r/DIYHome • u/CWmeadow • 1d ago

Porcelain tile counters?

I need new counters but what I want is out of my budget right now. I was researching DIY options for short term since I'm pretty handy.

Am I crazy for thinking I could DIY a porcelain countertop using very large format tile (24" x 48") over a plywood base? I know I'd have some seams, and I'd need trim pieces to finish the front edge and increase the depth to standard counter 25", but that seems do-able. For a total price of approximately 10% of the cost of quartz, this seems worth the elbow grease. It could also potentially be done in 2 days vs waiting up to 2 months for quartz.

I have plenty of tiling experience, but not counters and not this large a size. What should I consider?

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u/desertdweller2011 1d ago

you probably could but tile countertops are my absolute least favorite countertop. they’re a bitch to clean and if it’s your first tile job and it’s not completely level your cutting boards will wobble

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u/CoconutJeff 1d ago

You could.

How bout butcher block or concrete

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u/CWmeadow 23h ago

Butcher block isn't durable around the sink area (I've dealt with it in a previous house) and it's not the look I want. Is pouring concrete counters easy to DIY?

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u/uslashuname 1d ago

Large format tiles are super fucking picky, like you can be out of flat only if it’s gradual across 10ft and it’s less than 1/16th of an inch out of flat, that’s 1/160th per foot. Your plywood may flex more than that. Your floor too.

And by the way, are your cabinets strong enough to hold stone or tile countertops?

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u/CWmeadow 23h ago
  1. Flex would mostly be a concern on the floor where people would walk on them, and I definitely wouldn't use them on the floor.
  2. Why wouldn't my cabinets be able to hold stone or tile?