The things we didn’t know before starting our kitchen tiling project could have filled a book (or a blog post). After doing some online research and watching some instructional videos, we felt equipped to take on the project ourselves.
Before we could even think about laying the tile, we had to take some basic first steps:
(1) Measure. Our backsplash is L-shaped, so we had two lengths of wall to measure. To make a little more complicated, the area over our sink was higher than the area over the rest of the counter. In the end, we had four distinct areas to measure.
We measured the width and height of each section, and multiplied those numbers for each section (ex: 45 in. x 18 in. = 810 in.) We then added the total for each of the four sections together, and divided by 144 to get the total square footage.
(2) Pick up the supplies. Picking out the tile was a little tricky. We went to a few stores and played with a few combinations before we found what we wanted.
We’d seen an image of a really high-end kitchen where the owners used a different tile over the range. We borrowed that idea and decided to do a coordinating mosaic on the wall above the sink to add a little interest. We picked the mosaic and then chose individual tumbled subway tiles because we liked the variations in color and texture.
Tip: Buy extra tile just in case. Always confirm the store's return policy so that you can bring back unused products. (I’m notorious for returning things we don’t use, and the tile for the backsplash was no exception.)
In addition to tile, you’ll need the following:
a rubber float
mastic (we bought a pre-mixed bucket)
grout (we bought pre-mixed, sanded grout in a tan color)
a trowel
tile spacers (how much space to use between the tiles is up to you)
a two large sponges
a way to cut the tile (Depending on the type of tile, you may need to rent a wet saw. For some tiles all you'll need is a tile cutter)
(3) Prep the area. Our countertop is laminate and there was a small piece that extended up onto the wall. Fortunately, that piece was separate from the rest of the counter. We carefully went along the bottom with a straight edge to cut through the adhesive, then we pried the piece away from the wall. The new backsplash would cover the wall down to the counter, so we weren't concerned if some of the drywall paper was torn.
We were finally ready to start tiling! We started with the mosaic portion. It worked a little like a puzzle, making sure we had the smooth edge pieces and fitting the sections together. Overall, we used four separate sections of the mosiac to complete this area. Because the tiles were already close together, we didn't need to grout this area.
When it came to the individual subway tiles, we began on the bottom row in the far left side of the counter. When applying the mastic, we worked in small sections and make sure to used the notched end of the trowel to create ridges in the adhesive.
We worked from left to right, starting at the bottom row and placing a spacer between the tiles as we went. By the time we made our way across the bottom row along the whole perimeter, we could place the next row of tiles without too much concern about shifting the lower row.
After we finished tiling (which took a LOT longer than we'd originally expected). It was time to grout. Using the rubber float, we pushed the grout across the tile at a 45 degree angle, which helped get the grout into the corners and spaces between the tile. Follow the instructions on your particular grout regarding how long to wait before going back over the tiles with a damp sponge to clean off the tile and remove the haze. It might take a few passes, again moving at a 45 degree angle. We ran a bead of clear silicone where the tile meets the counter and finished by sealing the tile when everything wass dry and no longer hazy.
Here is our finished product:
Tip: Because we were adding depth to the backsplash, we needed longer screws to secure the outlets and switches to the electrical boxes. We found screws at our local home improvement store that were scored in a few different places to allow us to cut them to length.
We ended up with a backsplash that we love and that we can look at every day and be proud to know we did that ourselves.
