Saving Weight on Tiny House Tile and Stone Countertops
Saving weight on tiny house tile will help you stay below the GVW of your trailer. You can find weight savings on tile & stone countertops by doing a little research before you buy. Visit your local tile store and seek counsel of the professionals. You’re not obligated to buy from them, but they will still jump at the chance to show you their products and help pick out designs and colors that go together. Then do your research.
A Little Research Will Help You Save Weight On Tiny House Tile
If you’ve ever picked up a box of tile you know it’s the heaviest building product next to plain cement. Regular tile is about 4 lbs per sq/ft, so if you only do the shower you wouldn’t realize a significant savings. But once you add up tile for the entire bathroom with flooring, kitchen back splash and countertop, it can add up to the weight of your refrigerator.
Until recently, tile was normally six to ten mm thick, weighing three to four lbs. per sq/ft. With a little online research I found a new product that’s lighter.
Stile® thin porcelain tile by MSI, is only 2.5mm thick for walls, and 3mm thick for floors and countertops. It weighs as little as 2.5 lbs per sq./ft. Using this tile could offer you significant weight savings on tiny house tile.
Tiny House Countertops
In the past, stone countertop manufacturers have tried to save weight by using thinner slabs. These slabs of granite or stone needed to be at least at least 3/4″ thick. They still weighed about 13 lbs. per sq. ft.
This new Stile™ thin tile is being made into seamless countertops that resemble quartz or granite. See photo above. Its specifically designed with colors and patterns that mimic the look of natural travertine and marble. Stile™ Thin Porcelain is nonporous; etch-, stain- and heat-resistant; impervious to germs and bacteria; and rated for food safety.
Because they are solid slabs, you save more weight by not needing grout.
Stile porcelain tile does need to be installed by professionals with specific tools, so you’ll need to visit your local tile store. Professionals are also good at helping with design and color choices.
You can save weight and get a great result if you take time to research and contact professionals for advice on your project.
Stone Coat Countertops for Tiny Houses and RVs
Stone Coat Countertops use an epoxy coat that has unlimited variations and can be made to look like stone. It’s lightweight and fairly easy to do if you follow the instructions. The finished product is very durable.
Stone Coat Countertops can turn a basic piece of plywood into a stunning marble-look kitchen counter. Granite can cost $65.00/sq. ft. Stone Coat Countertops about $5.00/sq. ft*.
The three-part epoxy system really has some great qualities. Here’s a video showing the process and outcomes using this system:
Total Epoxy Interior
Here’s a picture of a tiny home I toured where the owner had done the walls and floor in epoxy, as well as the countertops. It was actually quite stunning and very durable. People at the Tiny House Festival had been traipsing through her house all day and never left a mark on the floor.
The Stone Coat Countertops website is packed with instructional videos walking you through the entire process.
All of their products are available on their website, as well as some other products they use to get the simulated-stone look.
Take 10% off your Stone Coat Countertops order using coupon code: TINY10
Use Rust-Oleum Paint For Colors
Rust-Oleum has a large assortment of spray paints they use for different stone effects under the final clear coat of epoxy.
Click on image to see Rust-Oleum spray paint possibilities.
Repairing or Rejuvenating Existing Countertops in Your RV
RV countertops will quickly look worn and torn up, scratched, even melted. You can do a Stonecoat overlay right over the damaged countertop and make a sparkling new granite-looking feature as part of your RV remodel.
Backer Board for Tile Base
Usually you can just stop by your local building materials store and grab some sheets of Cement Backer Board to use as a tile base around your shower.
Our motto here is “Fight for every inch, pound, and every watt.”
Cement board is heavy. The word “cement” should have tipped you off. A 3’x5′ sheet just 1/4″ thick weighs 28.5 lbs.
We need a lighter alternative because we are always approaching that finite number, the gross vehicle weight of our trailer.
GoBoard by Johns Manville is our lighter-weight alternative. The same size board as our cement board above weighs only 6 to 7.5 lbs. That is a giant weight savings. GoBoard, the innovative tile backer board, is ultra-lightweight, waterproof, durable, easy to cut, and install. Shower installations are fast because waterproofing is built-in, which eliminates extra steps, and additional weight, since only board joints and fastener locations need to be sealed. GoBoard is up to 80% lighter than traditional tile backer boards. Engineered and tested for strength and durability yet can be cut right where its installed using a utility knife.
Saving Weight on Tiny House Tile Kitchen Backsplash
Art3d Kitchen Backsplash Tiles Peel and Stick Wall Stickers, 12″x12″ are a great lightweight option for you kitchen backsplash. They weigh just 1.5 lbs. per sq./ft.
Art3d Peel and Stick Tile is composed of 3 layers: Protective layer on top, embossed epoxy resin in between, self-adhesive layer on back. Peel and stick installation. You can cut it to size with a scissors.
Smart Tile is also a good stick-on tile that comes in lots of colors and styles. You can even get the “subway” tile that I understand has gone out of style.
Use a good primer to make sure the adhesive adheres strongly. Any good primer will do except Zinsser. There’s some chemical in their product that destroys the tiles adhesive.
Wait a full 72 hours for the primer to cure before adding the Peel-N-Stick tile.
Save Weight on the Tile Adhesive too
Think about the weight of everything you load into your tiny home build. See if there is a lighter-weight version of the same product. Do a little online investigation and boom: there’s a lighter-weight tile adhesive.
OMNIGrip Lightweight Tile Adhesive is 33% lighter-weight than other adhesives. It has better performance characteristics as well. You can get it at The Home Depot or Amazon.com for about the same price.
What about the grout? I’ll let you do the research on that. Everything has a lighter-weight version.
Every pound saved is a victory. If you just pile on the building materials with little thought to the weight, you might have the experience these folks did whose tiny house exceeded the trailer GVW by 5000 lbs.
Other pages of Tiny Life Consulting you’ll be interested in
Durable thick vinyl grey white marble peel and stick floor tile. Waterproof, anti-slip, moisture-proof and easy to clean.
Saving Weight On Your Tiny House Build
Unique Tiny House Furniture Tables and beds
Tiny House Lighting Tips to Make it Great
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