How to Tile a Kitchen Backsplash
Looking for a way to prep up your kitchen? A new and colorful tile backsplash will give it a lovely appearance You can do the installation yourself, if you want to save cash, but you must know the right steps and have the right tools.
What You’ll Need:
Stone or ceramic tile
Sanded grout (pre-mixed)
Measuring tape
Small float
Trowel
Tile spacers
Wet saw
Tile nipper
Sponge
Screwdriver
Clean rags
Rubber mallet
Sandpaper
Procedure:
Determine which kitchen wall area you’re going to put the tile backsplash on. Most people put theirs behind countertop surfaces, for decorative and protective purposes. Also, choose a tile design that will fit your kitchen interior well.
tile kitchen backslpash
Using a measuring tape, find out the wall area’s square footage. Make sure you measure both the widths and heights or the rectangular areas or small squares. Afterwards, total the areas, so you’ll know the wall square footage’s total to tile.
To prep the wall, you need to take away all the light switch covers and outlets. You might need to use a screwdriver for this. Afterwards, sand the wall using a fine-grit sandpaper. When you’re done, clean the surface using a rag.
Map out the wall areas to be tiled. You can do this either by laying the tiles on a countertop or any surface, or do it on paper. Measure the light switch and outlet spaces, then mark the tiles you need to cut with the wet saw. Make sure you use tile spacers as you mark, since you need to leave spaces between the tiles for the grout.
Cut the tiles for the corners and outlets, with the help of the wet saw. If you know how to use a table saw, you’ll be able to work this properly, but you might need a few tries to get accurate cuts. Practice with a few spare tiles before you move on to the actual tiles.
Using a trowel, apply the grout to the wall, at a 45 degrees angle. The grout will start to dry as soon as you apply it, so make sure you only put enough that you can tile in 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure your application is even.
Put the tiles over the grout, pushing hard on the surface. A rubber mallet will also come in handy to tap the tiles in place.
After finishing the first small area, do the same for the other wall areas.
When all the tiles have been placed on the wall area, wait for 24 hours and allow the grout to dry before you float the tiles. When the 24-hour wait is over, put grout to the float, then spread it over the tile surface, filling in the grout in between the tiles. Always remember to float only as much grout area as you can cover in 10 to 15 minutes, because if you float the whole area, the grout from the starting point will have hardened, and you won’t get to remove it.
Use the sponge to remove excess grout and clean the whole tile surface, as well as those that have fallen on the floor and countertop.
If your kitchen looks drab, try putting a new tile backsplash on it. with these steps, it’s an easy and manageable task.