Denver Granite Tile Granite Tiles FAQ Denver Bathroom Vanity

How do I install the granite?

What do I do for inside corners?

There numerous ways of completing an inside corner. Some folks like to get very creative and spend quite a bit of time designing an inside corner. In most kitchens, the inside corner is poorly lit and is covered by a toaster, fruit basket, knife holder, etc... so we generally recommend home owners don't get too fancy there. Click HERE for 4 diagrams of inside corners that you could do in your kitchen.

What do I lay underneath the granite?

Plywood - The plywood is your main countertop support. It provides rigitiy to the backerboard and supports the most amount of weight. The plywood is screwed to the cabinets cabinet supports underneath. If you have a span between the vertical cabinet supports of greater than 18" we recommend you secure a piece of 2x3 or 2x4 lumber horizontally between the cabinet supports to ensure that there is no flex in the plywood.

Cement Backerboard - The backerboard serves as the grip for the mortar. The backerboard screws straight into the plywood. Many backerboard manufacturers have marked spots for screw locations. If you just had plywood underneath the tile and any water seeped through the grout, the plywood would eventually warp, swell, and likely break the tile above it; backerboard won't do that. We recommend that you cut backerboard to lengths that span from cabinet support to cabinet support so that the backerboard provides even more strength to the counter.

Thinset Mortar - Mortar is the adhesive that holds your granite to your backerboard. Mortar is actually a type of concrete. In its most basic form it just portland cement and sand that you then mix with water (just like concrete). You will use a tool called a trowel to spread the mortar onto your backerboard.

Can I lay your granite over an existing countertop?

The answer is yes. We hear this question most often from people who have existing formica counters. The first thing you need to look at is your backsplash. Can it be removed separate from the countertop? If the answer is yes then the road ahead is fairly easy.

Formica tops usually hang over the cabinet by 1-1.5 inches. You need to cut that off so that you have an even 24" deep surface to work with. Set the blade on your circular saw to the thickness of the formica so that you don't damage the cabinets.

At that point you'll notice that the formica is a bit thicker than the bullnose can conceal. So you'll need an extra big tile or two and you cut 1.5 - 2" strips of granite. This strips you will attach underneath the bullnose to cover the exposed formica. Because this joint is underneath the bullnose you usually cant see it unless you are underneath the cabinets looking up. As a result it just makes the bullnose look much more rich.

Why Granite Tile? Granite is the hardest material that comes from mother nature in abundance. To determine the hardness of minerals, we use the Moh's Scale of Hardness which ranks the hardness of all materials from 1-10. For example, pencil lead has a hardness of 1, fingernails have a hardness of 2.5, and diamonds have a hardness of 10. Granite tile is composed mostly of Feldspar (hardness of 6) and quartz (hardness of 7). To put this into perspective, a typical kitchen knife blade has a hardness of 5.5-6.5. Granite tiles with more quartz in them such as blue pearl have a hardness of 6.8-6.9 and that's why this granite tile can be used as a cutting board and not get scratched. The granite tile is actually harder than the steel blade!

Is it expensive? No, our typical granite sale for kitchen counters is about $550. Granite tile isn't cheapest solution but it's by far the best value solution. Unlike a man-made countertop, granite will actually increase the value and beauty of your home. At the same time granite tile costs a fraction of that of a granite slab.