- 1). Sand the countertop with the belt sander to get it flat and dull. Mark a line with your carpentry square through the very middle of the countertop, from front to back, including the front vertical edge.
- 2). Measure vertically on the front edge of the countertop. Use your wet saw to cut granite tiles at that height, cutting enough to span the length of the countertop.
- 3). Use your mortar trowel to spread thin set mortar along the front edge of the countertop. Press the cut tiles into place, starting at the center line and working your way out sideways. Put spacers between each of the tiles. Cut the ones on the ends, as needed, on your wet saw.
- 4). Set the long edge of your plastic carpentry level onto the tiles, and press it firmly down, evening out the tops of the tiles.
- 5). Spread mortar over the entire top surface of the countertop with your trowel. Set the horizontal tiles in place, starting with the front row, from the middle line working your way sideward as before. Lay the top tiles with the front edges covering the upward-facing side edges of the tiles that you hung vertically along the front.
- 6). Lay each row of tile on the top starting at the middle and working sideways, putting spacers between all of them. Stop after each row is laid and press your level over them to even them out.
- 7). Let the tiles set for a day. Pull out the spacers.
- 8). Apply grout over the granite tiles with your grout trowel, pressing it firmly down into the lines and scraping it off the surface. Wipe up the excess grout with a damp sponge.
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