Top Techniques to Finish Edges on Granite Tile Surfaces
The surface treatment of a stone can significantly influence its aesthetic quality.
In addition to altering its texture, pattern and color, a perfect finish also alters the performance as well as the physical properties of the stone.
Home improvement professionals and designers are always recommended to see the actual stone before making the decision to choose a special finish on granite countertops.
Edging is one of the major challenges when it comes to finishing a granite tile countertop.
Granite tiles do not come with a polished or finished edge, and hence they can leave a rough area on the counter's edge.
Typically, countertops are quite thicker than a single surface, this means the counter's front edge should also be finished as well.
There are various methods available to polish the edge of a granite countertop.
With best quality tiles from Sun Marble, tasking with fine edge finishing is no more a difficult task.
Using a Wooden Edge A wooden molding may be nailed to the countertop's front edge to cover both the edging of the granite tile and the face of the cabinet.
Taking into account the thickness of the tile, for such finishing method, selecting a molding that is as a minimum as wide as the counter's thickness is important.
Firstly, the edge is glued down with wood glue, and then finish nails are sinked into it to secure its position.
Lastly, staining the edge with the same color as the cabinets is required to combine it with the rest of the kitchen.
Bullnosing a Granite Tile Putting a bullnosed edge onto the front surface of the counter is one of the methods for finishing the edge of the tile.
A bullnosed edging is a finished and somewhat rounded edge, which gently curves downward.
Installers can easily fit this tile slightly over the counter edging, by placing a vertical cut piece on the front of the top.
The bullnosed edge finishes the entire edge at once by covering the top of this surface.
Bullnosing of the stone surface is done by using a bullnose blade fitted with a tile-wet saw.
The blade is usually a rounded blade meant to grind off the edging of the tiles.
Simple pushing of the granite edge several times into the blade will offer the bullnose edge.
Using a Decorative Tile Molding Rail molding is another method used by designers to fabricate several types of decorative tiles.
This includes variety of granite colors, along with slate, marble, travertine, ceramic and glass.
Manufacturers can choose a decorative molding picking up one of the colors in the backsplash or in the granite tile to coordinate it.
Using thin-set mortar for securing the moldings to the counter's front edge is important to cover the unfinished edging of the counter's front and the granite tiles.
Such finishing is done by securing a 2-inch-wide board under the edging with clamps to hold the decorative heavy railing in place while the thin-set dries for 48 hours.
Using a Metal Edge If a kitchen has modern design setup, you can consider recommending the homeowner a metal edge finishing for the granite and the counter surface.
Interior designers mostly prefer a metal edge that is particularly fabricated to use in counters and stairs.
For granite counters, manufacturers have numerous for metal finishes in nickel, chrome, stainless steel, oil rubbed bronze and even nonmetallic colors like white or black.
These specialized and textured finishes for marbles and granites are widely popular among design professionals as they help in reflecting light to give the stone its beauty.
In addition to altering its texture, pattern and color, a perfect finish also alters the performance as well as the physical properties of the stone.
Home improvement professionals and designers are always recommended to see the actual stone before making the decision to choose a special finish on granite countertops.
Edging is one of the major challenges when it comes to finishing a granite tile countertop.
Granite tiles do not come with a polished or finished edge, and hence they can leave a rough area on the counter's edge.
Typically, countertops are quite thicker than a single surface, this means the counter's front edge should also be finished as well.
There are various methods available to polish the edge of a granite countertop.
With best quality tiles from Sun Marble, tasking with fine edge finishing is no more a difficult task.
Using a Wooden Edge A wooden molding may be nailed to the countertop's front edge to cover both the edging of the granite tile and the face of the cabinet.
Taking into account the thickness of the tile, for such finishing method, selecting a molding that is as a minimum as wide as the counter's thickness is important.
Firstly, the edge is glued down with wood glue, and then finish nails are sinked into it to secure its position.
Lastly, staining the edge with the same color as the cabinets is required to combine it with the rest of the kitchen.
Bullnosing a Granite Tile Putting a bullnosed edge onto the front surface of the counter is one of the methods for finishing the edge of the tile.
A bullnosed edging is a finished and somewhat rounded edge, which gently curves downward.
Installers can easily fit this tile slightly over the counter edging, by placing a vertical cut piece on the front of the top.
The bullnosed edge finishes the entire edge at once by covering the top of this surface.
Bullnosing of the stone surface is done by using a bullnose blade fitted with a tile-wet saw.
The blade is usually a rounded blade meant to grind off the edging of the tiles.
Simple pushing of the granite edge several times into the blade will offer the bullnose edge.
Using a Decorative Tile Molding Rail molding is another method used by designers to fabricate several types of decorative tiles.
This includes variety of granite colors, along with slate, marble, travertine, ceramic and glass.
Manufacturers can choose a decorative molding picking up one of the colors in the backsplash or in the granite tile to coordinate it.
Using thin-set mortar for securing the moldings to the counter's front edge is important to cover the unfinished edging of the counter's front and the granite tiles.
Such finishing is done by securing a 2-inch-wide board under the edging with clamps to hold the decorative heavy railing in place while the thin-set dries for 48 hours.
Using a Metal Edge If a kitchen has modern design setup, you can consider recommending the homeowner a metal edge finishing for the granite and the counter surface.
Interior designers mostly prefer a metal edge that is particularly fabricated to use in counters and stairs.
For granite counters, manufacturers have numerous for metal finishes in nickel, chrome, stainless steel, oil rubbed bronze and even nonmetallic colors like white or black.
These specialized and textured finishes for marbles and granites are widely popular among design professionals as they help in reflecting light to give the stone its beauty.
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