Countertop lippage

[strat0477]

Hi folks...a couple of months ago I put down a granite tile countertop. I now notice that one of the front corner tiles has some lippage that is now bugging the crap out of me.

Since I was using wooden trim pieces for the edge, I have access to two "exposed" sides of the problem tile. Should I go ahead and try to pop it out, or is there a way for me to grind down the lippage using my angle grinder?

Thanks!

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[Mike2]

Michael, I'm going to move your question over to the Restoration side of the house. The experts over there will take good care of you. ;)

[JTG]

Michael
If you can get to two sides take the tile out and replace it.
When you take the angle grinder to it you will find that it is very very difficult to do it and have it look good. Lots and Lots of practice and special tools to make it look good.
JTG

[Stonehenge]

Hi Michael,

Grinding and polishing Granite is an advanced skill, even for those who perform this task on a continual basis. If you decide to take this task in hand and spend $1000.00 for a simple system I can only offer caveats
along with the suggestion that you try to polish one of your leftover tiles first.

Good Luck,

Michael of Stonehenge

[strat0477]

Well that settles it...guess I will try and pop this one out.

On another note, I've noticed that several other tiles have some lippage issues. I could swear the none of them are higher than a dime, but whenever I set a glass right on the seam the glass seems to rock a little bit.

Do you think somebody would be willing to come in and grind them all flat like they do with tile floors? If so, do you have an idea of how much it would cost? The countertop is an L shape and is 9' by 5'.

[strat0477]

On another note, if I tried to take care of the other tiles myself, what kind of set up should I use? I looked at a kit containing the LW1503 and some discs but that seems to be more for polishing. Would I be able to level these tiles with some of the lower grit paper, or would I need to get a grinding wheel? Any other recommendations for tools?

[Shaughnn]

Hi Michael,
Getting the high spots down *can* be done by grinding the material but to restore the shine you are going to need a polishing set-up instead. Just like fine sanding wood, you need to walk down the grits in your polish material and remove all of the previous grit's marking before you progress to the next finest material. It's tedious at times and very mess, especially when done on installed material.
If you want your countertop's lippage remedied this way, I'd suggest a pro. But while they will be able to closely match the shine, the grout may become discolored and the edges of the tiles at the joints will also change in character. It's a trade-off.
Wish you the best of luck,
Shaughnn

[Rhode Island Flooring]

sorry to hear of your lippage problems but by removing them you could use a angle grinder and grind the backs down a bit or dig out the mortar bed and apply thinner layer of mortar, thats probably the easiest way and what I would do. to pull em pound in wood shims to get it loose (break bond) and a vaccum to raise them as not to chip any edges or scratch with hard tools. be sure to scrape the grout out completely.

[doitright]

Hi Michael :)

No matter which way you choose, it's going to be a costly adventure. I would even have second thoughts of having a pro do this. When doing floors, large weighted machines are used. If the whole top is done by hand, it's possible that less than desireable results will be achieved.

If you choose to replace the tiles with lippage, you're opening a can of worms. Hope you have lot's of extra tiles.

[strat0477]

Thanks for your responses, guys. I don't think I'm going to be able to remove the tiles without creating a bigger mess. i was hoping to just grind the edges down a little bit, polish just those grinded edges, and probably regrout. I don't mind spending the money on tools as I would probably just sell them right after I do this. Do you think I can get by with just dry polishing pads?

[Davestone]

No, this is granite you're talking about,and like they said,they do it all the time,it is difficult to do, even for a pro with the right tools.And even harder too match an existing polish...you'll be forever trying to get it right...you could pop those tiles out in a fraction of the time it would take you...heck, you could retile the whole top in less time..and i'm not joking.I would try a very small chisel, at an angle and start tapping under the stone, and into the thinset ...i like a long flat brick chisel myself...two hours, and the whole thing is done.I think you'll be much happier.Now that you know a little more about tile, you've gotten a little pickier,and i'm sure next job you'll do a lot better.A dime worth of lippage in stone talk is a lot of lippage..next time you do stone,try using a level, and tilt it back and forth to see light under it, and level each piece...then you'll have a flat job! :wave: