Ceramic Tile Countertops

Your kitchen should be a reflection of your personality and a place that makes you feel comfortable working in. To this end, installing a custom kitchen counter top for your work space can make all the difference. If you don't want to be out the expense of a marble or granite slab for your counter top you can achieve wonderful effects with ceramic tiles. These ceramic tiles can be made with just about any design and color you can imagine since they are fired clay, so finding that perfect look should be easy.

Among the disadvantages to ceramic tile counter tops are that they do not provide a sweeping flat surface thus making the cleaning process a bit more difficult. You will have to take special care in the mortar lines that run between the ceramic tiles on your kitchen counter top. And as with any kitchen counter top, you should use a cutting board rather than cut directly on your counter top surface.

But the advantages of using ceramic tiles for your kitchen counter top are that the tiles are quite durable and will not be damaged if you set a hot pan on them. They are resistant to staining and will not be marred by the occasional acidic fruit juice spill.
Also, if you are a do it yourself home improvement buff, the ceramic tile is much easier to install than if you were setting a granite or concrete counter top.

Some of the most important things to watch out for when installing ceramic tile kitchen countertops are the strength of the underlying cabinets. They must be firmly constructed and all braces should be made permanent as the removal of a brace after completion of your counter top will cause it to crack. The subsurface material you use, be it wood or one of the water resistant artificial materials available, has to be carefully leveled to less than 1/8 inch difference over a 10 foot stretch.

It is important to decide if your sink will be flush with the surface of the tiles or if you are going to have a "drop in" sink that has its own surrounding lip that sets over the tile surface. There is a different process for each style and full instructions for proper installation of sinks in your ceramic tile kitchen counter tops should be studied and understood before beginning the do it yourself project. Included in this research should be consideration of the type of back splash board you will protect your walls with as the ceramic tile kitchen counter top allows for a number of choices.