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Tiling Installation
Laying Out the Tile
After the tile base is in place, spend some time dry-laying the tile to work out the best looking top. Inside corners are critical because the grout lines have to align in two different directions. So start at inside corners and work your way towards the countertop ends. Spacers aren’t necessary, because you can easily eyeball the 1/8-in. grout lines for both dry-laying and the actual installation. On the countertop section containing the sink, work from both ends toward the sink. That way, you can custom cut one or more shorter tiles near the center of the sink where they won’t be as noticeable.
Another advantage to laying out the tile ahead of time is that you’ll know if you have enough tiles, and you can mark the backs of tiles (write on masking tape) that need special cuts like narrower tiles at countertop ends or in the middle of the sink. Also mark the tiles that need 45-degree angle cuts and the outside corner tiles.
Cut miters on all countertop front and end tiles (outside corner tiles need miters on adjacent edges), then cut miters on opposite ends of half that quantity for the nosing. Cut the nosing tiles 2 in. wide. Use the leftover sections for the backsplash.
Here are some of the major things to be aware of so your countertop project will be as smooth as polished tile:
- Before you pull your sink and trash your old counters, get all of your materials together, including the tiles, which may have to be special ordered.
TIP: Tape cardboard or paper over cabinet fronts to protect them. - If you’re replacing the sink and/or faucet, get those in your hands too. After the plywood is down, use the old sink or the template from the new one and lay it out exactly where it goes to make sure it’ll fit between the inside of the cabinet and the outside of the finished backsplash. If clearance is an issue, you can use thinner backsplash underlayment, or, if it comes right down to it, you can even thinset the tile directly to the drywall. But you may have to cut thin tile strips for the back edge of wider counters.
- Make sure you leave plenty of space for appliances. With the stove or refrigerator pulled out, it’s easy to hang counters too far so appliances won’t fit back into their homes between the new countertop edges. Most appliance openings between cabinets are sized exactly, so you’ll have to keep finished edges flush with the cabinet end. You can saw those nosing pieces narrower than the others. Don’t beat yourself up mitering nosings in areas that’ll be hidden.
Other Edge Treatments
Our mitered nosing technique is just one option for finishing the front edges of stone tile countertops, but the truth is that the pros use several different methods. The tile underlayment techniques we show are similar for all three methods shown below. Here’s a rundown of three of the most common edge treatments.
Wood edging: If you’re used to working with wood, this edge is by far the fastest and easiest of all methods. Before installing any tile, rip 1x3 wood that matches your cabinetry down to 2 in. wide, then rout the outside corner with any profile you wish. Leave off the Denshield nosing strip so you can glue and nail the nosing directly to the plywood. Sand and stain the wood then cut it to fit and fasten it to the plywood with construction adhesive and 3-in. finish nails driven into the plywood core. Use tiles and add another 1/16 in. to allow for the tile thinset to gauge how far the wood edge should project above the countertop surface so the wood and the finished tile top will be flush. Finish with three coats of polyurethane. Fill the grout line between the wood and the tile with matching caulk rather than grout or a crack will eventually develop between the wood and the tile.
Overlapping tile edges: As you can see, the front edge of the top tiles overhangs the nosing tiles, so the exposed, unfinished edge needs to be polished (we cut a simple 45-degree chamfer with the mitering jig, but you can leave it square too). This technique works best for marble or limestone tops because the material is soft enough to finish with an orbital sander and progressive grits of 100, 150 and 220 silicon-carbide or aluminum-oxide sandpaper. Begin by installing the countertop tiles first, overhanging the front edges using the same technique described above. Then polish the edges with a 4" grinder fitted with a marble-polishing disk and install the narrow front pieces as we show in the main story.
Bullnosed edges: This is by far the trickiest method because it takes skill to freehand consistent edges with a right-angle grinder. Check around to find a stone fabricator who uses special machinery to bullnose individual tiles for a cost of about $12 per lin. ft. Lay out the tiles, then mark the tiles that require edging. The downside of this method is that you won’t be able to finish your counters for several days while you’re waiting for the fabricator to finish. So it’s a good idea to lay out the tile on the old countertop and take the tile in for grinding before the demolition work starts.
Finishing Touches
One downside of any tile countertop is the potential for grout to get stained by food or beverages. We recommend two coats of grout sealant applied about a week after grouting.
Also, an ordinary wall backdrop can drag down a beautiful countertop. While all of the tools are at your fingertips, consider tiling adjoining walls. We used various-sized tiles of tumbled and honed (matte finished) limestone along with a metallic tile listel to finish the wall above the backsplash.
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