Countertop made of tiles. Features and types of tiles. How to do it yourself.

Countertop in the kitchen, this is the main place of work of the hostess. Therefore, in the manufacture of countertops, such needs as strength, reliability, safety and aesthetic appearance must be taken into account.

Features of tile countertops

Finishing the countertops with tiles newfangled design solution. Such a surface will last for many years if you approach responsibly to the choice of material with which you will finish the countertop. To finish the work surface, stone or ceramic tiles are used.

Stone countertops are usually made of marble or granite. Such a surface looks presentable and practical. But most often the work surface in the kitchen is made of ceramic tiles or tiles, these materials are much cheaper. It is better to use a tile with a more convenient porous structure in the manufacture of countertops. For lining the kitchen surface using squares with a diameter of 30 × 30 or 46 × 46.

IMPORTANT! Tiles should be laid as close as possible to each other so that the seams can be masked (high-quality grout).

Benefits of Tiling

There are several reasons why a tile coating is most suitable for a countertop. Firstly, it is its practicality, there are no scratches on the tile. Secondly - an affordable price, lining the kitchen surface with ceramics will be cheaper than natural stone or solid wood. Do not save on tiles. The quality of the tile determines how strong and durable the surface of your table will be. The kitchen countertop, tiled, easy to clean, moisture resistant. She calmly tolerates any exposure to acid or alkaline agents. Also, the tile top does not fade. The only drawback is the cleaning of the joints between the tiles. When grouting, you can glue the tiles with masking tape to protect against contamination.

IMPORTANT! For facing the kitchen apron, you can choose the same tile as for the countertop. This will create the effect of harmony and unity, as well as visually increase the space in the kitchen.

Types of Tiles

For facing the kitchen surface, you need to choose a glazed tile with a 5th protection class. Tiles for the kitchen should not be afraid of fat, hot and cold objects, do not absorb moisture and is easy to clean. There is a great variety of kitchen tiles, consider the most interesting options:

1. Brick mimicking tile. This tile in the Italian style and Provence style, it will fill the kitchen with warmth and comfort.
2. Tile under the stone. She will decorate the kitchen in the style of Country and Classics, give the kitchen individuality, novelty.
3. Imitate the skin on the tile. It will fill the kitchen with an atmosphere of chic and glamor.Imitation snake and crocodile skin looks spectacular.
4. Tile with crystals, painted or handmade decor. These luxurious products are created for a rich decoration of the kitchen. They will add uniqueness to the interior.
5. Tile with ornament. Embody the most colorful and unusual design ideas. Decorate the kitchen with patterns, prints, ornament, drawings, abstraction.
6. Tile mosaic. It gives notes of oriental and Arabic interior. It is very practical, but you need to take it with a margin in order to select a drawing.
7. Tile with photo printing. As an image, you can take any picture, photograph. Thanks to special technology, the picture from the tile is not erased, does not fade and does not drain.
8. 3D tile. It will add dynamics to the calm interior of the kitchen and make the design as interesting as possible.
9. Tile with texture. Trend of the season: a glossy pattern is applied to the matte surface, it looks great and tasteful.
10. Figured tile. The tile is available in the form of polygons, trapezoid, round shape. Such tiles will turn the walls into a beautiful decoration.

IMPORTANT! Tiles for the kitchen can cover the windowsill, thereby increasing the working area. And if you tile the dining table, you get an original design solution, original and bright.

Ceramic variety

For facing ceramic countertops, you must choose a glazed tile. Preference should be given to small sizes of 10 × 10 cm - such a surface will look neat and elegant. For the edge and end of the kitchen surface, plastic or metal skirting boards, corners and borders are bought. A variety of colors makes it possible to realize the most daring design decisions.

IMPORTANT! Buy ceramic tiles with a margin, it can come in handy if some tiles break over time or need to be replaced.

Mosaic wealth

Mosaic - tiles of very small sizes up to 2.5 cm. Made of porcelain stoneware or marble, malachite or onyx, and other natural stones. Mosaic fragments can be of very different shapes. Tabletops decorated with mosaics look perfect and spectacular at the same time. The Mediterranean or Moorish styles will look very harmonious.

Mosaic for facing is divided into the following types:

• Glass - the most common type of mosaic, it can be matte, transparent, glass, with various shades and additions;
• Metal mosaic;
• Smaltovaya is the most expensive, but also the most reliable;
• Stone from travertine, marble, lapis lazuli.

Reliability and an unusual look are qualities of a mosaic. From small tiles you can add pictures and patterns.

IMPORTANT! The mosaic worktop has considerable weight, so when choosing a base, do not forget to take this fact into account.

