How To Tile A Countertop- Preparations

I've been making progress on our apartment conversion project this week and decided that it might be fun to do a tile countertop for the bathroom vanity. Part of my decision was based on the fact that our vanity is an unusual size and stock countertops would not fit it. Hey, why not?

I'll divide the process into a couple posts because there are quite a few steps.

Tile A Countertop- PREPARATIONS

1. Start making the new countertop by cutting a study piece of 3/4" plywood to the right size. Our vanity was 58" wide by 22" deep. It sticks over the edges of the vanity by about an inch on each side.

2. Cut the hole for the sink. If you're installing a new one, use the handy template to mark it. Cut it out with a jig saw.

3. Next, we put thin strips of 1/2" plywood around the three exposed edges. This would help to support the v-cap (or sink rail) tiles that would cover the corners.

4. On top of the plywood we spread a thin layer of thinset and then 1/2" Hardibacker cement board. (Of course, cut out the sink hole first.) This will give us a very solid surface for our tiles to rest on.

5. We cut a small strip of cement board to act as our back plash and then attached it to the wall with thinset and Hardibacker screws. We were trying to keep from removing the mirror, but yet tile right up to it. Otherwise, I might have attached a plywood backsplash to the countertop and put cement board over that.

6. Put 2" mesh tape in the corner where the backsplash meets the counter as well as around the front edges over the plywood. The mesh will help the thinset adhere across the joints.

Next we're ready to talk tile. (Coming tomorrow...)

-Peter

By the way, see the finished countertop here.

www.CarpentryGuy.com