Hey all,
My neighbor showed me his latest “DIY” project – granite tile countertops for his kitchen. He used a pretty poor method of attachment though, gluing them with Construction adhesive directly over plywood. He butted them together with some black caulk in between as “grout.” It actually looks pretty good now, but I would expect it to fail pretty soon. He said he spent about $600 on the tile and was pretty proud he did it himself. He’s a great neighbor, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him it probably wouldn’t last. I think he got the idea from one of those stupid HGTV shows.
I’m no tile man, but how long do you think it will be before he asks me over to get my opinion on why his tile is all cracking?
Replies
I vote for quite some time. On a floor I'd bet it would crack soon from being walked on with all the hollow spots between the adhesive, but on a counter it could last quite a while. The caulk is less porous than the grout so the plywood may remain dry effectively.
Not a tile man either. Agree with Wayne, if they don't chop bone or sit on the counter it should last for quite a while.
Depending how porous the granite is there may be some bleed through from the adhesive.
Gravity works. The only reason for the adhesive is to prevent shifting, and not much is needed for that, given the weight involved. Or for sealing around a border.
Ha, Thanks for the replies all. Learn something new everyday!