is a kitchen countertop made of porcelain ceramic tile a good idea?

Question

i really like the looks of it (i have glossy black 8x8 tiles) but am wondering how practical and durable it will be in the long run. has anyone had good/bad experiences with this type of counter? also what is the best space between tiles--i've got conflicting info about this--one guy said 1/16 inch and another said 1/8 inch. and also, what color grout would be best to use with black tile--i dont reallly wanna have white grout.

Whats core eon?

these tiles are actually wall tiles, salvaged from the bathroom of a very old office building. they are almost 1/2 inch thick, and show no sign of damage (probably because they were located high up the wall)

Answer 1

Using Tile on kitchen countertops is subject to debate [duh, I know...]; basically, I mean, ~ it's your kitchen, have it look the way that pleases YoU.

Of course, anything other than granite or concrete is subject to abrasion, cracking/breaking/scratching etc. So what? Be careful, use good common sense, clean it regularly, and have the surface your prefer. If you can afford granite, great! I cannot; and I love the look of ceramic tile.

Ceramic tile is very durable. Geez ~ how many homes built 100 yrs ago still possess it? Only issue/deference here, is dependent on how well it was cared for. Take care of YouR tile and it will last/be beautiful for decades.

RE issue of "space between tiles": This is usually dictated by "nibs" on the four edges of tiles; these nibs allow the tile installer to place tiles butting/pushing them [each tile] to one another, the nib disallowing the tiles to jamb/come in contact with the neighboring tile. Sometimes 8" tiles have a larger gap. My shower stall has a bottom border of 8" tiles [top is 4" tiles]; the gap between them [whether 8" or 4"] is the same, 1/16". The smaller the gap, the less grout = better, in my opinion. Check the outside edges of your black tiles for these "nibs"; place a couple of your tiles on a flat surface, pushing them together as far as they'll go: any/how much space? If no "nibs", check into buying a pre-made Grid: you set this on your tiling substrate, it provides the exact placement of tiles such that you have uniform distance [grout space] between the tiles.

RE choice of grout color: My best advice, under any and all circumstances [even when using white tile] is, NoT to use white grout. In the shower of mine [mentioned above], I have white tiles [2/3 of entire area], with accents in purple and chartreuse [& a super dLuX art deco design...]; Grout Color = light grey; LooKs GReaT! The thing is, white grout has been the standard for eons and most people just think it's the way it should be: NoT so! It's hard for many to envision what non-white grout will look like. But, for example, when people see my shower, they don't "see" the grout; they see a great-looking tiled wall; they don't notice the grout, don't notice that the grout isn't white.

For your Black tiles, use a dark gray grout. It will look fabulous.

Answer 2

I have one, installed it myself, and it is great! I highly recommend porcelain, not regular ceramic, as it is more durable. The other person who said you can't cut on it was incorrect. My wife doesn't like me to do it, but I regularly use the tile to cut vegetables on, etc. Also, if you use epoxy grout, then it is permanently sealed and you won't have issues with the grout staining, needing sealing, or wearing out. The look and durability of porcelain is an excellent, cost effective alternative to granite. It is heat and impact resistant, and depending on the pattern, it can look very natural. We chose an Italian tile from Home Depot with a marble type pattern and worked hard to match the patterns so that the look flowed from one tile to the next. It turned out beautiful, and we used it for the back splash and the bar I built also. It is all installed over plywood, and there are no issues with adhesion. I also used this type tile in the bathroom with similar excellent results. I installed them with only about 1/16" gap between the tiles so that it looks more solid without big grout lines. But I did use 1/4" gaps/grout around my utility room sink and it turned out very striking also. The epoxy grout comes in several colors. It is a little more difficult to work with than regular grout and sets up fairly quickly so you want to do small batches, but the extra work of the epoxy grout is well worth it!

Answer 3

I'm going to take the median ground on this one - don't use the tiles for the counter - get something solid and black - maybe granite - that goes with the tiles, and then use the tiles on the wall above the counter as the backsplash. You can use grey grout or black grout- personally, I'd use the black at 1/16th spacing.

I think it could look very dramatic that way.

Answer 4

i think that it is a horrible idea. i had tiles like this. and the tiles broke and there were dirt in betwwen the gaps. it was messy and yuckky.you cannot cut anything on the tiles, the tiles broke easily. and if you put any hot pots or pans on it, the tiles cracked. it was a disaster. then i scraped the tiles off and went for a GRANITE top.it is one whole slab and it has no gaps. i can cut, mince, chop on the counter and it does not crack to hot pots and pant. it is easy to clean as you dont have to rub the gaps.i suggest that its not everydAY THAT you will change your counter, so why not make it a permanent one? spend a little more. you will get the benufit on the long run.

Answer 5

you can use a charcoal grey grout. I would worry about using a gloss black tile. They will scratch over time. Plus, don't use floor tiles. Use one specifically for counters. I don't know about the grout gap, but you will need to seal the grout no matter what. My gut tells me the smaller gap would be better.

Answer 6

Be it my opinion that it may look very nice but not very practical. Think for a minuet about cleanup. Those grout line will be impossible to keep sealed thus your counters will never be clean. My I suggest something like core eon or even stainless steel. I guess I worked to many years in the restaurant business.

Answer 7

It is realy nice and beautiful but you have to be extra careful in what you do on it even a little bang of a pot could crack it.

Answer 8

Do it.