Tile your kitchen counter tops
Changing the look of your kitchen is only a few steps away.This is a job that will require parts of two days to complete even though we will only be working for a total of a few hours.
We are ready to add tile to your Formica counter top. Below I have outlined the process
that we will use. I will walk you through the steps one at a time to make sure that this
will be a project you will be proud to show your friends and family. With the "holidays"
always just around the corner, now is a great time to start.
TEN BASICS for COUNTER TOP TILE
I. Prepare materials list and purchase items
II. Are the counter tops secure to the cabinet
III. Do the counter tops need repair for dents, chips or cracks
IV. Clean work area and set-up
V. Step one = create pattern
VI Step two = glue tiles
VII. Step three = Mix Grout
VIII. Step four = Pour grout
A. use plastic putty knife and laytex gloves on hands
1. putty knife to spread over area
2. gloved hand to force into all spaces
B. even the grout
1. smooth the surface of grout on tiles
2. run clean gloved finger lightly down groves
X. Step five = Wipe off powder grout from dry counter
We will measure the area of the counter now. Measure width times length. If the tiles that are
going to be used are the tiny one inch tiles, round both measurements up to the next full inch.
If the tiles are larger, round up the measurments by the full width of the tile to be used.
EXAMPLE: my counter is six feet three inches long. I am going to use five inch tiles.
I will call this measurement, six feet and five inches.
Now if your counter top has rounded edges you need to purchase rounded tile for this area. Make
sure to measure and add in the area for the "back-splash" also.
Along with the ammount of tile needed, we will also purchase the following Items:
#1. One box of "Fix-all" (if the counters have chips and cracks or missing spots)
#2. One rubber sanding block
#3. Four sheets of # 100 grit "wet-n-Dry" sandpaper (no other will do)
#4. One package of laytex disposable gloves
#5. One two inch wide plastic putty knife
#6. One four to five inch wide plastic putty knife
#7. One large sponge
#8. One mastic spreader (looks like putty knife except edge is serrated)
#9. Enough mastic (adhesive for tile) to cover square foot area measured for tile
#10. Grout for tile...sanded if we use large spaces between the tile, unsanded for small spaces
(ten pound bag is more than enough for twenty feet in length of counter. Grout is cheap, get
more than you think you will need so you do not run out)
#11. Three Clean cotton cloths or old towels
#12. A rolling pin ( the kind used to roll out cookie dough)
#13. Two throw away plastic pails ( at least one gallon in sixe)
We are ready to start. It is a fast job and we will be done in very little time.
After you have cleaned the counters of all objects, try to wiggle the counter. Do not rip
it from the wall, but see if it moves when you push or pull on the counter. If it moves
you must at this point secure the counter to the cabinet using wood screws. Do this under
the cabinet. You will see where the cabinet is attached under the counter. Add as many screws
as needed to make sure the counter is firmly attached.
The next thing we will do is to make any repairs in the surface of the Formica counter.
Even though the counter looks clean it may have oil or wax build-up on it. We will clean the
surface with the same product we use to remove soap scum from the bathroom shower. "Tilex" or any
other brand will work. Now that the counters are very clean we are going to "rough up" the shine
to create a surface that will form a better bond with the mastic and grout.
We will use the "wet-n-dry" sandpaper that we purchased to take all the shine off the Formica.
Wet the counter now with a lot of water. Standing water is what we want. Using the rubber
sanding block and one fourth of one peice of the sandpaper, lightly slide the paper across the
wet surface. Do this using long gliding movements of your arm. We do not have to push down on the
block. We just slide it across. Soon there is a change in the color of the water as tiny bits of
the surface of the Formica are being removed. Rinse the papered block frequently to prevent
build-up on the sandpaper. Check your progress by wiping off a section and seeing that it no
longer is shiny. Once you have sanded the surface shine away, rinse the counter and dry it with
cotton towels.
Now we will fill the cracks and chips with the "Fix-All".
Wearing the laytex gloves and usin a small throw-away plastic container we will mix the dry
powder with only enough water to make a putty like thickness of the "Fix-All". This product will
harden very quickly so we will work fast here. Using the clean putty knife, spread the "Fix-all"
into the crack and the scrape off excess. Use the wide putty knife to slide across the Formica
near the repair. If the knife is firmly pushed down on the good surface as we scrape off the
excess , the "Fix-All" will remain in the cracks and chips and be level with the rest of the
counter top. Clean the putty knife now before the repairs harden. Clean any residue off the
counter now. Do not let this "putty" harden anywhere that it should not be.
Remove the gloves and throw away all the waste from this first part of the project. We can
put away the sandpaper , block and "Fix-all" as we are done with them.
Now we are going to get out our tile and work on the pattern. If you like pretty decaled tiles
as an accent decide now where they will go. Lau out a one foot wide section on the counter by
placing the tiles where they will go. At this point you can change your mind a lot as to the
pattern of colors and textures. If you want to add new colors get the tiles now. After you have
placed the section and made sure you have the right sizes and shapes to cover the counter front
to back, including the edges, we can glue the tile down.
Using the mastic as glue and the mastic spreader to get an even coat of ridges, we proceede to
spread the mastic on the counter. We will only coat a foot and a half in counter length for each
foot of tile as we go.This will insure that wehave an even coat of mastic under our tiles.
Now our tile is glued in place we will run our rolling pin over it lightly and from many angles
to insure that the tiles are at the same height. Any mastic that is on top a tile must be
removed. Any mastic that sticks up between tiles must be removed. Now let this dry for the night
and tomorrow we finish the job.
Good morning ! We let the mastic dry overnight to be EXTRA sure it is set prior to the grout.
Now get open the grout bag and pour about two quarts of the dry powder into a large plastic
pail. The other pail is half full of water to rinse your hands and putty knife as needed.Add
enough water to make this look like cake batter, or very thick paint. It should be mixed until
there is no dry powder and all is smooth. Set the bucket on the tile area and with your gloved
hand take a blob of the mix and start rubbing it into the spaces between the tiles. Get it on
there fast and smear it into all the spaces as fast as you can. Now with the wide putty knife in
the other hand start spreading it over the tiles. Rinse your hands and the knife, dry off with a
towel and