Tiles have come a long,long way and the large tiles with a close grout is pretty maintenance free--and beautiful. We used to have them. Go with something that you love or you will never be happy. I, myself, have had a long journey. Two months ago I was willing to settle for a Caeserstone type but went to the stone yard (again) and a granite 'called out to us' much to my surprise. Installation will take place next week!
Denise

There's a lot to be said for porcelain or ceramic tile countertops. They are heat resistant and stain resistant. You can get nice edge tiles and create a nice thick edge. I personally feel that the grout line "problem" has been over-stated. You can use a darker grout and you can use a good grout sealer. Tiles for counters are out of favor right now, and that very fact makes them interesting. I'm doing sort of the same thing you are -- looking for something other than granite, think Caesarstone, while attractive and practical, might have too slick a feeling for my old-house kitchen. Am thinking seriously of butcher block, which happens to be what we have now, in combination with -- ceramic tile.

Bill - those counters are beautiful! Can you tell me the company who makes the tile? ...are you using the same for stove backsplash? I notice you carried it up into the bay window - or at least, that's what it looks like in the photo...

Sayde and Deniselie - thanks for your responses. I too think the grout problem is overstated - esp. with these larger tiles. Love the idea that because it's "out of favor" it is more interesting ;-)...and you both are encouraging me to act on my impulse to avoid the caeserstone and keep looking - maybe if I keep visiting stone yards, I too will fall in love with a slab, but it hasn't happened yet. Right this minute that rectified porcelain looks awfully nice - hmmm...i better look up 'rectified' - thanks all...

I wish I COULD tell you the company. The homeowner supplied the tile for that project, and no, there's no backsplash behind the cooktop, other than the little 4" splash that goes around the whole countertop.

Thanks, Bill!

We used Crossville's Empire Black Swan 28" x 14" unpolished tile on our countertops with unsanded charcoal colored grout in super thin grout lines. It's durable and very easy to maintain and I've received tons of compliments, although I think I'd prefer a lighter color in my next kitchen.

momorichel, I could almost swear the anonymous tilein Bill's countertop installation is Artistic Tile's Ironworks in either the steel or copper. We're using it for our kitchen floor.

Here is a link that might be useful: ironworks rectified tile

I love tile counters--I think the bad rap grout has is based on older grouts. The new grouts are not the same as what we all used to have in our old kitchens. (It's easy, sez my mom. Just leave a towel full of bleach on it overnight! No thanks, mom...)

Forgive me if this gets sent twice - cat on the keyboard!

Anyway, I was saying: the Black Swan is beautiful, and I thank all of you for your input and positive feelings about tile. It seems like it will cost a lot less for me to do tile than granite, which makes me wonder if that's why it's less "sexy" for re-sale - i.e., people think it means that you've cut corners? I don't know, just thinking aloud here...anyway, I do agree that it's come a long way and might be a viable alternative for those of us who want a less industrial look...I will check out the Black Swan and the Artistic Tile ironworks, while also lurking around the stoneyards - thank you all for your input!

The 30-year old kitchen I renovated had white porcelain tile countertops. The same in all the bathrooms and shower. The tiles were indestructable. The grout had failed, but the tiles were in perfect shape - unchipped, unstained.

Tile's just less sexy now because it's seen as dated, but if you choose a nice design and color in sync with the times, and you are not trying to sell, it will be fine.

I'd put in a bigger backsplash than the one shown, but that is a beautiful look (and I hate tile countertops)!

I'd go for subtle colors like the one shown rather than lighter colors.

Bonus with tile, you can set hot dishes right on it. Break one, and so easy to replace.

Outdated? Maybe. But everything comes back in style eventually, and understated good taste never goes out of style. :)

I have used 24x24 porcelain tile in black on a basement kitchen counter and tan on a bathroom. Use 1/16 spacers and match the grout as close to the tile color as possible. I love them. I am now doing a kitchen with 24x24 in a chocolate. If your kitchen is very high end fancy cabinets the tile might take some of the luster away as opposed to granite which would enhance it. I am doing this in a beach house with cottage style doors. The tile will look better with this than granite. As far as it being outdated? not the 24x24. the older look is 4x4 with grout lines being part of the design. Find a tile that has a matching bullnose. Do the backsplash in a coordinating tile that goes the full 18" from counter to cabinet. You will love it.

