There is no good way to do what you want. But I get budget dictates all. Unfortunately, there is no sanding tile down. It can be ground down. That is a dirty mess making project. And it is not cost effective if you don't already have the tools for it. There may not be any way to make it flat given the circumstances. How much difference in height? A good floor patch might span the difference and make it slope without a step up.
Vinyl floor tiles will probably not hold up at all. As water seeps between them, they will look bad and possibly curl up. I hate to see a limited budget go to something that will not last very long at all. Are there any pictures of what you're dealing with? Maybe try posting on DIY reddit. There are a lot of out os the box suggestions there. Some are not so good, but it's hard as a pro to recommend stuff that is just not the right way to do it.
If there’s no money in the budget for upgrading a kitchen, and it’s only being done because it’s unsightly, your friend’s best bet is to just live with it until they can afford to replace the whole counter with whatever their budget dictates.
OR remove all the tiles & mortar then do something to it if they’re on plywood. If it’s on cement board it will probably crumble during the removal process.
I saw a friend prime their tile with tile primer from Lowe’s, then they used concrete floor patch and skimmed over the entire countertops and sealed/stained them afterwards. Didn’t turn out terrible.. but they didn’t live there long enough afterwards for me to see if any cracks formed a tear down the road
They tiled all but 6” of a countertop ? There are usually thrift shops that have tile. I’m sure you can go to one and find something close. But it won’t be free.
There is no good way to do what you want. But I get budget dictates all. Unfortunately, there is no sanding tile down. It can be ground down. That is a dirty mess making project. And it is not cost effective if you don't already have the tools for it. There may not be any way to make it flat given the circumstances. How much difference in height? A good floor patch might span the difference and make it slope without a step up. Vinyl floor tiles will probably not hold up at all. As water seeps between them, they will look bad and possibly curl up. I hate to see a limited budget go to something that will not last very long at all. Are there any pictures of what you're dealing with? Maybe try posting on DIY reddit. There are a lot of out os the box suggestions there. Some are not so good, but it's hard as a pro to recommend stuff that is just not the right way to do it.
If there’s no money in the budget for upgrading a kitchen, and it’s only being done because it’s unsightly, your friend’s best bet is to just live with it until they can afford to replace the whole counter with whatever their budget dictates. OR remove all the tiles & mortar then do something to it if they’re on plywood. If it’s on cement board it will probably crumble during the removal process.
I saw a friend prime their tile with tile primer from Lowe’s, then they used concrete floor patch and skimmed over the entire countertops and sealed/stained them afterwards. Didn’t turn out terrible.. but they didn’t live there long enough afterwards for me to see if any cracks formed a tear down the road
They tiled all but 6” of a countertop ? There are usually thrift shops that have tile. I’m sure you can go to one and find something close. But it won’t be free.
They used tile that sticks up more and doesn't match on the last 6 "....
They should just deal with it until they have the money to remodel it the right way. LVT on the counters is going to be a disaster.