Countertops and backsplashes are surfaces primarily intended to withstand the dirt and mess caused by cooking and meal prep. Certain types of materials, like tiles, wood, and stone, are installed to maximize their resistance to moisture and staining. The same materials are also used to produce flooring. So, can you use floor tiles for kitchen countertops or backsplashes?
In some cases, yes, you can use floor tiles for kitchen countertops or backsplashes, provided that they meet certain criteria. Floor tiles are usually thicker and larger in dimensions than backsplashes because they’re designed to cover a larger surface area. Unless they are cut to size, it may prove difficult to install them on countertops or backsplashes in a manner that looks cohesive and beautiful.
There are other factors that come into play before we can decide whether a certain type of floor tile can be used.
Let’s take a closer look at them.
Factors To Consider Before Using Floor Tiles
Material
Due to the demand placed on floor tiles, they’re usually designed and made to withstand heavy foot traffic.
This means that floor tiles can be thicker and heavier than those typically used for countertops and backsplashes.
Consider whether the material used is suitable for these purposes. Will they hold onto the wall without issues, and can the counter manage the added weight of heavy tiles?
Stain Resistance
Given that countertops and backsplashes are constantly exposed to a myriad of different substances, it naturally follows that the material used to protect and decorate these surfaces needs to offer superior resistance to moisture and stains.
Determine whether the floor tiles in question are porous or nonporous.
The latter tends to offer more resistance to damage and staining while being easier to clean since they can be thoroughly washed without issue.
Appearance
Usually, countertops and backsplashes make up a compact and small amount of surface area.
With this in mind, most tiles that are designed for these surfaces tend to be smaller or stretched out in a singular piece to appear more cohesive, seamless, and attractive.
This isn’t the case with floor tiles.
You may need to customize, shape, and resize the floor tiles to look good on the countertop or backsplash.
More importantly, the tiles used on countertops or walls in the kitchen ought to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the kitchen as a whole.
It shouldn’t conflict with other elements of the decor or clash with the overall color scheme in the room.
Maintenance
When it comes to which surface experiences the greatest deal of wear and tear plus exposure to dirt and liquid, it’s the floors versus the surfaces in a kitchen that are debated.
To be fair, there’s a compelling argument for both since they each experience a specific type of exposure to dirt and stains.
Without a doubt in mind, countertops and backsplashes are always in the firing line since most of us cook at home.
Whatever tile you use needs to be resistant to moisture and stains, but more importantly, it needs to be the kind of surface that can withstand brushing and steam cleaning without facing damage.
Some stains and odors caused by meal preparation may necessitate the use of harsh or strong chemicals.
The tiles used on the countertops and backsplash have to be strong and durable enough to withstand these products and cleaning methods.
What Is The Best Tile For Kitchen Countertops And Backsplashes?
Since these surfaces are constantly exposed to liquid and food, I think it’s safe to say that the best type of tile needs to offer supreme resistance to moisture and liquid.
There are two types of flooring: porous and nonporous.
Porous flooring consists of natural materials like stone, wood, clay, concrete, and so on. There’s space between the molecules of porous-based tiles that allows liquid to set in and be absorbed.
Nonporous flooring is made from synthetic and processed materials that are either more liquid-resistant than natural-based floors or completely waterproof.
These types of floors tend to last longer and withstand exposure to liquids and moisture much better than others.
However, I would be remiss to exclude the fact that liquid or water resistance is measured on a scale. All porous-based tiles have different degrees of resistance, and it wouldn’t be fair to just say that they are all prone to damage just from regular exposure to liquid.
Porcelain and ceramic tiles are great examples of this and should be a good contender for the best type of tiles for kitchen countertops and backsplashes.
In fact, when we remodeled our kitchen, we found these large rectangular porcelain floor tiles that resembled marble.
We purchased a few of these tiles and used them as both countertops and backsplashes. They’ve remained untarnished, unfaded, and blemish-free for the last 5 years, which has saved us a bunch of money.
Final Thoughts
That brings us to the end of this article on whether you can use floor tiles for kitchen countertops or backsplashes.
What I’ve found is that it is definitely possible to use floor tiles for these surfaces so long as they are strong, durable, water-resistant, and complementary to the overall style of the kitchen.
But, if you can, stick with tiles that are designed specifically for these key areas in the kitchen because they offer more value for money by meeting the specific needs of a backsplash and countertop.
With that being said, if you found this article helpful and would like to learn more about flooring, be sure to check out some of the other articles that I’ve linked below.
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