Just trying to figure out my options. Getting to the end of the build and end of the money :-)

I have done everything I have wanted in the structure of this house, so pushing a few bucks, but already way more than my neighborhood, way more than I will get back out of it, but I intend to live here till I have to go to the nursing home.

My whole big thing is, I do NOT want to finance so just working with the dollars I have. Now that we are getting close to the end, with costs over-runs and a few upgrades it has cut into my "finish and decorating" dollars.

I could probably squeeze out some hi-max solid surface, and if it were just the kitchen, that would be reasonable, but the trouble is I have lots of countertops to do. Laundry, kitchen, island, office desk, downstairs kitchenette, and upstairs kitchenette - so just trying to figure out what I could do reasonable now, so that we can install our RO's etc. That and I really just want to be done :-)

But if I wait till later spring, might have a few more dollars to work with also.

So maybe I should do the solid surface kitchen countertops and then do the rest in the spring?

Our Menards has colors I like well enough for $15 linear ft. But I have an apron sink that I don't think they can do it right in the corner.

Could do the cheap stuff in the other areas? Thinking ceramic tile is reasonable enough, and pretty enough I think.

I am not a granite girl. Don't need high dollar anything, but I would like for it to look nice.

Any suggestions?
TIA

Epoxy grout was recommended to us as a better alternative to regular grout. "Better" is subject to debate. Tilemen hate it, but it does wear like steel, supposedly. It is more expensive and more difficult to use. For our 95 square feet, the epoxy additive ran less than $100 for the whole job. I think I found the price of $1.40 more per square foot as the upcharge for installation of epoxy grout.

There is absolutely no need whatsoever for epoxy grout on backspashes, by the way. I am not a tile man, that is just my personal opinion.

Regular grouts should work just fine if you maintain a sealing program and know how to take care of tile and grout. I never knew about resealing my grouted tiles until the past year. I never knew to not use bleach or strong cleansers on grouted tile - takes the sealant right off from what I have been learning.

If I got something wrong, I am sure someone will pipe up. Those are just some of the things I've picked up to this point.

Our kitchen project definitely took a turn for the worse with the installation disaster that was our tile project. The soapstone installation was cheaper, simpler, and cleaner in every way.

Some of the hidden costs of our tile project - - epoxy grout dripped on the INSIDE of our brand new Miele dishwasher, epoxy grout on the outside of the Viking wall oven, dumping of grout waste in our outside utility sink to the point where we expect we will have to replace the sink, and a tile job that stinks by almost every measure.

Get a quality installer and maintain direct control of the project if you do use tile.

Another budget-friendly option is Ikea butcher block. Yes, it has its pros and cons, and it's not for everyone, but if you like the look it's very reasonably priced.

I did think about the larger tiles, and that the darker grout would be better. Hadn't heard about the special grout though.

I did look at Ikea, they have some other kinds too that are reasonable. I figure for the straight stretches something like those would work just fine also.

Nice to know there are a few options. Thanks!

We lived with tile countertops in a rental property many years back, and disliked it for all the reasons mentioned above.

If I was having to make the countertop choice based on budget, I'd look at some of the really nice laminates, especially for areas such as laundry, desks, etc.

I do not know what all this down on tile is. Tile is the tradition where I come from, not Formica. Properly set tile can't be beat. But it does have to be properly installed.

*I* have just replaced a tile counter with a tile counter. There is nothing more functional, it's warmer to the touch than stone, and it's awfully pretty.

If you like tile, why not do tile? If you don't want tile and will have more money in spring, why not just put down plywood and wait to gather some more leaves from the money tree?

But, they were white grout lines - dumb choice to begin with. Even tho I did seal, and attempt to re-seal - it must have been an inferior sealer because it just did not work. So, I gave up on the sealer and actually just, ummm, bleached the grout once in a while - only needed to do it in a few high-use areas anyway. And using 12x12 tiles keeps the amount of grout lines to a minimum.

I'm replacing the tile with soapstone, but I did briefly consider doing a 12x12 grey tile with grey grout. I've seen it done on the diagonal in that color in a kitchen and it is very pretty. You can really dress it up with accent tile too.

I will be sure and post some pictures later. Maybe another month or so.... I hope :-)

Don't know how handy you are, but faced with the same decision and also not being a granite fan, I made my own countertops out of copper for less than $20/sf. You can do the same with zinc etc. For less work and an equally gorgeous look, I'd go for the IKEA or Lumber Liquidators butcher block.

Good luck!

It might not be so bad in an area not used as much as a kitchen or bathroom, but I know I'll never have a tile countertop in my kitchen again.

They are not going to crack on a counter unless you walk on it.

There are plenty of larger format wall tiles also available.

Even thin grout lines catch debris, and on a counter are a pain to keep clean.

I've never had a problem with grout either. It's cement. It's possible to stain it. But it takes work. Or a bad installation. I have never gotten food stuck in grout lines, and have always had tile (as everyone did where I live), though I did have trouble cleaning the pits in the marble counter when I lived abroad.

Riverspots, Here's a preview:

Rosie, Sugar Hill, GA

Rosie, thanks so much! How many patterns and designs is a good question! The order took 16 pages and in this picture you can't really see the window casings, gumdrops (garden window), flowers (outdoor), etc. They're grouting now. I will tell you that the tile cost more than stone would have, and the expert tile setters who worked with me, cutting one piece at a time to fill the angles so I could see the flow, don't come cheap. But the really important part is that this is handmade but extremely high quality tile. It doesn't break, or shatter, though the large pieces do come out of true because they shrink funny sometimes when they're drying (as they're being made). The grout lines are therefore wobbly. That's part of the look of handmade tiles, and not for people who want things to line up just so. Because I have such quality experts they were able to set them closer than they expect to be able to do with handmade. If you want to discuss custom tiling more we can start another thread about it.

To the topic at hand, my point about the grout lines is that where they're a little wider in spots they're even less likely to catch food. Setting countertop tiles closer together than 1/8" is not a good idea for that reason. Closer than 1/16" and they can't even get the grout in properly.

But when I say cleaning the grout is easy, I meant for people who clean. When I make these statements I forget that there are people who just want it to look clean and want counters and floors where the dirt doesn't show. I got a stark white floor (though with dark green grout to set it off) because I like to be able to see the dirt to make spot cleaning easier so I don't have to haul out the mop just when I dribble a little on an otherwise clean floor. I keep a sponge for spot cleaning floors. But for that one has to be able to see the spots!

As I've said before, tiled counters have always been the norm here up until the big stone boom. They know how to do counters. I've learned that in parts of the country, formica with no backsplash but the 4" upturn was the norm for a generation or more. (My folks have that in their breakfast room, but tile in the kitchen.) In those kinds of places, finding someone who knows what he's doing might be harder. But I can't see how a kitchen counter could really be any harder than a shower. Most aren't tapered to the sink anymore. They used to do smaller tiles so that they could be sloped for the water to roll into the sink. Like a shower pan. Other than knowing how to handle the v-cap, how different could it be? Even in the land of Formica there must be experienced, quality tile setters. It's a craft, but it's not all that arcane.