- 1). Measure, cut and fit each granite tile. Wear safety gear when cutting tiles. Start at any outside corner and align the tile with the corner. Mark tiles to be cut with a grease pencil. Use a diamond-tipped wet saw designed for cutting tile. Granite tiles are typically laid with a 1/16- to 1/8-inch grout space since most people want them to look like solid granite. Install them with thinset mortar.
- 2). Install the edge tiles last. Cut the tiles, thinset them into place and tape the tiles to hold them until the thinset cures (24 hours). Grout the grout lines and clean the tiles.
- 3). Polish the unpolished edges of the cut tiles using diamond pads from coarse to very fine. Follow manufacturer's directions. You may need to keep the tool cool by spritzing water on the pads as they polish.
- 4). Apply tape to an existing tile countertop that needs to be cut. If the cut is a straight cut, such as when installing a larger sink, tape the top of the tile to protect it from chipping. Use a hand-held grinder with a diamond-tipped blade. You can rent the type of grinder that puts water on the stone while cutting.
- 5). Cut holes in existing granite tiles by taping over the area for the hole. Mark the dimensions of the hole on the tape. Roll out some putty and create a ring around the hole area. Fill the putty ring with water and use a diamond-tipped hole saw to cut the hole. The water is necessary to keep the hole saw blade cool as it cuts through the granite.
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