kitchen worktops-tiling-sensible?

I'm thinking of fliping over my worktops in the kitchen and tiling over what was the underside. Two questions:

1) is this crazy? Maybe the underside of a worktop (paper backing?) is unsuitable for tiling?

2) if OK - what sort of tiles - all I can find on google are floor and wall tiles. I'm thinking mainly about impact and heat fracture.

Thanks in advance,

Rob

Reply to
Rob Griffiths
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And chipping the front edge of the tiles. And making the underside of the worktop water proof. And creating a solid enough surface to have the tiles stick and not come off with expansion and contraction of the chipboard under normal temperature changes in a kitchen.

Floor tiles would normally be OK for this type of job. But seal the underside of the worktop with a dilute solution of PVA and water before laying on the adhesive. You might also need silicone sealant as a grout for the gaps, to stop water penetrating through. And use wooden boards to lay hot pots on when they come off the hob or out of the oven. And having to use chopping boards to cut things on and stop knifes scratching the glaze on the tiles.

Even the tiled worktops from kitchen sales rooms have these restrictions on them. So it's all part of having a tiled work surface in the kitchen.

Reply to
BigWallop

A nice way round this is a hardwood edge - held in place with pretty screws and varnished. Easy then to remove for freshening up every once in a while.

Mine are made of re-claimed blockboard, and I've not had any problems with tiles coming loose. The tiles are 2x2" mosaics, and hard enough for floor use. I used a mortar based adhesive with a fairly thick bed.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

I did this a few years ago for the MIL. I used a glazed floor tile and edged the fronts with oak. Stuck the oak on with evostick contact adhesive and screwed at regular intervals. I used a plug cutter to cover over the screws. Grouting should be carried out using epoxy grout, think you can buy this in the big stores nowadays but they didn't stock it when I did it. Buy it in no bigger than 1KG tubs. If you have never used this type of grout before, as I hadn't, be very careful and very aware of what is happening to it. It lulls you into a false sense, you think all is going well and then it starts to turn and before you can put your cup of coffee down it rapidly starts to go off. I suggest working as you go not to big an area at a time and finishing your grout lines and wiping of the excess from tile top regularly. You need everything to hand so your ready to start as soon as you have mixed up the grout, it comes as a 2 part pack. I had also varnished the wood edge prior to grouting but you may get away with just masking it off. Not a big fan of the tiled worktops myself however that's what she wanted and she was very pleased with it. But then my preferred choice of top is wood and that not everyone's cup of tea either! Hope this helps. Simon

Reply to
simon beer

Personally, I'd throw the old chipboard out and use plywood, at least 18mm, possibly thicker depending on span. Edge the front with wooden mouldings. Also, ensure that you use a flexible adhesive and grout like Arduflex 7001 Timber System. Seal the tiles and grout with a suitable product, such as Lithofin KF/MN Stainstop depending on tile type.

I'd use floor tiles. Wall tiles could be a bit thin and more likely to crack when something is dropped.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

I'd agree with most of this. Floor tiles stand up to being used as kitchen surfaces very well IME. For this grouting application I always use grouting powder mixed with 1/3 enamel paint and 2/3 emulsion paint. You need to leave this overnight to harden off, then cut back with a golden fleece, the next day. I prefer 1" wbp plywood for the base, but I find any bog standard tile cement thats slightly flexible works ok, as the grout seals the surface extremely well. The lifespan of this system is in excess of 25years. IME cement based adhesives are a bit rigid for worktops which may get soaking wet occasionally as a result of water leaks, leading to loose tiles. You need surface protection for the edge of the knives, not the tiles IME. Cracked tiles can be a cosmetic problem if something really heavy (cast iron) is dropped on them, so keep a few as spares if you are going to be there for more than 5 years.

Regards Capitol

Reply to
Capitol

On 25 Nov 2004, Rob Griffiths wrote

I've owned 4 houses over the past 20 years. The first had tiled worktops; the second didn't; and as we swore that we'd never again

*not* have tiled worktops, I've tiled out work surfaces in both of the last two houses. I did precisely what you're thinking of for a base -- bought the cheapest post-formed bench top I could find; flipped it over; and tiled on that. The tiles haven't shifted in over 8 years.

(Wouldn't be without tiled benchtops -- hot stuff straight out of the oven on to the benchtop; no worries about unremovable stains; and if one breaks -- which happened a total of once -- you just break it out and replace.)

Our current kitchen is done with floor tiles, using standard flooring grout -- I figured if it could take walking on, it could handle pots and pans. There's only the two of us living here, so it stays pretty clean -- the grout by the cooker gets irretrievably dirty after about 4 years' use, which means I've spent a total of two days' maintenance in scraping that part out and regrouting.

Reply to
Harvey Van Sickle

Do consider using a sealant, like Lithofin KF StainStop on the grout. It really does massively reduce the amount of staining.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

On 26 Nov 2004, Christian McArdle wrote

Sounds good -- I'll certainly look into that.

Reply to
Harvey Van Sickle

Make sure it is clean before you put it on though!

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

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