Kitchen tile installation tips

Of course, if your backsplash is over your stove or sink or in another difficult-to-reach area, it may be worth hiring a professional for a quality installation. Unlike vinyl or wood, ceramic tile is tough and long-lasting. A beautiful backsplash will add longevity and value to your home.

If soiling occurs, a regular cleaning with soap and water should prevent any issues without replacing tile pieces. If more help is needed, you may consider using bleach products on textured tiles but avoid using anything harsh like ammonia on glazed tiles.

If your home decor changes in five years, changing tile backsplashes is as easy as changing colors; choose new tiles and grout colors to match your new color scheme. Not only is tile durable, but it can also withstand humidity and moisture. If you want your backsplash to last, go tile! Porcelain, ceramic, glass, and granite tiles are all water-resistant, which means they can stand up against hot pans splattered with grease, as well as years of hands placed on top of them while reaching into upper cabinets.

People are always looking for ways to green their homes, and kitchens are no exception. In fact, backsplash tile installation happens to be one of the easiest DIY tiling jobs out there. In fact, you can make use of backsplashes in order to learn the process of tiling properly. However, when there is an appliance or an outlet, the task becomes much more difficult than it otherwise would have been.

Owing to the fact that the kitchen will most definitely have some appliances and stoves in it, you need to be able to work around these things. One of the first things that you need to do in order to get an attractive and clean installation is proper preparation.

When you undertake this task, make sure that you get floor protection paper. These can be found in your local home center. Make sure that you lay these papers on the countertops when you are in the process of tiling. The paper should be laid about an inch around all the edges. This paper that is normally in the size of 36 inches by about foot rolls will come in handy for other projects within the home as well.

One of the biggest advantages of these papers is that the tiles can be arranged and rearranged on this stuff. This is done so as to get a mark up with a pencil on the paper. If for some reason, you do not want to get floor protection paper, you may want to look into flattened boxes of tiles, sheet plastic, etc. This is especially useful in the case that you are not using border tile. These tapes will basically act as a kind of visual guide. It will really help you make sure that the edges are straight and that you can stay within the lines.

For any and all kinds of tile applications that are vertical, the tile spacers can be very valuable. This will allow you to add some space between the bottom tile row and also the countertop.

You can then later fill in space with some caulk. Next, you have to make sure to space the rows as you move on to working upwards. Instead use complementary colors. The Volcano red and Dark Beach brown shades of these 3-byinch Oval Shaped tiles work well together. Before you install a backsplash, try "walking" tiles up a wall to make sure you aren't left with a thin sliver where the tile meets cabinetry.

Hold the tiles against the wall at the bottom of the backsplash area and move them hand over hand up the wall following your desired pattern until you get to the top. You may find you have to start with a half-tile at the bottom to be sure at least a quarter-tile fits at the top. Heath Ceramics' 3-byinch Concave Diamond and Bowtie Shaped Tiles can be used to create an interesting pattern; just plan carefully before installing them.

Mastic may be easier for a novice to work with since it's premixed to the right consistency and will readily hold tile on the wall, says TOH senior technical editor Mark Powers.

While thinset is the better product, you have to mix it correctly and know how to work with it. Thin tiles, such as the metal and glass tiles shown here, part of the Metal Plus Blends collection, can be arranged in eye-catching patterns.

Use white thinset or mastic behind glass tile. It shows through the glass, and colored thinset or mastic can change the look of the tile. The translucent pattern of 8-inch-square La Brisa I gives a light and airy feel to a kitchen. Creating complex patterns is easier if you lay out all your plans with a pencil. To do this, first prep the surface to be tiled by skimming the entire area with a layer of white thinset mastic won't work and let it dry. Now you have the perfect surface to write on, as well as the ideal surface to accept the installation thinset or mastic either work for the second layer that you will use to set the tiles.

A pattern similar to the one shown here using a mix of glass styles from Voguebay can be achieved with some advanced planning. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.