How to Make Your Own Granite Countertops
- 1). Measure the opening at the top of the cabinet and cut wood strips for support, using a power saw.
- 2). Attach the wood pieces into the openings to help support the counter. Screw the pieces in with 2-inch screws and a drill. Angle the hardware so that it goes through the wood strips and into the front and back of the cabinet.
- 3). Place ½-inch plywood on top of the countertop. Cut off the excess plywood hanging over the edge of the cabinets with a power saw.
- 4). Drill 2 1/2-inch screws through the 2-by-2 wood braces and into the plywood.
- 5). Smooth the edges of the plywood even with the cabinet, using a power sander.
- 6). Place the sink you'll install upside-down on the counter in its proper location. Draw an outline around the sink, and then remove it.
- 7). Move the line in ½ inch from where you drew it. Drill a hole to give you access, and cut out a hole along the second line, using a jigsaw. This gives you an opening for your sink, and a ½-inch ledge for it to rest on.
- 8). Place cement board over the plywood. Screw it down to the plywood with 1-inch flat-head screws and a drill.
- 9). Cut the edges of the cement board in the same way you cut the plywood.
- 10
Cut out the sink opening from underneath, so that you can see the plywood opening, using a jigsaw. - 11
Measure the edge of the countertops and cut cement board strips to fit this area. Attach the strips with flat-head screws and a drill. The edge pieces should cover the end of the top cement board, so that it forms a corner. - 12
Mix thinset for the tile, following the manufacturer's instructions. Spread it along the edge of the countertop. Apply granite counter edge pieces along the sides of the counter so that they are even with the top of the counter subsurface. - 13
Place the pieces next to each other with no gaps. Use tape to hold the edge pieces to the top of the counter until the thinset dries. Let it dry for a day. - 14
Make cuts to the granite tile, if needed, to fit along the ends of the counter edge, using a diamond tip blade. It will result in less chipping. In addition, it is a good idea to use a wet saw to cut granite. Cut along marked lines slowly to ensure a smooth cut. - 15
Spread thinset on the top of the counter in small sections big enough for two or three tiles at a time. Start in one corner, placing tiles next to each other. Continue until the entire surface is covered. If you need to make cuts to fit a tile in a certain spot, mark the tile, and cut as you did the edging pieces. Let the tile dry for one day. - 16
Smooth tile grout over the granite, using a grout float. Even though you put the tiles up against each other, there is a small space that needs to be covered so that water and particles don't work their way in between the tiles. - 17
Clean the surface of the tiles as you smooth on the grout, using rags. Let the grout dry for a day. - 18
Seal the grout with a color matching sealant. These come in squeeze tubes for easy application. Coloring the grout with the sealant will hide the lines.
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