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[JeanLouiseFinch]

I'm playing around with some ideas for redoing our kitchen backsplash and counter. Does anyone have a tiled counter as opposed to a typical Formica or granite style? Has it held up well? Do you have any specific recommendations or warnings? My biggest fear is that a can of soup or something will fall from an upper cabinet and crack a tile.

[ID2]

This is just my personal opinion. Whenever I see a tiled countertop I just think it looks very inexpensive, which it is! Looks like the home owner couldn't really afford a real counter and went to Home Depot, bought some tiles, and there you go....a countertop!

[Meezerpleezer]

We were house hunting and saw a beautiful home. The kitchen had tiled countertops in white. All I could think of was a) the counter top is my work surface and if I drop anything hard on it, the tiles could break, b) what a pain it would be to keep the grout clean, c) no flat surface to work or write on, and d) the cost to replace all the countertops. I lost interest and we moved on...

[NWOL]

I would not worry about the tiles cracking but I would worry about having to clean the grout all the time. I've had tile in bathrooms and kitchen for 20 years and the grout is a real pain.

[Still Raining]

I had a tile countertop in my last house and it was not a good thing. Since it is not a smooth surface, wiping up or brushing off something like flour is a nightmare. It catches in the grout trough so to speak. I would never have one again. It never cracked though.

[candys mine]

A tile counter would drive me nuts. Any crumbs or liquid spilled would gather in all the grout. An uneven surface to work on. There would be so much upkeep just to keep it clean. Just think raw chicken juice and trying to get that all cleaned up. I like my work surfaces smooth.

[candys mine]

P.S. I love tile back splashes!

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Thanks for the input, I'm glad I asked! A tiled back splash is also up for consideration. If we end up tiling at all, that's where it'll go. Thanks again.

[jaxs mom]

It's not that easy to break kitchen tiles. Personally I like tile a heck of a lot better than formica. I never work directly on the counter anyway, always on a cutting board or if I'm rolling out dough a very large silpat. I really like tile, it's a lot more attractive than formica is, which looks totally cheap and ugly to me and it's easy to keep clean. I've had formica stain, but never had tile stain.

[athenian]

We have had our tiled counters for twenty years (our kitchen is like those "horribly outdated" ones on HGTV). It has never chipped, the grout has stayed white with an occasional bleach pen use, I have never broken anything by dropping on it, and I can put hot pans on it. It is just now beginning to lose its gloss. It works for us.