A tiled worktop is strong, durable and low maintenance. Water and heat resistant and impervious to most food spills, ceramic tiles make a functional and hardwearing kitchen surface. Available in thousands of colors, shapes, sizes and patterns, they allow great scope of creativity. Tiling a worktop can be tackled by an amateur but make sure that the surface is level, use an appropriate grout and waterproof sealant and reapply the sealant every six month. Remember that all unglazed tiles should also be sealed. Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of a tiled kitchen worktop.
Advantages
o Colorful tiles or mosaic make a great decorative impact in a kitchen and provide light relief from expanses of white units and stainless steel.
o Tiles are relatively cheap and easy to lay.
o A tiled worktop is hard-wearing.
o It can be replace easily if you accidentally broke one of the tile.
o You can easily match your kitchen worktop with the rest of your kitchen wall.
o It will look great if you attach a wooden profile edging instate of a usual tile edging.
Disadvantages
o Won’t be completely flat and thus won’t work effectively on it’s own as a kneading surface.
o If the grout is not flush with the tiles, dirt will gather in the cracks. Clean regularly with a small bush to avoid staining.
o Tiles can chip, so buy extra in case you need to replace any at a later date. (Note: Worktop needs a thicker grade of tile that a wall)
o Will need to be accurately cut and shaped to fit around pipes and sinks.
