Do-It-Yourself: Look Like Granite Countertops
- 1). Sand the counter surface with a handheld power sander, getting it flat and deglossed. Wipe off the dust.
- 2). Measure the length of the top. Mark the center. Make a line front to back at the center, using a pencil and square.
- 3). Apply thinset tile mortar over the whole surface, using a notched trowel. Press a row of beveled granite tiles along the front edge of the surface, beginning at the center line and building out to the sides. Set the tiles so the finished edges face forward on the counter. Put tile spacers between them as you lay them.
- 4). Cut the end tiles at both sides on a wet saw to fit.
- 5). Press the second row of granite tiles in place behind the first row, again starting at the center and working to the sides. Repeat and continue, covering the whole counter row by row, putting spacers between all of them and cutting the end tiles on the wet saw as needed. Let the mortar set overnight and remove the spacers.
- 6). Spread unsanded grout over the tiles with a grout squeegee, pressing it into the spaces between the tiles. Use a damp sponge to wipe up the excess grout.