Does anybody has the new Porcelain kitchen counter top? They are not tiles but only one piece like you could have with granite. I want to know the cons. According to the Internet it doesn't chip, crack, scratch, take heat, etc. Is it true?

Noella

All true, A porcelain countertop is actually just a huge piece of ceramic tile. (Disregard the word porcelain. That's just a marketing term that has no real meaning in this context.) The ceramic tile is made in very large section, so large that in many cases, one piece of tile covers the entire countertop. The tile fabricator then cuts the piece to fit, cuts out the sink and faucet penetrations if needed, and treats the edges.INMO ceramic tile paired with stain-resistant urethane or epoxy grout is the ultimate material for countertops, and the one I chose for my own kitchen. It is completely stain and mar resistant and totally non-reactive because the wear surface is glazed with a form of glass that is immune to just about everything. You can put hot pans on it with impunity, cut one it, and spill on it without harm of any kind (except you knives will get dull very quickly.)

Of course, the tile does not have to be giant format tile, which is very expensive to buy and even more expensive to install. A standard format 12" x 24" or 18" x 24" tile, close set with a 1/16" to 1/8" grout line is more than adequate. It has few, very narrow grout lines, and with stain resistant grout, is immune to almost all hazards.

If you manage to chip a tile, then you don't have to replace a whole countertop, just the one tile. BTW, the chances of chipping a tile, barring striking it with a hammer, are pretty slim.

The only issue we have seen with very large ceramic tiles is that
they are sometimes not perfectly flat -- a problem that is getting less
common as the technology improves. But, be aware of the issue.

For more information on the distinction between porcelain and other ceramic tile, see Porcelain Tile vs. Ceramic Tile, What is the Difference? For a discussion of the available countertop materials and the pros and cons of each, see New & Traditional Countertop Choices.

Good luck with your kitchen.

Personally, I don't want grout, no matter how narrow, on my countertops OR on my cooking backsplash. Other people may and apparently do, have different preferences. I worry about grease and cleaning of grout, especially if I can't get to it, right away.

artemis_ma

Using urethane or epoxy grout, your worries would be groundless.

I had tiled counters with a tiled-in sink. It was an economic compromise...I would have preferred granite, but that was back in the 1990s, and it was still too pricey. I hated tile; it looked great, but I hated the lack of smoothness and the grout. I always had to put down cutting boards, foil, or some other cutting surface, whether to protect from germs while prepping raw meats, or to protect the counter from damage while cutting a slice of cheese or piece of fruit.

Never again.

Today, a counter from "through body rectified porcelain tile" is nothing like a ceramic tile counter of 10 years ago. The porcelain surface combines the best of all counter finishes. It's virtually indestructible.

The term "rectified tile" means that each tile has been checked (after firing), to be flat and of the exact same size. This is very important, since you need a very flat surface and you want very narrow grout lines for your counter. Have your tile setter check for flatness and size before installing nonetheless.

Make sure you use:

• Porcelain tile. Porcelain in the tile trade is a term used for a very hard, impervious type of ceramic tile. If a tile is marketed as a ceramic tile, it is much softer, lighter in weight and unless it's glazed, can soak up water.
• XL to XXL tile. Get the largest tile you can find. Many tiles come in 24" x 24". If you google extra large tile, you can find tile up to 24" x 48". This means fewer grout lines. You might have to buy these xxl tiles through a professional.
• Unglazed tile - glaze can chip, doesn't like knife cuts (see BB Galore's comment above) and can develop hairline cracks. If you want a glossy tile, you can choose a polished porcelain tile. Unpolished tiles can be polished by tile setters with the right equipment.
• "Through body" porcelain tile - you want the color to be consistent through the whole tile. If in the highly unlikely event that you should ever get a chip, it will be much less visible, if at all.
• Epoxy grout to match the tile color.

Good luck!

I have recently purchase some beautiful 12x24 porcelan tiles to use as counterparts in my soon to be built 32 ft Gooseneck Tiny House. They are beautiful and extremely strong and durable. I have seen them in a friends home for years... The key is to use Epoxy grout..strong when using thin grout lines. It looks beautiful when can get the large tiles with a matching flowing pattern....

