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How to Install Tile Backsplash Like a Pro…-ish

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We built our house…not by ourselves!…roughly 15 years ago. At the time there were things we knew we would ultimately change in the years to come…whether due to cost constraints or decision fatigue during the building process. Other items we thought would work well, thanks to past experience, and still others we had no clue about so we leaned on the help of experts. After years of living in the house, we learned what we did well, what could have been done better, and what really drove us nuts. All of which could be found in the kitchen.

When we moved in, we had an island and a peninsula in the kitchen. This set up worked well for years as the kids were growing up. We could stand on the one side of the peninsula, preparing food, while the kids sat at the bar on the other side and did homework. On baking days they worked on the bar side of the peninsula rolling and kneading dough, but out of the way of the hot baking trays. 

As the kids got older and helped more and more in the kitchen, we quickly realized that space was a bit tight, and the layout was rather constraining. Through the years the counter top had also taken a beating with more than one scorch mark from candles that had burnt too low, and pans that were still too hot to be placed directly on the counter. The more time we spent in the kitchen the more we realized that we needed to make some changes. 

Once we decided that changes were needed, we started setting money aside each month to (hopefully) cover the cost of whatever we decided to do. We also spent time on the weekends discussing what we liked and what we didn’t like about the current kitchen – layout, materials, color…everything. In good planning fashion, we made lists of our “must haves” and “nice to haves”. And we measured up more than once as we played with new layouts.

Finally, about two years later, we were ready to start talking with kitchen stores. We can highly recommend talking with several companies and getting them to come out to provide estimates and layout concepts. We quickly learned that our top choice layout was not going to be possible due to a small section that would be too tight to pass code. Rats! After talking to about five companies, two of them dropped out of the running since they stopped responding to our emails. 

Then COVID-19 hit. This turned out to be a blessing in some ways. With the world shut down, we had more time to save up for the kitchen. The estimates we had received were more expensive than we thought. We tried to see how we could scale back the project to save some money, but no matter how hard we tried we knew we would not be happy with only minor adjustments. The delay also gave us time to review the proposals in full and decide which cabinet company we wanted to work with. 

As things started to open back up, we were getting busy and didn’t have time to take on the project. Finally, in January we reconnected with the cabinet company and launched the project. We would be changing the footprint of the kitchen, which meant we would also need new flooring and a new backsplash in addition to the new cabinets and countertops. 

While we waited for the cabinets to be produced, we connected with the other professionals we’d need for the project and booked them in. The last bit was to decide on the backsplash – what type of tile, who would tear down the existing, and who would install the new. To help with the decision process, we made a trip to a couple of local hardware stores to get an idea of pricing and designs. While exploring the tile section at our local Lowes store, one of their employees came over to see how he could help. He was a fountain of knowledge and was able to answer every question we had. From how to remove the existing tile, to what size spacers we would need if we did the project ourselves. Ultimately, it was his encouragement that made us decide to tackle the project ourselves.

Before making the final decision to do the tiling ourselves, we asked three key questions. They were critical because my husband and I both work full time jobs, and I was still recovering from foot surgery. We were also heading into the spring and gardening season…always a busy time of year at the Suburban Farmhouse.

Three Key Questions 

  1. Could we save a significant amount of money doing the tiling ourselves?
  2. Could we do it reasonably well/ Do we have the right skills? If not, could we learn them fairly easily?
  3. Would we have the time to do the project? Or would we be time pressed between other contractors?

It turned out that we could save roughly $1000 by doing the tiling ourselves. This meant we’d have money for a new kitchen table to replace the one we bought at Shopko 20 years ago. Hooray! A quick review of several YouTube videos helped us decide that we had the basic skills needed to do the project and we could easily pick up any new ones needed along the way. And a review of the project timeline showed that we had three weeks to remove the existing tile, patch the walls, and repaint as needed before the new cabinets were to be installed. Plenty of time to work around the electrician who would be installing new lighting and moving some outlets. On the back end, installing the tile was the last step of the project so we had all the time we would need to complete the project.

Out with the Old

Before any tiling work could start we had to remove the existing backsplash. Ideally, removal of the existing tile would leave the drywall fully intact. However, the ideal state rarely meets up with reality, especially when demolition involves hammers and unskilled labor. 

Getting started in mid-April, we enlisted our children to help with the demolition. Armed with hammers, we gently tapped on the tiles to crack them, then we used a chisel edged scraper to pry the tiles off of the wall. The final result resembled swiss cheese more than an actual wall. We had managed to pull the paper off of the drywall, and had even cracked it in some places. Not exactly a great foundation for hanging the new tile. 

In order to provide a solid foundation for the new tiles, we enlisted more help. In other words, we convinced Kat to come down to lend a hand and learn how to hang drywall. Before the hanging could begin, she and Jakob had to remove the old cracked and torn drywall. Using a Dremel with a drywall bit to cut the drywall (and maximize the amount of dust created!) they were able to make reasonably straight cuts. In an attempt to minimize the amount of drywall needed, they originally cut the drywall away in sections that only removed the injured drywall. They quickly realized this was going to make the hanging of the new drywall much more difficult. So they grabbed the Dremel and cut everything to one level. Meanwhile, I cheered from the sidelines and ordered dinner for the work crew as I was recovering from foot surgery.

Once the wall was done, it was time to measure and cut the new drywall. Following good engineering practices, Kat and Jakob measured twice and cut once. By the end of the weekend we had removed all the tile, replaced the drywall, taped and mudded, and even texturized the wall. We now had a couple weeks’ break to relax before we needed to paint the walls. 

