Any Carpenter/finishers out there??? Tiling a countertop

So, since the DIY forum i posted on has been so far not very helpful...

I'm preparing to tile our kitchen counter top. Before you say it's a bad idea... I realize that there are longevity issues and possible staining issues especially with the grout however, i'm trying to get this done as cheaply as possible. The cabinets were custom built and are wider than standard, throwing out the idea of a pre-made drop in solution. Re-laminating would cost upwards of $300 just for the materials and supplies aside from the fact that i have absolutely no experience with it. Finally, the whole kitchen really just needs to be redone but we don't have the money to so; i'd love to not kick myself 5 years down the road when we rip it all out.

That said, my question is... Do i need to use concrete board as a base for this? I already have a good solid base of 3/4'' plywood. I'll also be using a waterproofing/decoupling membrane i have left over from the bathroom. I'm primarily trying to avoid the concrete board because the cabinets are unusually tall (@ 6'6" i love!) and there's not a whole lot of room between the lower/upper cabinets as it is.

Thanks in advance!

 

I have seen guys lay down without the concrete board, but I personally have never done so. I am assuming that with proper prep and a good stable base, just about anything will work.

 

Plus it's not like we'll be walking on the counter...

 

If you have done the bathroom- follow the same- but know first if your plywood is water proof- if not consider this, as there are serveral types of plywood.

 

Use 1/4" Hardy board over the 3/4" ply, a good thinset, and epoxy grout.

 

could just use thinset over the plywood I have done this many times, but again, it depends on the plywood.

 

I'm a carpenter and no you don't need concrete backer board. But I would use a thin coat of oil based killz to seal the wood before you lay the mortar down. There is also a product that is in a spray can that seals the grout to its water proof and does not stain

 

The expansion between wood and stone is too great. That's where cracks in the grout come from. Sometimes you can get away with it, sometimes you can't.

 

That's a new one for me. I assume it would hold up better under the harsh conditions. I assume un-sanded would be the best choice for this kind of application, correct?

Ooh that's a good idea.

Right, which is what i was worried about however, with it just being a counter top that won't see foot traffic and the fact that i'll be using a waterproofing/de-coupling material, i was thinking that i could get away with it.

 

gonna agree w/ this,

its all about getting a level surface, the hardi board floating on thinset will acoomplish that.

have you considered a concrete counter?

cheap and custom, can look great.

you can also inset things


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