Tiling Styles for Countertops

Ceramic

• Tile suppliers provide 4-inch countertop tile. Traditionally called "four-and-a-quarter" (because the pieces are slightly over 4 inches wide) in the building community, four-and-a-quarter varies between different shades, glazing consistencies and coloring. Four-and-a-quarter is durable enough for a countertop and can be made even more so by using an epoxy grout in lieu of traditional cement-based grout. The ease of cutting the material makes 4-inch ceramic extremely user friendly.

Porcelain

• Porcelain tile is impervious to water and stains and is more durable than ceramic tile. Porcelain flooring tile (12- to 18-inch) is also a tile countertop material. Porcelain tile comes in a wide variety of color and design flavors. Also, many porcelain tiles come with an added benefit for the kitchen countertop area of a home: the tile is often "heat-resistant," allowing the homeowner to place a hot pan or cooking utensil on the tile.

Tumbled Stone

• Tumbled stone is suitable for countertops and comes in a variety of sizes, from 4-, 6-, 8- and 12-inch tile. The downside to tumbled stone countertops is the required upkeep and maintenance; tumbled stone is extremely porous and requires regularly scheduled sealing and cleaning. Tumbled stone may be an ideal choice for non-heavy-use areas but the stone is too stain and damage prone for heavy-use areas such as kitchen countertops. Because of its out-of-the-box cushioned edges, tumbled stone is used as a trim, capping off and finishing corners and a countertop's leading edge.

Granite

• Granite tile is an affordable, user-friendly countertop alternative to granite slabs. Granite tile offers the same benefits as granite slabs (density and reduced upkeep) but granite squares have multiple maintenance-requiring grout joints. Oftentimes a do-it-yourselfer can find a deal on granite tile by visiting stone suppliers and locating leftover "remnants" cut into tile squares. Granite tile requires labor-intensive edging. Granite tile is also extremely difficult to cut.