Making a kitchen worktop with granite tiles

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johnelliott

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Anybody done this? I've been thinking about it quite a bit recently. About a year ago I did a tiled worktop using 100x100 ceranic tiles and tinted acrylic grout. I used a birch ply base and a 20mm ash edging strip. Seemed to work fine, and I haven't had any complaints from the customer, maybe because she chose the tiles.
Anyway, now that granite 300x300 floor tiles are quite easily available and at pretty good prices, I've been thinking about having a go with some. Granite is of course much stronger than ceramic and pretty much totally heat resistant.
I expect I would use either epoxy or acrylic grout
Any comments?
John
 
Hi John, what a coincidence - I am in the middle of fixing granite tiles to our kitchen worktop! I bought the tiles from Moorspace (www.moorspace.com) Night Black Granite at £44 sq metre.

My project is a "make-over" and using the existing worktop, fitting the new tiles over the over existing worktop tiles.

The worktop will be edged with American White Oak.

I have not left a grout line between the tiles, they are butted tight using a clear silicon sealer. They look great.

John
 
woodshavings":1yu5l8ne said:
I have not left a grout line between the tiles, they are butted tight using a clear silicon sealer. They look great.

John

Hmm, intersting, I'll have to think about that a bit. It striks me that the tiles would need to have been extremely accurately cut or the pattern would start to go wrong.

What are you cutting the tiles with?

John
 
I have a diamond blade Screwfix Ferm 600W Tile cutter. However, very few of the tiles need cutting except at the end of the runs and to fit around the sink cutout.

None of the tiles need cutting where they butt together except at the end of the run. - I am using them as cut by the supplier. I have attached a lip (appx 13mm) to the existing worktop edge to make it exactly 2 tile widths deep so I do not have to cut the tile for this dimension either.

The tiles are accurately cut as supplied and do not have any noticable runout when laid. Also, the black granite does not have a strong visual patten and the tiles have a very small chamfer on their edges - this seems to mask any minor adjustments. The main thing is to ensure that they fit to a datum line at the back of the worktop that eliminates any variations in the front to back dimension along the length of the run.

If the wall is out of true, then the "no grout" scheme will not work.

I am presently mid laying them and have not yet got to the point of cutting them for the sink - I plan to finish it all at the weekend. I will take pic if you would like to see result.

John
 
I laid granite tiles on our worktops and the tile shop recommended epoxy grout. As this was much more expensive I used acrylic grout and it needs replacing after about a year. I also had to seal the tiles but this worked fine. Definitely a great surface, totally heat resistant.
 
John,

I for one would be most interested to see the result. The kitchen at Castle Vormulac is scheduled for renovation soon and I'm open to ideas!

V.
 
watch out for the powered tile cutters, ther's a member on here who wore one out overnight :)
 
Yes but I did get a new one Tony :wink:

Anyone interested in a almost new tile cutter, I'm sure Mrs Bean will not miss her anniversary present :lol:


Bean
 
mahking51":22c9vpwe said:
Sorry if slightly off topic..
Anyone had any experience with concrete worktops? Popular in the US I believe.
Regards
Martin
I bought the book and read it. My conclusion, totally unsuitable for UK kitchens. Really only any good in a large 'arty' type of kitchen with a variety of worksurfaces. Lots of labour needed too.

John
 
I used grey granite tiles in our new bathroom. Didn't leave a grout line, like midnight, but used a thin smear of acrylic caulk around them. Also fastened them down with the same caulk (clear). The only problem I have is that if water is left on them it soaks in and leaves a dark patch until it dries out. I tried a tile sealing compund but it didn't work. The rule in the bathroom is to wipe down the surface if you wet it! Don't know how that would go down in a kitchen, though, as if your kitchen is anything like our the area around the sink and food prep area is often wet for quite a while at a time.

My stepson and daughter-in-law used slate tiles in their kitchen. Not to my taste, but still very classy. The slate has a softer, more porous finish than the granite I used, and the sealant works really well for them - water just puddles and doesn't stain. I didn't like the un-even surface of the slate, but that's just my taste in kitchen counters.
 
White House Workshop":3kyo519z said:
The only problem I have is that if water is left on them it soaks in and leaves a dark patch until it dries out. I tried a tile sealing compund but it didn't work.

This doesn't sound like any of the granites I have come across. It sounds as if you have been unlucky with the type of granite you have. Types of granite I'm thinking of, the idea of anything soaking into them is difficult to conceive
John
 
Granite is porous so it does need to be sealed against stains, even the worktops made from the block are sealed.I sealed ours, it doesn't make water stand in globules but we have no stains. I believe there is also a hygiene consideration, being a food preparation area.
 
trevtheturner":248ed1vj said:
Is granite porous? Ask Alf :roll: .

Trev.

I am not Alf but I can tell you that granite has a very low matrix porosity but can have a high apparent porosity due to microfractures. This depends on the source and history of the rock. It is more than enough to cause sealants to be necessary in most cases.
 
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