askjake

Tile on granite

Question from Tatyana: 

I have a granite countertop I'd like to cover with a tile made of rocks on mat...Is it possible to do? Or do I have to remove the countertop altogether? If it's possible... How can it be done?

Jake's Answer: 

Tatyana,

This is a first.  No one has ever asked me a question about covering up granite.  You may be on the cutting edge of starting a whole new design trend.

 

Granite would make an excellent substrate for a tile installation.  It’s heavy and very stable – two key components of making for a good tile underlayment.

To install the tile, I would recommend “roughing up” the granite surface with a mechanical grinder or a grinding stone, both can be found at rental yards or hardware stores.

After you have prepared the granite, apply a thin set mortar based type mastic then your tile right on top of it. 

Good luck and let me know how it turns out.

Thanks for writing.

Countertop pricing

Question from Chris:

Jake I am looking at updating my countertops. How much does Icestone cost per sq foot? I have about 25 square foot and for silestone it will cost me around $1800 for removal and install. 

Jake's answer: 

Chris, I went to Megan, one of our design consultants for help on this one. This is Megan’s response: It will depend on lots of things. Smaller projects are going to be a higher square foot price then a larger project. I will also list some ballpark pricing for the Vetrazzo. Ballpark price Icestone range $125-$175 per square foot. Vetrazzo  range $110-$200 per square foot.   Prices vary depending upon color and project size. I know this it quite a range, but hope it helps. The Vetrazzo is sold in the following slab sizes......54" x 30", 108" x 30", and 108" x 30".

Going granite

Question from Katie: 

My husband and I are thinking about purchasing pre-made granite slabs for our kitchen coutners. The slabs are bullnosed on 2 sides once on the long side and on either the right or left. The problem is, we want to use the slab on a peninsula so we need to bullnose the 3rd side, but the slab is only 24 inches wide and if we bullnose the third side, it will be too narrow for the counter width. We heard that you can buy granite edge pieces that just attach to the existing granite and are already beveled. Where can we get those and how much do they cost? 

Jake's answer: 

Katie, I have never heard of these edge extenders you talk about. I can’t imagine how they could be applied by a homeowner with any assurance they would stay on. The type of counters you described work ok in typical installations but you most likely will have to have a granite fabricator make the peninsula top.

Painting an island top

Question:  Hi Jake, My kitchen island is covered with a heavy duty tile ( I think it\'s a terra cotta floor  tile) Can it be painted with a paint that will withstand heat from pots being put on it?   

Jake's answer:  The one product that comes to mind is the paint used to paint the inside of fireplaces.  One such supplier can be found at www.exoticflames.com .  The colors might be limited and the application is a little different than painting fireplace.  The counter top will be subject to heavy use and scratching.  I would check with your local paint supplier to see if they have any recommendations. 

Salvaging and reusing Corian tops

Question:  Is it possible to salvage and reuse old Corian countertops, re cutting them to fit my current kitchen? How are they removed from the other house? Degree of difficulty as a do it yourself project? thanks, Ann

Jake's Answer:  Ann, yes, it is possible to salvage and reuse Corian.  We have done a fair amount of salvaging and reusing over the years.  Corian is typically glued to the cabinets, so with the proper type of prying, this bond can be broken.  Corian is easily cut, glued and sanded so the seamless look can be achieved.  Now for the clincher, if you want the finish product to look like a professional did it, you should hire an authorized fabricator to do the job.  It takes training and practice to make a Corian top look good - otherwise, you may land up with a botched job.