. Mix and spread a 18 in. Embed the Denshield in the thinset and nail it to the plywood with 1 in. Spread thinset over the backsplash and edges and screw on strips of tile backer with 1 14 in. Photo 8 Anchor the mesh tape with thinset. Lay fiberglass mesh tape over the outside corners of the nosings and joints, and over the inside corners of the backsplash. Anchor the tape with a thin layer of thinset, embedding it with a putty knife. Youre probably already familiar with cement tile backer board, which is completely acceptable, but a gypsum based material called Denshield Photo 6 is also a great choice for countertop tile bases. It has a gypsum core like drywall, but the core and the sheathing have been modified to repel moisture and accept a tile overlay with conventional bonding adhesives. If youve ever struggled with cutting and installing cement board, youll appreciate working with Denshield. Its lightweight and you cut, snap, rasp and fasten it exactly like standard drywall. All About Quartz Countertops This Old House. Made from one of the hardest minerals on earth, quartz countertops are arguably the most durable option for kitchens. Theyre also some of the most eye catching. They come in a wide variety of colors, including fire engine red and apple green, as well as earthy browns, blacks, and creams, with sparkles and veining for the look of granite or marble. But unlike natural stone slabs, which are mined, these slabs are engineered in a factory. Their primary ingredient is ground quartz about 9. For some designs, small amounts of recycled glass or metallic flecks are added to the mix. License Plate Recognition Code Project. The resins also help make these counters stain and scratch resistantand nonporous, so they never need to be sealed. Compare that with granite, the reigning king of high end countertops, which typically requires a new protective top coat at least once a year. In the past, the biggest knock against quartz was that it lacked the patterns and color variations you get with natural stone. But thats a moot point now, with all the manufacturers offering multihued slabs with enough flecks, swirls, and random patterning to make them almost indistinguishable from the real thing. They were once available only with a polished finish now you can get one with a honed, sandblasted, or embossed treatment. So if its the look of matte limestone, textured slate, or glossy granite that you want, theres a quartz countertop for you. Read on for help picking one to match your budget, your cooking and cleaning needs, and your style. Granite like movement in black and gray gives this quartz countertop a bold, traditional look. Shown Bellingham, about 7.