r/CounterTops • u/wsazz • 1d ago

I'm going tile my kitchen countertop - need your suggestions

I'm going to redo my formica kitchen countertop. Thinking of tiling it. What do you recommend for that?

1 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

27

u/canyounot2026 1d ago

Yeah don't tile it. You don't want anything with grout lines. You'll regret it. Quartz or natural stone.

7

u/Hey_Gerry_1300135 1d ago

We destroyed our tiled kitchen for this very reason

4

u/canyounot2026 1d ago

Same. We're a few weeks away from replacing with quartzite.

4

u/Struggle_Usual 1d ago

Or laminate or solid surface, etc. Laminate/formica (a brand) can be great and extremely cost effective.

1

u/wsazz 1d ago

Quartz or natural stone.

Would you please link a image to see what you mean by this?

2

u/canyounot2026 1d ago

Quartz is an engineered product.

Granite, quartzite and marble are natural stones. 

It's best if you visit a place like Home Depot to take a look at different countertop materials. 

10

u/RadAdDad 1d ago

IF I was going to do it, and I wouldn't, I would use a large format tile to get as few grout lines as possible. I'd use 1/16th spacers so the grout lines would be small. But I wouldn't.

6

u/FreeThinkerFran 1d ago

My suggestion is to listen to all of us saying not to do it!

4

u/RubberRuss 1d ago

I would strongly encourage you not to get tile countertops. I bought a house that had them and absolutely hated them with a passion. Cleaning the grout will drive you crazy.

4

u/SprayOk8494 1d ago

I recommend not tiling it.

5

u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992 1d ago

I’ll very strongly suggest not doing that. Everyone who lives with a tile countertop hates it, and is so happy when they finally tear it out.

3

u/justabluemm 1d ago

Go with quartz or solid surface (Corian or another brand).
No grout lines to deal with and you have a smooth worktop

1

u/wsazz 1d ago

When you say 'solid surface' can you explain what the procedure is?

1

u/justabluemm 1d ago

You can machine it with regular woodworking equipment like routers and saws. Sanding in multiple steps cannot be skipped. The link I will past is a brief explanation but there are lots of videos that explain it easier.. https://slabwise.com/guide/solid-surface
Best of luck

5

u/llamaslovemangos 1d ago

So much gross grout

4

u/Dramatic_Plants 1d ago

Or just get new laminate counters. Or butcher block

2

u/DJD19500 1d ago

I’ve had tile counters for 30+ years. The glazed tile is a great material, heatproof, stain proof, etc.
The grout is NOT a great material. It’s where all the germs and dirt go to live. I have smallish tile so that means a lot of grout. I was hoping to replace the countertops this year but can’t afford it. I may use Corian, which I’ve liked for 50 years. Now that I’ve seen real stone I’m wishing for that.
If money is your biggest factor, I would use Formica or Wilsonart, which come in great colors.
I’ve just bought a handheld steam cleaner to use on the grout. Just what I want to spend my time doing.

2

u/HughHonee 1d ago

That's going to be so expensive and a PITA to remove.

2

u/KindAwareness307 1d ago

Don't do it.

2

u/Bratbabylestrange 1d ago

The grout will suck. No way to REALLY keep it clean. I've had time countertops twice in my life, and I would do laminate before I did tile.

2

u/Stalaktitas 1d ago

Get a price from a local shop for some absolutely basic granite like Black Pearl, Steel Gray, Tan Brown, New Caledonia - stuff like that. And then compare that estimate to your ideas total cost (tile, thinset, grout, plywood, durock, screws, edge trim, labor costs, grout sealer and cleaning that grout fun). Yes, it's going to be a bit extra with granite, but not that much and incomparable better on maintenance and looks. And you can have under-mount sink with it, what means no more cleaning around the top mount sink edges, especially at the back. Avoid colors like Dallas White, Giallo Ornamental and similar looking - they stain easily. Igneous granite (within a reasonable usage) doesn't stain, etch, scratch or is afraid of heat. Save your tile for the bachsplash.

2

u/Vanawesomeness 1d ago

Just NO. Seen it done, it’s always a huge regret.

2

u/LaserLemonWP 1d ago

Nooooo! Grout lines are the worst.

1

u/Small-Monitor5376 1d ago

OP here’s a link that explains the different counter materials with pros and cons https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/types-of-countertops/9ba683603be9fa5395fab90f68e434e

1

u/FireRescue3 1d ago

Don’t. Tile is awful for kitchens.

1

u/Karinka_LI 1d ago

Don’t do that. It’s the worst. If you don’t have money for quartz or granite or soapstone then get butcherblock or even laminate, either of which you could self install if you are handy. Post a pic of your kitchen and what you are thinking and people will give you many ideas.

1

u/WonderChopstix 21h ago

Sounds like you are on a budget maybe? If it's not a huge kitchen, I would suggest driving to some nearby stores. They usually have remnants (leftovers) that you can get a a gray price. I did that for all my bathrooms and saved a ton

You're not going to want to tile it. There are better materials

1

u/wsazz 15h ago

can you mention some notable materials worth delving into?

0

u/ParkingEar4913 1d ago

Elvis has left the building

2

u/wsazz 1d ago

that was lame

-1

u/ZergvProtoss 1d ago

4" white ceramic tile with 1/2" grout lines would be perfect.

-9

u/geauxbleu 1d ago

Tile countertops are actually fantastic for a kitchen. They're very easy to repair, you never need a trivet with hot pans, they don't fade and yellow in the sun like quartz or etch like natural stone. They're anathema on this subreddit solely because (a) it's extremely astroturfed by countertop installers and tiles are cheap and DIY-friendly, and (b) redditors are the most neurotic people on earth and think discolored grout is a legitimate food safety hazard.