Flooring Tile - ceramic tile countertops

My husband and I have been countertop shopping. We are remodeling our kitchen into a "U" shape. We have a large amount of countertop with a bar top. I don't really want to pay 5 grand for stone or corian. We don't like the look of laminate. We can agree on tile and we can do it ourselves. My problem is "Can I live with a tile countertop?" Does it crack too much, stain too much? Is it hard to wipe down continuously. Will my kids break plates on it? Any opinions would be appreciated?

Hi Marklaur,
Yes you can live with a tile countertop!
wiping it down well I think you will have to do that no matter what it is constructed of. Will it crack? not if it is properly installed. Will it stain? the grout may if it is not sealed properly. (go with as dark a grout color as you can stand this will help with the staining factor.) I would use a hard tile (like porcelain) to avoid some scratching problems that arise from using a softer wall tile. (if you were to use a natural stone, laminate, or corian you will still get scratches!) Also do yourself a great service and either install or use a cutting board when cutting anything on the counter. (tile wreaks havoc with knife blades) Tile countertops have there advantages and disadvantages. One major advantage is if a tile ever does crack or break it can be replaced relatively easy and cheap. (try that with a 5000 dollar Granite or Corian top)
one major disadvantage is grout (it stains fairly easy) I have yet to see any sealer protect grout from the likes of things like red wine, or blood etc. (but, this too can be replaced with a minimum of effort and expense, just re-grout the stained area)
As for the last question will my kids break plates on it? You should know by now kids could break plates on a mountain of cotton balls :D
Corian,granite,laminate,and tile included!

Regards and Good luck with the plates!
P.S. John Bridge has a link on properly sealing grout, And I'm sure he would be willing to share it with you!

Rich Gately (Tileman1)

http://www.gatelytilecompany.homestead.com

I live with tile countertop and in many ways it is wonderful -- i put hot pots on it, bang jars with stubborn lids on it, etc. and haven't cracked it in 10 years (tile is about 30 yrs old). The one drawback is the darn grout and keeping it clean. It takes an occassional scrub brush once in a while to keep it looking good. Once the grout wears low, it's a nightmare - that's why I'm checking out regrouting. (Don't do what I and my predecessor did and use a strong bleach solution to clean it.) Good luck.

I've had tile for years. Looks great.Best in low use areas. Avoid in food areas tough to clean. I looked into corian - a little pricey. Currently looking into solid surface swanstone.

http://www.theswancorp.com/