Tiled Kitchen Countertop

forcheck · 02-19-2006, 07:56 PM

I am interested in replacing my Countertop in the kitchen. As of now I am leaning towards ceramic or porcelain tile. My Cabinets are only 12 years old and in great shape so Lets just say, for now, We'll stick with them. After removing the sink and the old formica countertop what should be my next step. I was planning on checking level and square in the corner and then using 3/4" plywood, a layer of plastic and then 1/2" wonderboard. What would hold up better Ceramic or porcelain?

Mike Swearingen · 02-20-2006, 12:41 AM

When we remodeled a few years ago, my wife elected to jump the 12" X 12" ceramic kitchen floor tiles to the countertops.
You don't have to remove the formica. Just screw down 1/4" cement board on top of it, then thinset and tile. They cut half-tiles for the backsplashes.
The tile people also recommended against porcelain or marble for the countertops because they scratch much easier than ceramic. The ceramic is very easy to keep clean with a 1/3 ammonia - 2/3 water spray bottle solution (she uses an old Windex spray bottle).
We put off-the-shelf wooden molding around the edges of the countertops stained to match the cabinets. Looks great!
Visit www.johnbridge.com for one of the best tiling expert tutorials around. (And tell John that "Old Guy" said hello. LOL)
Good Luck!
Mike

joediddy · 02-21-2006, 05:21 PM

i know tile countertops are a great match when you also have tiled floors but as for cleaning i dont think they serve the purpose of kitchen countertops. I use to have tile countertops in my old kitchen, but having to clean between the grout was a nightmare. So i opted to get something more durable and flat. Some say that marble is scratchable, but there are many manufactures out there that add composites to make them more durable yet look just as buatiful as a 100% natural granite slate top. For me i just got a quartz countertop like this one at http://www.dreamykitchens.com/countertops.html. It may be a bit more expensive, but the installation was just a breeze. I bought it precut and ready to install with a bit of gule. What could be more easy. A simple wipe after cooking and thats it. Spills never stain, heat doesnt warp it, what more could you want. Well worth the added bucks i think.

tgeb · 02-21-2006, 08:46 PM

I would recommend the John bridge forum or floorstransformed.com

They both have very good information.

One correction though,

sorry Mike

If you intend to go over the formica, you should not screw backer board down. just rough up the surface with heavy grit sand paper, and use a good modified thinset mortar.

Putting screws through the formica MAY allow moisture to get to the underlying partical board, which can swell and ruin the tile job. You should only try to go over formica counters that are in very good condition, no cracks or missing pieces for the same reason.

And Porcelain is OK depending on the type, I have porcelain floor tile and it don't get scratched.

Tom