Granite Tile Countertops Layout and Design

The most important step in installing your granite tile countertops is the layout and design of your project. This is the step where you take measurements, confirm how you are going to do the job, and set out a plan to accomplish the task.

As mentioned before, if you are reading this article and have not read my other articles in this series designed to help you install your own granite tile countertops, then I recommend that you go back and read the other articles on selecting granite tile and choosing your materials. If you have finished reading those articles, then this article is the next one in the series.

All aspects of layout and design cannot be covered in this article. Each countertop installation will vary dramatically. Therefore, I will cover the basics and you can feel free to ask me questions regarding your particular countertop installation.

For this article I will focus on a hypothetical countertop with a sink in the middle to walk you through the steps of layout and design. Our countertop will measure 7 feet 3 inches long by 24 ¾ inches deep. The sink will be located near the center of our countertop.

To begin, you will need to determine how many tiles will have to be used for this given situation. Each tile is 12 inches by 12 inches. Therefore, to cover the seven foot length, it will require 8 tiles, and to cover the 24 and ¾ inch depth it will require 2 tiles. 2 times 8 equals sixteen whole tiles.

Now you may be wondering how 2 tiles at 12 inches can cover 24 and ¾ inches of depth. They cannot cover the entire depth. Now you will encounter a problem that requires a solution. Most countertop depths are standardized and you will encounter this problem with nearly every countertop installation. The extra ¾ of an inch could be made up with another tile cut to fit and placed at the back of the countertop near the backsplash, you could decide to shorten your front overhang by ¾ of an inch, or you could place a spacer behind your backsplash to bring the backsplash out further and eliminate the need for an additional granite tile.

Which option you choose depends upon your current situation. If you will be installing a tile backsplash in the future, I recommend simply bringing the backsplash forward with ¾ inch plywood and applying your tiles for your backsplash on the face of the plywood, you will need to decide how to cover the unfinished edge of the plywood and tile if you follow the method above. If your backsplash is new and you are not willing to part with it you may have to install a very small granite tile in the back section of the countertop. Finally, you may be able to reduce your overhang. A ¾ inch reduction in overhang on the front of the countertop will likely eliminate an overhang almost entirely. You have to be certain that you will be satisfied with the look of virtually no overhang.

Now that you have chosen a method for dealing with the depth of tiles versus the depth of your countertop, you must address the length of the countertop. In this example, the countertop measures 7 feet 3 inches long. 7 tiles would only measure 7 feet long, therefore you will need to use eight tiles. You could cut one of the tiles at the least visible end of the countertop. You would have to remove 9 inches of tile leaving only a small piece of tile behind. A better option would be to use full tiles and position a small tile in front of and behind the location of the sink. The sink will cover the majority of the cut tile and make it less obvious. I recommend this option.

Now that we have decided how to layout all of the tiles, examine the tiles that you are going to use. Look for any flaws or areas that you want to hide or remove. Place these tiles in less obvious locations or use them for the cut tiles thereby removing the defect. I recommend drawing a layout of the countertop and labeling the tiles with numbers so you can remember where you would like to place them in the final design.

Next we need to look at the layout of the plywood. Your sheet of plywood should measure 8 feet long by 4 feet wide. This plywood will have to be cut to size to fit the countertop and the overhang that you desire. Remember, you will later add a molding to the edge of this piece of plywood which will extend the length of the overhang by the thickness of the molding you choose. For example, if you choose a molding that measure ¾ of and inch thick and 2 and ¾ of an inch tall, this molding will extend your overhang and additional ¾ of an inch from the edge of your piece of plywood.

A typical overhang would be between 1 inch and 1 and ½ inches. Cut your plywood to size minus the thickness of your wood molding.

If this all seems too confusing, don't worry. As you begin the project it will all make sense. You will run into obstacles along the way and this article will help you with solutions to the obstacles.

Now on to the cement backer board. This should be cut to the exact dimension as the plywood that you previously cut. There is only one thing that you must pay attention to. Since the backer board is commonly found in sheet of only 5 feet in length, you will have to locate a seam along the countertop. I recommend placing this seam somewhere along the cutout for the sink. By doing so, you will be able to cut small pieces of the backer board to fill in along the edges of the sink cut out. The backer board is difficult to cut and does not allow for the complex cuts that would be required to make it fit precisely around the sink cut out with only one piece. Therefore, you should follow the method above and end one piece of the backer board at both edges of the sink cut out and piece in the middle sections of the cut out.

So now you have your tile layout for one countertop determined, you have cut you plywood to length and width, you have cut you backer board in preparation for installation and you are nearly ready to install your first granite tile countertop.

Your layout and design has now been determined. In the next article we will move on to the actual installation of the granite tile countertops. If at any time throughout the process you feel lost, refer to my articles or feel free to ask me a question. This task has many steps and can seem complicated, but with some guidance it is easier than it may appear.