Ottawa Granite Blog & News

Ottawa Barbeque Countertops: Granite or Tile?

More and more Ottawa homeowners are extending the look, feel, and luxury of their kitchen to their barbeque area outside. And may times visitors to our showroom serving Ottawa, West Ottawa, Carp, Kanata, Stittsville, West Carleton, Dunrobin, and Arnprior are asking us… which is better for my Ottawa barbeque countertops… granite or tile?

They are both durable (especially tile made from granite) that can stand up to the rigors of outdoor cooking, but they vary significantly in cost, maintenance and installation requirements.

For appearance, there is really no comparison to a granite slab countertop.  This natural material comes in a wide variety of colors and it can be worked into custom designs and edge profiles. While tile is easier to manage and manipulate, you will get a different look with a slab versus tiles placed together.

A quick note about tile for the outdoors… don’t even think about porcelain or softer materials. Granite – in slab or tile form – is one of the most durable materials you can choose for your outdoor barbecue countertop. It’s a hard stone that tolerates heat and it doesn’t chip or scratch easily. Most porcelain tiles will be more vulnerable to cracking and chipping than granite. The same goes with slate or marble tiles – these would work… but you the softer materials put you at risk for chipping and cracking.

When it comes to maintenance, a granite countertop from a slab will be easier to not only seal, but clean after each use. If you choose tile, the grout between the tiles is susceptible to staining, discoloration and bacteria so you will need to use a grout sealant.

It’s most likely that you would be able to install a tile barbeque countertop yourself in contrast to trying to install a large, heavy granite slab of stone. You need special tools and skills. Whatever you choose, we would urge you to turn to TNT for assistance.

All things considered, it should come as no surprise that a granite slab countertop will cost more that tiles, but tile is not necessarily cheap, either. If you don’t install the tile countertop yourself, the labor costs for the installation will probably be higher.