Floor and Decor has large format rectified porcelain tiles. Like many on the forum I have installed and had many surfaces for counters and floors. Large format tiles are by far the most difficult to DIY install. Heavy and back buttering. Tile is hard and cold to touch. Wine glasses break on wood countertops and floors, too! Grout lines do have to be cleaned in all areas. In a bath I decreased cost by $2000 with DIY marble appearance 4x4 porcelain done on a diagonal. It was a beauty. Waterlox finish on wood is very durable. 10 coats, though! Considered epoxy grout on last project, wonder if it is difficult to work with?

I had porcelain tiles in a previous house. They were OK but I wouldn't (and haven't) done it again. I hated the grout line - it collected dirt even though the tiles were close together. Glasses and dishes broke easily when dropped. And I think that by putting them close together - on a counter top - just makes it look even more like you were going for a granite look but didn't want to spend the money. (sorry about the slam). Just so you know, some people are fine with the look, but some don't like it. I fall in the second camp. But you are doing your kitchen - do it your way!

Starcraft, on the full-bodied to tile, the way it was explained to me was that since edge pieces are no longer made, the best that you can do is have the flat tiles cut/sanded down (I forget how they said they did it) to use in lieu of true edge pieces and because those pieces were being cut through, you didn't want the color to go through the entire body. You certainly didn't need it and every piece in the room just on those that were going to be used along the edge of the countertop for instance.

practigal

Edge pieces are widely available, but not for every tile, which is why if you are tiling something like a countertop you need to select a tile that has a full complement of specialty pieces like bullnose tiles for use where the tile turns the corner. Not every tile is suitable for countertops.

I have seen tile sets where a glazed tile has been run through the grinder to bevel the edge. The problem with this approach is that the body of the tile, even if approximately the same color as the glaze, is not glazed and does not look like a glazed surface. Plus, it is much more susceptible to staining and discoloration over time because it is not glazed. On the edge of a countertop, this staining and discoloration will occur very rapidly because the edge is very exposed and rubbed against constantly.

We don't do it, and don't recommend it. Just a cursory glance at tiles offered by companies such as Dal-Tile and American Olean show hundreds of different tiles with specialty pieces for corners and floor transitions, so there is never a problem finding a suitable tile.

Now, if the tile is not glazed such as natural stone, quarry or saltillo tile, then beveling the edge on a grinder works well, but these tiles are high maintenance on a countertop, needing constant sealing and (depending on the tile) waxing. And, even with careful maintenance are susceptible to staining. Again, we don't recommend them for countertops unless the customer is fully apprised that he or she is buying a continuing maintenance burden over the lifetime of the tile.

Has anyone used the new porcelain countertops? They come in 10x5 slabs and are only 1/4" thick? They were in an article recently as a new substitute for marble.

I just saw the Stonepeak Plane series in the polished Calcutta marble- look today and was SO disappointed; I swear it looked and felt like cultured marble. They have ordered done samples of Neolith for me in the Satin finish. We'll see how they look. I can tell you that these are very expensive products, both the material and the fabrication.

Anglophilia what did you ultimately think of the stonepeak plane? Considering this, as I love the look of marble but feel unsure about its upkeep

"Now, if the tile is not glazed such as natural stone, quarry or saltillo
tile, then beveling the edge on a grinder works well, but these tiles
are high maintenance on a countertop, needing constant sealing and
(depending on the tile) waxing."

I'm sorry, but the same thing can be done with thru body color porcelain tile, and it requires NO maintenance at all, other than normal cleaning.

That said, the prices for solid surface countertops have come down so much in the last decade, that it makes it much more feasible to use solid surface instead of going with tile. I can't even remember the last time someone asked me to tile a countertop.

We put porcelain tile on our kitchen island 7 years ago and we absolutely love it. When I hear people say how outdated it is I just laugh. It is the most functional of all countertops and we love it. Getting ready to do my whole kitchen in it. Oven to countertop - no problem. Cutting directiy on top - no problem. Just seal your grout and go for it.

We design our home and had 6" tile on all our counters tops and island. Its been almost 20 year and I still prefer tile. We are remodeling another house and we are installing tile on the island. We had oak trim around the edges for the finish touch. Go with what you like.

