When given the price to have our old countertops taken out, tile was an extra $4,000 over the removal of a one-piece laminate or granite counter. That seems like a lot of money. So, being someone who enjoys doing his own work, my husband is now hand removing each and every tile that he laid himself so many years ago.

Underneath, we're finding that the builder put down the improper undersurface to lay tile. Moisture gets into whatever this junk is and causes ceramic tile to crack or pop. Now, I see why we've had a problem around the sink. This looks pretty awful. To continue to be able to use the kitchen until the countertop construction team comes in, we now have a clear drain board on top of the sub countertop.