Eternal granite

Granite countertops are very popular, but it is quite expensive. Granite has a great advantage over tiles and ceramic tiles. The kitchen surface is made of polished granite, has excellent water-repellent properties - this will not allow bacteria to accumulate on such a surface. It is characterized by increased mechanical strength - only diamond is stronger than granite. Such a countertop will last you really very long. Granite is a beautiful stone with many unique patterns and colors.

IMPORTANT! If suddenly on the countertop made of granite, scratches still appeared. They are easy to mask with a special wax pencil. The pencil is applied to the scratch and sanded with a woolen or flannel material.

Porcelain Tiles

Porcelain tile is a mixture of quartz sand, clay, kaolin, feldspar.This mixture undergoes heat treatment and high pressure treatment. In appearance, it is difficult to distinguish from granite. Porcelain tiles are extremely durable. And it has several advantages:

• Porcelain tile is much cheaper than stone;
• The increased durability, sharp objects are not afraid of it, it does not remain scratches and chips, firmly transfers all detergents;
• Wear resistance, long surface use;
• Heat resistance, porcelain stoneware does not deform when temperature changes;
• Increased hygiene, dirt is not absorbed into the countertop, to remove it, just wipe it with a cloth;
• Lack of pores, protection of porcelain stoneware countertops against mold;
• Similarity to natural granite;
• Unlimited product length, allows you to make a countertop without joints;
• A variety of color palettes.

IMPORTANT! Porcelain countertops reduce the noise level in the kitchen.

How to do it yourself

You can make a countertop with your own hands step by step:

• We select materials;
• Foundation preparation;
• Laying tiles;
• Overwrite the seams.

And now we will analyze in detail each of the points.

We select material

Kitchen worktops can be made of tiles with a smooth or embossed surface, specialists are more inclined to the first type. Also the mosaic countertop will look original.

IMPORTANT! When choosing a tile, you need to consider the size of the kitchen. The smaller the size of the kitchen, the smaller the diameter we take the tile.

Foundation preparation

The most suitable material for the base of the countertop is FSF or FB plywood from softwood. We measure the necessary sizes of plywood. So that during use, the countertop does not exfoliate from moisture, the plywood is treated with impregnation and waterproofing. So it is necessary to impregnate all the wooden parts involved in the formation of the countertops.

Then we mount the countertop frame, fasten the frame using side ties to the pedestals. Then we fix with screws. We also draw the side walls to the plywood, connecting them with metal corners to the screws.

Water-resistant PVA glue or carpentry for wood is applied to the thoroughly fortified frame. And we lay on top the second layer of plywood and fix it with screws. We place the screws at a distance of 10-15 cm along the entire perimeter. On the edges we attach plywood with a diameter of 4 cm.

The second layer we make notches 6 cm long. A paint net is applied on top of the notches, we pull it well over the edges of the plywood and fasten with a stapler.

The final step will be the application of water glass and waterproofing the structure. You can start laying tiles.

Laying tiles

To avoid distortions, you need to make markings and apply a cement layer that will connect the tile to the base. Mark at the edges two points in the middle and connect them with a line. We get the center line of the countertop. In the same way we mark the center in width. As a result, we get two perpendicular lines, they will be our guideline for the cladding of the countertop.

We spread glue. For reliability, a little primer can be added to the glue (approximate ratio 1/3).

We start laying with tiles on the side that will be in sight. You can start from the outside of the countertop. With a notched trowel, apply a layer of glue to the cement base. We lay the first tile on the corner of the countertop, lay out the first row, always observing the angle of 90 °, checking the external and horizontal lines using the level. The tile should converge with the markings made earlier.

By fitting the tiles under the sink, you can make an error of half a centimeter. The main thing is that the sink rests completely on the lined surface.

IMPORTANT! The tile is easily cut with a lever tile cutter, so to facilitate work when sawing tiles under the sink or refrigerator, you can make cardboard blanks and mark them up later.

To facilitate the work when laying the first row, we will lay out the end facing.

Next, we lay the tiles in rows, do not forget to insert crosses in the seams and remove excess glue. Be sure to control the plane using the level.

When finishing the countertops with tiles finished, you can proceed to close the end of the countertops.

IMPORTANT! Lay the tiles as close to each other as possible.

How to close the end of the countertop

We attach the slats to the top of the tabletop, they will serve as a support for facing the tabletop. From the front side we fix the angular outer profile. Thoroughly primer with a layer of cement, wait for drying.

