When looking to lower costs on a kitchen or bathroom project, many consumers often overlook granite tile countertops as an alternative to slabs of granite. By using granite tile countertops, home owners can reduce their granite counter tops expenses by as much as seventy five percent! To properly go down this path, there are several considerations and materials you will need. First, you need to ensure that your cabinets are installed and secured in place. You will need to properly measure your countertops and purchase 1/2" or 3/4" plywood. It is very important that the plywood be flat since your granite tile countertops will be mounted directly on top of the plywood. Once the plywood is purchased, you will need to make appropriate cuts so that it fits directly on the cabinets. The plywood can be attached to the cabinets using screws or a bonding cement compound. Next, you will need to select your granite tile countertops material. You will find that there will be less choices in granite tile than in other tiles. Don't let that discourage you as the available colors are ones which have broad appeal. You should consider the size of the granite tiles you will purchase. The smaller the tile, the more seams you will have.

The larger the tile, the less grout lines and seams. If grout lines are a concern, you should purchase polished edge granite tiles so that you can put your tiles edge to edge to create a look with minimal seams and grout lines. Regardless, you will also need to purchase tile cement and grout to properly install your granite tile countertops. Be sure to ask your local hardware store for the appropriate cement glue compound to attach granite to plywood. When selecting your grout color, the safest route will be to pick a near matching granite colors. If that is not available, go with a darker color that will be easier to maintain over time. Grout is available in a vast number of color choices. If your grout lines and seams are minimal, you will need to purchase non-sand versions of grout. Conversely, if your plan is to have bigger seams and grout lines, you will need sand-enhanced grout.

You are now ready to start the installation. If you are not comfortable installing the materials yourself or you have no experience working with tile, you should look at hiring a professional contractor or tile installer. Installing granite tile countertops is a bit of an art and you may not want to practice on your kitchen. Besides, you should also consider that the job will require a wet saw, diamond honed saw blades, and hand clamp tools for unusual scoring and breaking of the tiles. If you decide to take on this task yourself, be sure to plan the layout properly. Where you start is a major decision as it will impact where the grout lines will end up. Additionally, be sure to pay close attention to the grain direction of your granite tile countertops. It is very easy to get in the routine of laying down tile and realize that you accidentally laid some in a horizontal grain versus others in a vertical grain direction.

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