Is this the best countertop for a rental??

[Will G.]

Hey guys,

anyone who has rehabbed for rent has gone through this decision for kitchen counters, tile aint too hip and grout gets nasty, granite can easily be stained and is pricey, laminate and solid surface can be burned. With that in mind I tried a new approach on my last rehab. Giant porcelain tiles (32x32) which left me with a very small number of grout lines (used epoxy for those) I was really worried I would not be able to get these hugh tiles to set level but it came out much better than I thought. So what do you guys think, best counters for a rental?

[JD Martin]

They may be inexpensive but I vote "no" on best countertop. They are way too fragile, and anything heavy dropped on them like a can of peas, a pot or a heavy dish is going to break them. I would go with either laminate or granite, even a low-end granite - something that you either swap out in a few years when it looks rough or can take just about anything a tenant can throw at it. 

FWIW, I have 18" porcelain floor tiles at my house and despite sitting on a solid subfloor and 1/2" concrete board, with the high-end most flexible thinset available, about 5 or 6 of them have hairline cracks where my wife has dropped a can or similar.