When tiling, the first layer of tile must be laid with a protrusion on the thickness of the tile. After which the tile is cut, and glued to the end of the countertop. Cropped tiles or decorative borders are glued at right angles. And the underside of the trim is masked in profile.

When the work on the facing of the end is completed, the tile is slightly dried out, you can proceed to grouting the seams.

There are three types of tabletop end closures:

• so that the edge of the tile hangs;
• so that the edge of the tile protrudes;
• the most difficult option (usually trusted by the master) - closing the end face at an angle of 45 degrees.

Grouting

When the countertop is tiled, it is important to grout the seams correctly. For work we need: grout, foam sponge, wooden sticks, rubber spatula, mixer. When choosing a grout mixture, you need to pay attention to the recommended joint width. This work takes place in several stages:

1. We remove the remains of tile glue, you need to use a foam sponge or wooden sticks so as not to damage the countertop.
2. We clean the plate from the remains of cement.
3. We prepare the grout according to the instructions from the packaging. Remember to grout you need to cook in small portions. It dries quickly.
4. Ready solution (it should be like very thick sour cream on the eye) with a rubber spatula, fill all the gaps without gaps
5. After drying, wipe the tile with a sponge, often wetting it with water.

The tile top is ready to use.

IMPORTANT! For kitchen worktops, epoxy grouts should be selected. They are resistant to chemicals and acids, as well as temperature extremes.

Necessary tools and materials

For the base of the countertop we take three curbstones (a curbstone for a sink, a curbstone with drawers, a two-door curbstone) with a size of 1600 × 560 cm.

For the base of the countertop, we take two sheets of FSF or FB softwood plywood.

FSF - plywood glued with phenolic resin. FB - Bakelized plywood, it is saturated with Bakelite varnish (this plywood can be used in a hot and humid room).

We will also need:

• coal grinder with tiled disc for dry cutting;
• spatula - for grinding cropped tiles;
• spatula - 60 cm and 12 cm;
• glue of the increased fixing for a tile;
• level;
• crosses for tiles 3 cm;
• silicone sealant;
• protective composition for wood;
• latex or primer;
• glue for wood;
• electric drill;
• oilcloth, old rags for cleaning;
• felt-tip pen, pencil;
• water glass and waterproofing composition;
• stainless screws - 3.5 -3.8 cm - 400 pcs.;
• jigsaw;
• mixer;
• wood drill;
• bucket for solution.

The choice of tiles for cladding countertops

When choosing a tile for a countertop, three criteria must be taken into account.

• The appearance of the upper layer. For the kitchen, it is necessary to select the tile with the most even front side.Dirt will constantly enter porous tile varieties, and mirror surfaces require frequent cleaning.
• The material should be as durable as possible, because the countertop is a work surface with heavy use. The best option is porcelain tile, it withstands temperature fluctuations, mechanical damage, does not pass moisture.
• The parameters depend directly on the size of the work surface. For cladding, you can take tiles of various sizes, from mosaic to your imagination. It is important to remember that tiles must be selected so that there is less waste during operation.

Examples of interesting solutions

Great option, finish the kitchen with tiles. The tile is very easy to care for, it is easy to clean, resistant to factors from the outside and looks presentable. Consider the most interesting design solutions.

For small kitchens, a mosaic or a small tile is suitable.

Bright kitchen is the mistress's dream. Tiles can be selected in tone with the walls, in the same tone with the furniture. In one tone can be walls, countertops, kitchen facades.

For wall cladding over the work area, you can use more interesting shades, then the color of the countertop will overlap with the tone of the apron and you get a gentle play of color.

When choosing the size and tone of the tiles, do not forget to consider the size of the kitchen. Light colors will make the kitchen bigger, and catchy colors look stylish.

An excellent design decision is to add glass tiles to the interior.

The market has a great variety of stone tiles and stone imitations; you can also find tile imitation wood, metal.

Tiles can be not only of different sizes and colors, but also textured or smooth, glossy or mirror.

Choosing the color of the tiles, do not forget to take into account the degree of lighting in the kitchen.

Tile fits perfectly into the "Loft" style, tiles can be used in any design areas.

Some Care Tips

An artificial stone countertop does not need special care, but some recommendations are still worth observing. The surface of the countertops made of natural or artificial stone is enough to process with a special impregnation once a year. This impregnation prevents the penetration of moisture, prolonging its service life. Tile joints must be periodically covered with sealant.

Stone countertops must be sealed once a year. Use special stands for cold and hot. Do not cut products on the countertop, for this you need to use cutting boards. Surfaces made of natural stone must sometimes be polished. Tiled countertops do not need special care, just wash with warm water and soap

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