You don't use grout, you use caulk. Grout would crack with any movement of wall or floor but caulk will not.

GC just replaced grout between the BS and the granite counters with caulk because the grout had already started cracking after a few weeks (we did have a fairly big earthquake during that time, LOL!). So I can verify the grout cracking. I am hoping the caulk does the trick.

Yes, not grout--caulk! Hmm what is it with these guys that they don't already know that? Make sure you set him straight. After caulking, you will be fine and your beautiful White River will stay nicely attached to the Fire and Ice :)

My husband just asked me if he should grout or caulk in that spot. Should the tile sit on top of the granite or should it be raised up slightly. I would think, sit right on top but DH keeps asking.

When we had our Fire & Ice, which goes all the way to the granite, installed, the tile setter said we'll most likely have to call her back in a few weeks to repair the caulk due to settling.

I told her the house was 30 years old, how much more settling is it going to do? She assured me all houses continually settle. It's been 2.5 years and still not a single crack or separation between tile and granite. Still looks perfect. And we do live in earthquake country.

Jodi-

I'd like to give the granite guy the benefit of the doubt, but as firsthouse said, he either doesn't know his business like he should, or he's hoping you don't know his business and wants to sell you some extra granite.

I suggest innocently insisting even as you explain why ("I'd rather have the tile, thank you. We'll just caulk down by the granite.") If he wants to argue then you can just say "I've seen pictures; it's what I want."

debrak, I"m not at home so I can't look directly, but from the picture I have, it looks like our bottom row of tile has a line of grout below it. I'm sure there are myriad opinions about it, but that's just the way our tile guy did it.

Here's a close-up of how our F&I and granite meet.

Jodi-

Thanks for the advice! I want it how I want it (as I'm sure y'all can relate).

Jodi - you need a comission from Jeffrey Court! I found this forum and that backsplash just from googling backsplash ideas. I made my tile place order the sample for me. They insisted I come in and look around first. I did. Nothing compared. I have a lot of slate in my house and I'm a glass artist. It's such a beautiful backsplash and it fits my home (and me!) perfectly. Thank you for posting the pitcures of your lovely kitchen.

Janet

Always caulk any changes in plane. So because your granite and backsplash change planes (from horizontal to vertical), you need to caulk rather than grout. (The same goes for any corners where you've changed planes -- such as where two walls meet at a 90 degree angle.) This allows for movement of the surfaces without cracking. You can get sanded caulk which matches grout and so it should not be noticeable that it's caulk not grout.

I would certainly defer to a tile and/or granite expert, but unless the tiles are meant to butt directly up against each other, you should at least follow the minimum grout joint width requirement of the tile. This allows the caulk to get between the tiles and isolate any movement of either surface and also allows for any variations in the tile or granite.

Stand up to your tile installer and insist. If he has a problem with it, you can do the caulking yourself. Just make certain to mask (with tape) the granite and the tile before caulking to protect your investment. (Nothing worse than having to clear smeared caulk off a new surface.) In my (minimal) experience it would be easier to just smoosh grout into every crevice since then you don't have to be as careful, but it is the wrong thing to do. In my opinion, either the installer is unaware (maybe inexperienced? or just improperly educated on grouting?) or is simply being lazy. This is your home and your investment and the installer needs to respect that.

The place where the tile and the slab meet needs to have a caulk joint.

Not rocket science - I would eliminate the 4" slab splash - IMHO - it looks
pretty lame if you have a 4" slab splash, and then set tile on top of that... I think
it takes on the looks of an "afterthought".....

My own personal preference is to run the tile from the decks up.....

The joint where the tile meets the slab needs to be caulked, and this will help
with expansion and contraction over the course of the year- as your house "breathes" -
as conventional grout does not stretch......

hth

kevin

Bill V and John Bridge have drilled into my head: CAULK every change of plane and change of material. :-)

You'll want a gap between tile and counter the same size as your grout lines, in order to accommodate shifting/settling and shrinking/expansion of the tile with heat/humidity. This gets caulked with a caulk by the same manufacturer in the same color as your grout (they all make this product).

I'd avoid the 4" backsplash, too, since its purpose is to protect the drywall and you're having tile do that job.

my fabricator told me he likes using a backsplash because it means his guys have more 'play' and don't have to template and cut as closely. He said it wasn't a big deal to not use the backsplash - he just needed to know upfront. We didn't use a backsplash as I also want my tile to reach the counter.

Cp-- Aw, come on now! It's only cuz we like you! :-)

Should the tile sit on top of the granite or should it be raised up slightly. I would think, sit right on top but DH keeps asking.

debrak_2008-- it doesn't hurt if it sits right on the countertop-- Caulking doesn't need that big of a space, so long as it DOES have a space to anchor itself.... but it SHOULD have atleast a 1/16" joint there to caulk.

One other thing-- concerning the 4" splash-- Some like the look of it, and some don't. While there are still others who in spite of knowing they're going to have a tile splash, will use the 4" stone splash anyway, only because it makes it easier to keep clean, being that you don't have all those grout joints running right down to the countertop. For my money, I'd prefer not to use the 4" stone splash, but I HAVE done several backsplashes where it was used, and it really didn't look all that bad. Here are a couple of examples: