The Best Looking Black Granite Tiles!

Homeowners looking for a trendy and durable surface for the countertops in their home often turn to granite. The heavily abundant and aesthetically appealing material has been gaining popularity in recent years and it is available in numerous colors, thicknesses and cuts. Unfortunately, for most, it is also very expensive. Materials and installation costs combined can be as high as 60 to 70 dollars a square foot. As an alternative, many have been turning to the next best thing, granite tiles. These are smaller less expensive pieces of polished granite that can be laid on countertops, floors, walls and a variety of other applications. They are usually much thinner than a slab of granite measuring only about three eights of an inch thick.

Granite tiles come in the same sorts of popular colors of slabs of granite like crystal, champagne, Almond Mauve and black granite tiles. They are typically laid on surfaces using an epoxy adhesive instead of using grout in more common tiles jobs. Tiles have all the same advantageous attributes as slabs such as scratch resistance, resistance to extreme heat and cold, and the ability to repel about 99.99% of water that comes in contact with its surface.

Benefits to buying granite tiles for your countertop covering are that it is cheaper than slabs of granite and it can more easily be installed by yourself saving labor costs. Prices for different colors, cuts and thicknesses can differ drastically for tiles. One foot by one-foot basic absolute black granite tiles can go for about 4 to 6 dollars each. Multiply this by the number of square feet you need to finish, add in costs for epoxy adhesives and you have your quote. An eighteen by eighteen inch piece of tile can go for about double that of the twelve-inch model. Rarer colors can also cause the price to go up however it is still cheaper than a slab.

It should be noted that even with tiles, do-it-yourselfers should keep in mind that special tools will be required for installation and cutting of granite tiles. Most often, a wet saw is used to cut tiles and the same can be used for granite however, it should still have a diamond dusted blade to prevent nicks and dings when cutting. Sometimes these tools can be rented such as a wet saw yet if the business renting it to you does not have a diamond blade; this could set you back a couple hundred dollars.

Tile is still a great alternative to having slabs of granite installed. It is easier to work with and can potentially be done by a do-it-yourselfer. Tiles are far cheaper than slabs of granite at almost a quarter of the square footage price. Many of the same cuts and colors are available as well.