How to Make Over your Countertops with Tile

Homeowners are already aware of the high costs involved in kitchen renovations- that’s why you keep putting it off. But there are some really inexpensive ways to bring new life to an outdated kitchen, and one of them is by tiling your countertops. 

Of course you’d love to have granite countertops, but if that just isn’t in the budget right now you can still do something about your ugly old formica counters. It’s a do-it-yourself project that adds both value and beauty to your kitchen- tile countertops look great, they’re practical, and you can make the change without breaking the bank.

Start with a “solid surface”

Tile can be set directly on top of a variety of counter materials, as long as you have a solid foundation. If you need to start from scratch, the best process is use solid plywood topped with concrete backerboard, and set the tile on top of that.

Plan ahead for your edges

With tile countertops you can trim the edges a couple of different ways. If you’re going to use a wood trim, then set your tile right to the edge and wait for both glue and grout to completely cure before attaching the wood edge trim. If you plan to use tile trim, like bullnose or chair rail, then set the trim first, before you tile the tops.

This way you don’t have to guess on the space between trim tile and counter tile. You can use masking tape to hold the trim tile in place while the glue sets so it won’t slip out of place.

Ready? Set!

You can use any size tile for countertops, just lay out a section dry before you start so you can plan for cuts. Use tile either specifically rated for countertops, or you can always use floor tile. You can add interest by mixing colors or inserting decorative tiles. Use a grout with latex additive or a grout sealer to prevent stains.

Your new countertops will look fantastic and you’ll be proud of how much money you saved by doing it yourself.