Step back into the 1950s and you’re bound to find an abundance of orange, brown and red tile countertops staring back at you.
Today, tile isn’t as popular as it once was for countertops, though it is still used very regularly in splashbacks and floors.
So what happened to the tile countertops?
The biggest problem with tile is you also have to clean the grout, which can take a lot of time or cost extra money in the long run, and people probably got tired of having to scrub the food out of the grout pores. You can combat that by using dark grout, so it hides the mess better, but it doesn’t mean it’s not still there.
They are high maintenance, but with different styles these days like mosaic tiles, they can look great – and the biggest bonus, they are affordable.
Cost: You’ll pay (on average) between $3,000 and $6,000 to have your tile countertop installed. Average cost per square foot: $35 to $70. Price can increase depending on the tiles.
ROI: Tile countertops are so unpopular these days that they probably won’t increase the value of your home too much, but because they are so cheap to start with, if you get a few years out of them you’ll get some sort of return on your investment. We’d estimate around 25% max.