The design and appearance of your kitchen and bathrooms contribute greatly to the value of your home. The style and material of the countertops contribute significantly to the functionality and value of your kitchen. Today’s savvy home buyers are interested in style and quality in home construction and the highly sought-after look of tile countertops is high on their must-have lists. Whether you are building a home or remodeling your current one, there are many advantages to installing tile countertops.
Reasons to Select Tile for Your Countertops
Installing tile on kitchen countertops provides wonderful aesthetic design to your home’s central room while providing great function, durability and style. Tiles from natural stones, ceramics, porcelain and glass all offer beauty and stability. The varieties of colors, shapes and patterns available are extensive and may be matched to any look that is desired for your décor. Ceramic tile designs can be as simple or as complex as you desire. Glass tile can be embedded with a wide variety of colors and textures as well as serving as an eco-friendly choice when composed of recycled glass.
Tile countertops of natural stones are durable, extremely resistant to heat and burns, scratch and stain resistant, and provide timeless beauty. Their hard surfaces are easy to maintain and last for many years. Granite, marble, soapstone and Jerusalem stone have become quite popular and today’s savvy homebuyer expects to see such materials in a home’s kitchen.
Tile Materials for Countertops in Today’s Homes
The custom look for countertops is in vogue now. The most commonly used tiles are of ceramic, porcelain, granite, and other natural stones. Today’s tile countertops fashion style is to use larger cuts and save small tiles for accents and trims. One motivator for this change is the need to clean less grout when larger tile patterns are used. Grout does tend to gather food and bacteria may develop there. Cleaning with warm water and liquid soap removes any food collected and the fewer seams between tiles, the less grout there is to clean. When darker grout is used, there is less stain from collected food. This keeps the countertop looking new and also helps accentuate colors in the tiles.
Granite tile countertops are highly desired because they are impervious to burns, cuts, stains and scrapes. Granite is one of the most popular materials for countertops today. One reason for its great appeal is that it never looks dated, but always retains its natural beauty. Granite requires little maintenance beyond sealing twice a year and cleaning as needed with liquid detergent and warm water. The darker the pieces of granite are, the more stain resistant and less porous they are. If a more matte look is desired in a granite countertop, you can select black granite. Premium granite tile is expensive but its durability and longevity make it cost effective over its lifetime. For a truly spectacular accent in your kitchen, you might even consider the one-of-a-kind look of a piece of silver or blue granite.
Other natural stone tile countertops such as soapstone and Jerusalem stone have a very rich, elegant appearance and also provide a heat resistant hard working surface. Jerusalem stone looks like limestone but has the advantage of being as hard and durable as granite, which limestone is not. Soapstone comes in many warm, soft colors. It resists cracking but can be dented if something very hard drops on it. Some like this distressed look, however, and do not consider that a drawback to the use of this material for kitchen counters. All natural stones require sealing, but soapstone requires more care than most others. Mineral oil must be applied to soapstone counters every other week during the first year of use, then only every other month in the years afterward. This helps the stone to oxidize evenly and maintain its beautiful color and appearance.
Marble tile countertops, especially white marble, continue to be perennial favorites but they do scratch and stain easily and are recommended for small areas of a kitchen only. The ideal use of marble is for a baking center. Install a low countertop only 30” to 33” in height and top it with marble for kneading and rolling dough on the cold surface which bakers love. Marble needs to be sealed with mineral oil also. Limestone is gaining in popularity because of its earthy tones and smooth surface. It, like marble, is softer than granite but is still a durable material. All natural stones are easy to clean.
Mosaic tile remains one of the toughest materials among ceramics. It is prized for the custom look it provides at a lower cost than granite and other natural stones. Colorful, rich mosaics are truly unique and add a distinctive look to any space in which they are used. Today’s acrylic and epoxy grouts are also more resistant to stains than traditional grout and require less extensive cleaning efforts. Colorful mosaics look great on Craftsman and Southwestern style decors. Mosaic and ceramic tiles can crack and chip but are durable and easy to clean. In fact, frequent cutting on countertops ceramic tile surfaces can dull knives so they are very scratch resistant.
Choosing and Installing Tile Countertops
When making your selection of tile material for a new countertop, consider the style you want, the color and appearance desired, the durability level needed and the price. Price is figured by the linear foot when installed. One way to save money is to consider installing the tile yourself. Consider the following when deciding whether to install it yourself or not:
- Do I have any do-it-yourself experience?
- Can it be laid over the existing countertop?
- Do I have the skills necessary or can I learn them?
- Do I have the tools necessary for the project?
- Do I have several days to devote to the installation?
- Is the potential savings worth the effort and work?
Ultimately, the look of the workmanship in the kitchen is crucial to its resale value. Make that the final consideration in all your selection decisions.
