Embarking on a DIY granite tile (3/8″ thick) installation for a kitchen countertop and have at least one remaining question. Substrate will be 1/2″ backer board screwed to 3/4″ plywood. Base cabinets are all sound. Design layout is on the diagonal – all straightforward. Thin set material will likely be an unsanded epoxy type.
The internet seems quiet on this one and Tile Council of A (TCA) publications do not address this specific issue. With hairline joints – What material, if any, would be most appropriate for grouting – i.e. sealing these joints? Sealing may be the key term here.
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Is hairline joints a requirement? If you give yourself 1/16" or 1/8", it should still look pretty sleek, but you'd have room for grout.
What Uncle Dunc said. Tec makes some great sealers. Even granite can benefit from a sealer.
http://www.tecspecialty.com/product_list.asp?catId=7&subCatId=2
Leave yourself the 1/16" grout line. That way an unsanded grout can anchor in between the tiles. And be sure to use a sealer that is food grade - normal tile sealer is toxic and shouldn't be used on kitchen countertops.
Yeah, yeah. Thought that would be the consensus. 1/16" joints it is. THANKS ALL!
I did about 75 sq ft. of granite tile counter top on my kitchen and master bath and here is what I did. I put down 1/4" cement board glued down with a tile mastic and stapled with 1/4" crown staples on 5" centers. Then I cut the tile to fit using 1/16" spacers for the grout. I then used a 1/4" notched trowel and thinset adhesive made for marble and granite that I got at Home Depot to set the tile. Next I cut and installed the wood counter edging. All the nail holes where puttyed and sealed then the edging was taped off on the top with blue masking tape to protect it from the grout. Then I carefully split a 1/2 gallon package of EPOXY grout into three equal quanities. With a helper I used a 2" stiff drywall knife to press the grout into the joints with the helper following to clean the top edge of the tiles. I mixed only 1/3 of the grout because this method is slow and the working time is only about 45 minutes which is enough to do one section of the countertop, (I had four to do in the kitchen) Using this method to grout is slow but it insures good filling of the joint and keeps cleanup to a minimum. After allowing the grout to cure I applied two coats of Miricle 511 impregnator sealer to seal the granite and grout, it is a solvent based sealer that is approved for food prep areas and it WORKS very well. A lot of tile setters don't like the epoxy grout because it is harder to work, with but most will admit that if it was a job in their home they would use it. The epoxy grout really does not need sealing but the granite definatly does need it, And every six months is a good time to re-seal it. So far it's working great, hope this help you.