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Backsplash Projects Part One Of Round Two

Backsplash Projects Part One Of Round Two

Having my husband home during his vacation between Christmas and New Years allowed us to spend some down time together and get a few projects tackled.

We did a big project this summer where we tiled our kitchen backsplash. Neither of us had tiled before so when I say this was a big project, I mean this was a BIG project, from beginning to end. If you want to know more, or review how that experience went, you can read about it here, here and here.

If you want the super quick version, here are the before and after pictures:

Notice the desk area on the left of the after picture? The area behind the yellow flowers? 

We decided at the time not to tile this area because we were tiled…I mean tired! We had planned on finishing it, but we wanted to live without it for a while to make sure it that was something the kitchen really needed.

And it did.

This time around the previous tiling experience helped us get the project done a lot faster.

The planning and painting of the edges with a dark paint was faster.

Mixing mortar and placing tiles was faster.

Grouting was faster, but still the most painstaking part of the process.

Even the sealing of the tile and daily clean-up. The whole process was easier and faster, and we are very happy with the result. 

I guess what they say about practice is true.  🙂  Come back Wednesday to see the result!

~Wendy

Approaching the Tiled Backsplash Finish Line

Approaching the Tiled Backsplash Finish Line

I ran my first half marathon (13.1 miles) over six years ago. Making it to the 12 mile marker at that first race and every race since then has been  the (literal) sign that I was almost done. All of my hard work had paid off and I could see the finish line.

The backsplash finish line is near. The last 1.1 miles is where we are right now with the backsplash. This past weekend we picked out the new switch plates and then sealed the tile and grout.

 

This step was the quickest and easiest. Using an old cotton washcloth, I put some of the sealer on the cloth and rubbed it onto each and every tile. That’s it. Done.

Now we wait for 24 hours to allow everything to completely dry. The switch plates have to be put back and it’s a wrap, hands in the air celebration as we cross the finish line.

I do want to share a few thoughts about this process. I tend to shy away from lists, but this is an instance where a list works well.  🙂

1)      LOVE the tile you pick. If you are not 100% in love with it, keep shopping.

2)      Take a hands on class.

3)      Have all of the proper tools. A good quality wet saw will be your best friend.

4)      Make sure the space you are tiling is clean and free of grease.

5)      Don’t put too much mortar or grout on your trowel. Having too much on the trowel means that you will drop more and have a bigger mess.

6)      This is a messy job. Be okay with that.

7)      You can tile a backsplash this size in a weekend. A very long weekend. Drying times stretch out the amount of time it takes, but they are necessary.

8)      Turn off the electricity. I learned this one the hard way. Twice.

9)      Have fun! Know that it will be great and you will love it even more knowing you did it!

10)    Do not buy expensive tile cleaner. Use a 1:4 ratio of vinegar and water to remove the haze from your         tiles.

Wednesday will be the big reveal!  Be prepared to be amazed.  🙂

Wendy

Tiling Progress

Tiling Progress

Before I share with you the progress we have made with the backsplash tile, I wanted to show you a picture of the “grooves” on the trowel. I referenced these grooves in the previous post, but I forgot to take a picture to share with you.

Using the grooved trowel in both a vertical and horizontal pattern leaves the right amount of mortar on the wall for the type of tile we chose. There are several sizes of grooved trowels. So again, please double check with a sales person when purchasing your tiling supplies.

Anyway let’s continue….this is where we left off on Sunday night.

Since all of our supplies were not put away, the final section of backsplash only took us about an hour and a half. While Wade was at the office I laid out, pre-measured and cut the remaining tiles to finish the last section of backsplash.

Once Wade got home we quickly mixed the mortar (practice makes perfect) and continued the process of applying mortar to the wall, making the grooves, firmly pressing the tile sheet over the mortar and wiping of any excess.

Here is what progress looks like:

The remainder of the week will be spent tiling the small detail pieces. I then will be sealing, grouting and re-sealing everything and taking photos to share with you!

This project (so far) has been so fun and rewarding. I can’t wait to show you the finished product.

But for now, back to work.

Wendy

 

 

Tiling The Backsplash

Tiling The Backsplash

What a day! On Saturday’s post I mentioned that this was the weekend the backsplash would be started. And it was.  Let me tell you that it is going to look amazing! Tiling has put this kitchen in a whole other class of awesomeness.

Usually Wade doesn’t want anything to do with yet another DIY project. But something changed and I was not going to question what or why. He was ready and willing to help. We typically don’t work well together, but today we were a well-oiled tiling machine.

The first thing we did was cover all of the countertops. We used red craft paper. This prevented any of the mortar or grout plopping off and drying onto our countertops.  I had previously purchased a large roll of paper at our local big box hardware store and along with it, several rolls of painters tape. This step was simple but a little time consuming.