Update-- those who asked-- I'm going back to the house where the pics were taken that I posted WAY back on 9/28/08, next week. They're finishing off their basement to turn it into a kind of guest apartment, and I'm doing a custom shower, so I should be able to get the name of the tile. That's the good news. Bad news us I'd be surprised if it's still available! But I'll get pics one way or the other. It's held up beautifully!

I recently installed large porcelain tiles on my island and countertop and it's just so damn gorgeous, I'm loving every moment of it. They look so much like granite as they are closely fitted together and done with a grout that is similar in colour. Porcelain tiles everytime!

Hi Susan Whicker! Can I see a photo of your kitchen counter? Thank you!!

Hi Pat Milba. Any pics??

Doing a kitchen upgrade, and considered switching to butcher-block for the countertop, but disliked the high maintenance. We found porcelain tiles that look like restored barnwood -- gorgeous. Some of those are textured but we found some that are smooth & edges are rectified (smooth edges so a very close fit). They're technically floor tiles, so pretty much indestructible. The matte finish is new to us, but they are still glazed & have the benefits that come with that. We had small square tiles before (they came with the house) and was impressed by how indestructible they were. Could put hot pots out of the oven on them, never stained or broke, easy to clean. Worries about grout & cleanliness are overwrought otherwise everyone in tile cultures such as Italy, France, southwest US would've died off from food poisoning! Modern grouts (you need to look for the right type -- epoxy, urethane) don't stain & some have antibacterial in them. Go beyond Home Dept to a tile specialty shop just to see the amazing variety out there.

I would never use porcelain tiles or any other kind of tiles on a countertop. Grout is a pain to clean, and from a re-sale standpoint, no one wants ceramic/porcelain tiles on a countertop anymore.

The porcelain countertops made out of Neolith are stunning, but from all I've read, not only are they prohibitively expensive for most people, the key to them being a success instead of a total, very expensive disaster is the fabricator. And unfortunately, there are very few fabricators who have any idea how to install Neolith in most parts of the country. Neolith has done a very poor job of introducing this product to the US (been used in Europe for years), without making sure there are trained fabricators in any area it is sold.

I know this is an old thread, but I'm going to hopefully open it back up. :)

Has anyone used the 24x48 tiles on a countertop? Did you miter the edges or what kind of edge did you use? Love this idea and feel like for a moderately sized U-shaped kitchen, you would have the same number of joints as a solid surface anyway. It's the edges I'm worried about.

Lindsey - I am glad you opened this thread back up. I have porcelain tiles on my island and absolutely love them. I am interested to the answer to you question as well.

I went to Floor & Decor and they have some really nice large porcelain tile options. I had a stain on my honed marble backsplash from some stained wood cutting boards/heat. We bought 1 piece of the porcelain to cover up the problem. Love how it turned out. This thin tile is actually meant to go over existing tile. :)

I love that!

It looks so good!

Same situation, considering a budget renovation, for a U shape kitchen without much large expanses of counter if you take into account range, fridge and sink. I have trouble spending 3 grand on quartz that i dont love. Marble would be great but everyone rips on how it ages. I am considering modern plywood edged thin counter with white formica or 24*48 marble tile (testing now to see how they fare in our kitchen for a few months). Marble tile counters would cost $300 and have 5 total seams: 2 at corners, 2 at the edge of sink (so small) and 1 in a recessed area likely to be hidden. With 24" instead of 25.5", i would likely need a sliver at the back, which is also likely going to be hidden in most cases by; small appliance like toasters, storage containers, etc.. I know it is seen as a huge no-no but getting nice looking counters for $300 vs $3000 makes me consider it. I also thought about integrating them in a wood or brass "inlay" style to make the edges more "on purpose" but i hear wood edges dont age well by water areas.

I have porcelain countertops and I adore them. Somebody came by and asked if it was granite. I said yes. Lol. They resemble granite so much and they clean easily. No regrets.

Anyone have any pics of their recently completed projects? We are getting ready to start one, and would love to see yours as inspiration!

Di did this 3 years ago using cheap home Depot polished porcelain wall tile. They didn't have edge pieces so I

cut the bevels by hand using an angle grinder with a diamond blade. 3 years later still looks great. Just use regular grout it's kind of dark and a little bit but the lines are so thin you don't notice.

You did a very nice job.