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Have you put together the "how tos" because I'd love to tackle this project myself. Thanks for the information. Where did you get your tiles from?
Tiles for this project came from Lowes. They were one of the least expensive granite tile choices there - but the color worked for our kitchen.
As for doing the job on your own, if you've ever laid any ceramic tile, you'll find granite tiles easy to work with ... easier than tile, in my opinion.
The most important parts of this job ... and yes, this will all show up in more polished form in the piece I still need to write ... are roughly as follows:
- A level and sturdy base is critically important. I used 3/4 inch b/c (exterior glue) plywood - and made sure it was supported at least every 18" underneath. I made sure that all joints - that is, places where two pieces of plywood met - were supported from beneath, and I took a sander to them on top, to make sure the joint was smooth.
- People who lay tile for a living tend to recommend that a layer of Duroc cement board be attached to the plywood substrate as a base for tile. Duroc adds even more stability to the base. I skipped this step as I was confident of the base's stiffness - and have had good luck over the years without Duroc.
- Cutting granite couldn't be easier if you have the right tool. The right tool is a wet saw. Unless you plan on doing many many tile jobs, you do not need an expensive wet saw. The cheapest one you can find at home depot or lowes will suffice. They cost about 70 bucks and look like a flimsy, small table saw. They cut granite and marble and tile and such like they were slices of soft butter.
- Do a dry layout of your tiles first, before lathering them up with mastic. Give plenty of thought to this layout - and experiment. You're trying to minimize awkward joint lines. The most awkward spots, not surprisingly, are inside corners, if you have any, and at the sink.
- Unlike ceramic tiles, granite tiles aren't self-spacing. I use 4 penny finish nails for spacers because they are cheap and give me the size grout line I want - tight but not so tight that they are hard to work grout into later.
- Before laying the tile, attach and finish any edging you plan to use along the front of your countertops and, depending on how you're designing your backsplash, along the top of the backsplash. The edging should wrap around the raw plywood edge and protrude above the counter the same thickness as the tile you've purchased. Places like Lowe's and Home Depot sell oak edging. You'll usually find a bin of it in the tile section of such stores.
- Use good premixed mastic suitable for granite. It is readily available anywhere tile is sold.
- Once the tile is laid and the mastic has cured, it's time to grout. Grout mixed with epoxy sets up much harder than grout mixed just with water. It also is more stain resistant. It is sold as being totally stain resistant. This is a lie. All grout stains a bit with time. But, the epoxy grout is easy enough to work with ... just follow the directions on the box.
So, there you have a few train-of-thought tips.
Feel free to ask any other question!
for them to last long.
BTW Very nice job. They look great.
Although laying your own floor can be daunting at first, I have done it before, and would recommend it to others looking to save some money, just take your time with it!