The next step was to lay out all of the tiles. Laying them out allowed continuity from sheet to sheet. I didn’t want one area to be filled with only one color. I wanted it to flow. Our tiles came in sheets that measured 12×12 inches, but with some under counter lighting, the backsplash area runs 13-14 inches high in most spots.

That means we did A LOT of pre-cutting before putting the tiles on.

A wet saw can be used to make all of these cuts. I found the saw a little intimidating, but after a few practice cuts, it was very easy to use. We borrowed a friend’s saw, but again these can be rented or purchased from your local hardware store. 

After covering the counters, pre cutting our sheets and removing any pieces that might have broken it was time to mix the mortar. Per the mortar-mixing instructions, once it was mixed, you had about 25 minutes to use it before it is too dry. For that reason alone, it is very important to have all of your pieces pre-cut and laid out.

Wade and I choose to mix our own mortar although pre-mixed is an option, a much faster option. Like anything, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. This being our first time mixing mortar, it took us about 20 minutes to get the correct consistency. I had read that the consistency should be similar to that of peanut butter. First, we put water in the bucket and then added the mortar powder. There isn’t an exact recipe for this only because it depends upon how big of an area you are working on and how fast you work. 

We started with about a quart of water and then added around eight cups of powder. From there it was a process of adding more powder and mixing, adding more powder and mixing. One thing we both agreed upon is that a little water goes a long way when mixing your own mortar.

Before applying the mortar we had to make sure the walls were free from dirt, dust and grease. Then we used a plastic spatula (you could use a trowel) to generously apply the mortar to the wall. Another clue I read about consistency, when you put the mortar on the trowel, it will not fall off. But if you gently shake the trowel, it will.

As I took the grooved edge of the trowel and passed over the mortar, the spaces in the edge of the trowel left the proper amount of mortar on the wall. Any excess mortar was left on the trowel. If I didn’t use it, I scraped it off and put it back into the bucket. When purchasing your trowel, be sure to ask a qualified salesperson as to what size of “groove” you would need for the type of job you are doing.

Although tiles come on a webbed sheet backing, (don’t remove your tiles from this webbing) we made sure to gently press each individual tile into the mortar to make sure it had adhered to the wall. If you have excess mortar squish between the tiles, you will need to wipe this off with a damp rag. Also be sure to wipe off all mortar that might be on front of the tiles.

Let me stop here for a second and point out that our tile sheets not only had the webbing behind them, but also a piece of thin plastic so one sheet didn’t scratch another when packed in the box.  We missed removing the plastic on one of the sheets and that was a big mistake. The area had to have new mortar applied and grooved.  Pain in the butt.

The application process is repeated until…well until you are done, out of mortar or tired. We hit tired. This is not a quick DIY. We wrapped everything up around 4:45pm. So factoring in a fifteen-minute lunch, it took us roughly five hours to tile ten square feet, which for us was about half way done.

So here we sit as of last night.

Tomorrow we will continue around the corner and then onto sealing, and grouting and sealing.

It’s gonna be a fun week!

Wendy

Sidenote Saturday: Today Is The Day

Sidenote Saturday: Today Is The Day

Today is the day. Today is the day that I jump in and start the backsplash. Today is the day I stop watching 8000 videos and reading tutorials and just go for it.

Today, I am nervous. I have never taken on a project like this one all by myself, but I am going to give it a shot. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and successes.

Let me back up one step, prior to gathering supplies, I took a class to determine first hand if I could even do this.

 

I decided that I could.

Then I made about five trips to The Tile Shop to find the exact tile I envisioned. And just when I thought I had found “the one”, I found a different one.

This is going to be in our kitchen for a very long time, so I wanted to love it, not just like the tiles, but love them. This is my definition of tile love.

Next I had to do some math.

My backsplash area is approximately 220 inches wide x 14 inches tall.

220 inches wide x 14 inches tall = 3080 square inches.

One foot equals 12 inches. One square foot: 12 inches wide x 12 inches tall = 144 square inches.

I needed to figure out how many square feet of tiles I needed:

3080 square inches/ 144 square inches = 21.39 square feet.

If each tile sheet is 1 square foot or 12×12 square inches and each box contains 10 sheets,

then the answer to “How many tile sheets do I need for the backsplash?” would be 21.39. Rounding that number to 22 means that I will need two full boxes of tile and a third box for fill in tiles and breakage.

Did I lose you? Call me if you need help.

Side note: I tutored Algebra for years and also volunteered to teach an advanced math class at our local elementary school.

I love math.

Moving on. The next step was to gather all of my supplies. I bought:

  • 3 boxes of Gobi Brick Tile
  • Pro Grout Natural Sanded
  • Flexible Admixture
  • Pro Bond Non-Sag
  • Enhance and Seal
  • Trowels
  • Wet  Saw

 

And now…I work.

Stay tuned for a progress report on Monday.

Wendy