Tiling a Backsplash: Bring a New Look to an Old Kitchen with Tile

Ceramic wall tile, installed behind a kitchen sink or counter, brings an attractive, durable and easy-to-clean surface to your room. Take advantage of the enormous range of colors, shapes, sizes and textures available. Tile will give a new look to an old kitchen, provide a bold contrast to a plain countertop, and enhance any décor.

To prevent making any expensive mistakes, begin your project with a visit, without buying, to one or more tile outlets. Most dealers are happy to loan samples of tiles and grouts. Bring some home and get a feel for how they will look in your kitchen, with your fixtures and appliances and your color scheme. The appearance of colors and textures in a store, particularly under fluorescent lighting, and their appearance in your home can vary immensely.

To cover a backsplash you will need to different types of tiles: field tiles to cover most of the surface, and trim tiles to round off edges and to fit corners. When shopping, remember to calculate the cost of the trim tile, trim tiles can significantly add to the bill.

In most jobs, some tiles require cutting to fit. Ceramic tile is a relatively brittle material. With a little practice you will be able to score tiles and make clean breaks yourself. Use a few scrap tiles until you master the technique. Tile dealers can usually provide a few damaged tiles. When cutting, drilling or splitting tiles, wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from chips of ceramic.

Depending on the size of your job and how many tiles you will need to cut, you might want to use a masons tile cutter which cuts quick, accurate, straight lines. Most tile dealers will loan them to customers. Sometimes you may have to pay a deposit or you can buy your own for a pretty inexpensive price.

The serrated edge of a notched trowel allows you to spread adhesive to just the right thickness. The notches create ridges and grooves in the adhesive. When the tile is pressed against the wall, the adhesive spreads out to an even film on the back of the tile. Tile manufacturers recommend specific notch sizes, determined by the type of adhesive used, and by whether the tile has a smooth or ridged back.

With your project completed, after the proper drying and curing time and a minimal amount of clean up, you will have an exceptionally sturdy and attractive wall surface that will last for years.

Tips:

Buy tiles from the same lot. Color can vary from lot to lot but will be consistent within the lot.

Always buy about 10 percent more tile than you expect to need. This allows for breakage. Leftover tiles should be saved. You may need replacement tiles in the future.

Take care that the first tile placed is set true and square. All other tiles are positioned in relation to this "key" tile. A slight error made with the first tile will become obvious as you set additional tiles.

What you will need:

Carpenters level

Safety glasses

Carpet-covered plywood

Clean rags

Thin dowel

Grout float

Pencil

Tape measure

Hammer

Old toothbrush

Notched trowel

Broad knife

Class cutter

Pliers

Combination square sponge

Tiles

Tile spacers

Spackling compound

Adhesive

Grout

Tile cleaner

Household oil

Silicone caulk

Silicone grout sealer

Measuring and preparing:

Measure the height and width of the area to be tiled. Multiply the two numbers to determine the square footage.

Prepare the surface. Remove existing wall coverings such as wallpaper, contact paper, cork, or old ceramic tile.

Patch any holes or wide cracks in drywall or plaster with spackling compound. Sand smooth when the patch dries.

Lay out tiles along the countertop and mark the two border tiles at either rend so they will be approximately the same size. If necessary, level the counter by inserting shims under it.

If the end tiles will be less than half a tile wide, and will not be covered by a decorative border tile, place a whole tile at one end.

With a carpenters level, make horizontal and vertical marks where you will place your first tile. Draw a level line as a guide to follow when positioning the top of each tile. Marks must be perfectly level.

Cutting tile:

Dip cutter in oil and score along a combination square with one firm stroke, edge to edge. Wear safety glasses when cutting tile.

Quickly line up the score on a length of ¼ inch dowel or a straightened coat hanger. Press down on both sides of the tile to snap it.

If the tile breaks unevenly, nip off the excess with a pair of pliers, or use the tile nippers made for this purpose.

Installing the tile:

Spread a heavy coat of adhesive with the flat side of a trowel on about two square feet of wall. Cover the area completely.

Spread adhesive evenly by wiping across the area with the notched side of the trowel held firmly against the wall at a 45-degree angle.

Press tiles firmly into the adhesive with a slight twisting motion. Make sure the first tile lines up precisely with the layout tiles.

Some tiles are cast with spacer lugs that allow an even 1/8-inch space all around. Lugs must butt firmly together.

Insert plastic spacers to assure even spacing between tiles without spacer lugs.

Sight along the full length of the grout line to make sure the tiles are straight, even and properly aligned.

Make any last minute adjustments to the position of individual tiles. Adhesives begin to set firmly in 20 or 30 minutes. Remove spacers.

Cover a scrap of plywood with old carpet and tap it with the cushioned side against tiles to set them evenly in the mastic.

Clean any adhesive on the face of the tiles immediately with a solvent-soaked sponge or rag. Allow at least 24 hours for the adhesive to dry.

Grouting the joints:

Force grout between tiles with a grout float held at a 45-degree angle. Make arcing sweeps across, up and down the surface.

Hold the float almost perpendicular to wipe away excess grout from the surface of the tiles. Alternately, use a damp sponge.

To recess the grouted joints, wait 10 minutes, then "strike" them by gently drawing the handle of a toothbrush along the soft grout.

After 20 minutes or more, wipe away all excess grout with a damp sponge, keeping it clean by rinsing often. Allow grout to cure for 2 hours.

Fill seams with a line of flexible, water-soluble silicone caulking where tiles meet the counter. Smooth with a finger or sponge.

Tips:

Mix powdered grout with a latex adhesive to the consistency of peanut butter.

Mix Portland cement grout with water and allow a minimum of 72 hours of damp curing. Follow the manufacturer instructions supplied with grout.

Slight color variations can occur between different lots of grout. Be sure to buy enough from the same lot to complete your project. The lot number is on the package.

After the grout has cured for a week, silicone grout sealer may be applied with a small paintbrush to hinder grout discoloration.

For easy cleanup, moisten tiles with sponge before grouting.