Tools for Removing Tile and Replacing Drywall

  • Hammer
  • Chisel edged scraper
  • Dremel with drywall cutting bit
  • Screwdriver/drill
  • Trowel 
  • Drywall
  • Drywall tape
  • Drywall joint compound

We strongly debated whether to paint the walls before, or after, the kitchen install. In the end we decided to paint the walls before the cabinets were installed. Waiting the extra couple of weeks meant I was now (somewhat) on my feet and could lend a hand…though no climbing on ladders yet. We tackled both the kitchen and living room in the same weekend, giving both rooms their first coat of fresh paint in the 15 years we’ve been in the house. 

In with the New

In late May the kitchen cabinets, and new flooring were now installed, which meant it was time to get tiling. Faced with a blank wall in need of tile, and a new set of tools we’d never used before, we were terrified. But there’s nothing like jumping in with both feet to learn how to swim. 

Before starting we took two important steps. Step one, we queried experts, which actually means we asked the lovely gentleman at Lowe’s a million questions and watched a few YouTube videos. Step two, we enlisted additional unskilled labor. Kat came down for the day to lend a hand.

Expert Advice (a few of the resources we used)

One of the things we learned along the way was that we needed to scuff up the wall where the tile would be hung. The beautiful job we had done texturing and painting the backsplash  area meant that the tile would not adhere very well. I grabbed the electric sander and got to work scuffing things up. 

As soon as the wall was prepped and the equipment was set up, Jakob gave us a demonstration of how to use the wet saw. This was the one piece of equipment we rented. We also sacrificed a tile to learn how to use the snap cutter. All the equipment, tile, and tiling bits we bought at Lowe’s. 

Tiling Equipment

  • Tiles
  • Grout appropriate for type of tile and grout line size
  • Tile spacers
  • Snap cutter
  • Wet saw – rent this from your local hardware store
  • Tile nippers
  • Tile mastic for adhering the tiles onto the wall
  • Trowel

Following the demonstrations, we lined a few tiles up on the counter to determine where to start the pattern. We had previously decided on a basic subway tile and pattern with a 50% offset. With this in mind we found the center of the wall section and the center of what would be the first tile. Now came the moment of truth…applying mastic to the first tile, and applying it to the wall. If the counter wasn’t level and we laid the tile up to the cabinets we’d end up with a weird row of wedges. Once the initial feeling of panic subsided we applied mastic to the wall and applied the first full row of tile. Kat and I took turns making cuts on the tile while Jakob laid tile and measured for cuts. At the ends of the rows we needed to cut tiles. We also needed to cut tiles that surrounded the electrical outlets. Each of these required different techniques for cutting.

At the end of the rows where cuts were needed, we could make a simple straight cut. For these cuts we made use of the snap cutter. The technique for the snap cutter is deceptively simple. But as with many things that seem simple, the devil is in the details. We quickly found that in the end it required a firm yet gentle hand to ensure that the tiles cut straight. The idea with the snap cutter is that you run the cutter gently along the tile where you need the cut to occur. This step is similar to cutting paper with a rolling blade paper cutter. The idea is to simply score the tile. Once the tile is scored, you move the presser foot onto the tile and use the handle to gently apply pressure causing the tile to snap along the score line. If you are rushing, don’t have the tile pressed up against the guide, or apply too much pressure when scoring or pressing, you risk ending up with an edge that is not straight. We decided to hang onto these failed attempts in case we could use them later in the project.

The cuts needed around the electrical outlets were a bit more complicated and required the use of the wet saw. All too often these tiles required a 2.5 to 3 inch wide cut that only went a half inch into the tile. To make these cuts we started by marking up the width and depth needed. Then make a series of small cuts into the tile resulting in something that looks like a Jack O’lantern mouth. To finish the cuts required the use of the nippers to cut away the Jack O’lantern’s teeth. The first outlet was now complete. Only six more to go!

As we laid the tile on the wall, we placed the spacers to ensure even spacing and proper alignment with the addition of each new row. Spacers come in several sizes, and the size you choose is mainly aesthetic. While you can choose any size you want, typically the smaller the tile, the smaller the spacer you’d want to use in order for things to look nice. We chose a one-sixteenth inch spacer for our project. This is the smallest spacer you can buy. Two hours later, we had the small section of wall under the microwave done. Now onto the main wall behind the stove. As we started this Kat had to leave and Jakob and I needed to finish things up. 

Part way into the work on the main wall we re-read the back of the spacer package and learned that we should have been removing the spacers after about 30 minutes. This is to ensure that the spacers don’t get stuck permanently in the mastic as it dries. So I had a bit of a scramble to remove the spacers that had been sitting in place for over an hour.

We were quite fortunate when it came to leveling the tile. As our cabinets had recently been installed and they leveled them during the installation we could pretty much trust that we would have straight rows and no weird wedges to deal with. If you’re dealing with an older kitchen, you’ll want to check your level before starting. To do this, rent a laser level and use it to create a level line on the wall to be tiled. Attach your first row of tile above this line and tile upward from there. Come back and cut tiles to fit into the space below the line. These will likely be wedge shaped tiles. One thing to be careful of is that you want this row of tiles to be as near to full size as possible, so set the laser line accordingly.

Other fun areas to deal with, and ones we ran into, are odd corners and under window sills. While we didn’t know it at the time, all the odd bits of tile we had from our learning curve came in handy at this point. We needed small slivers of tile to fit up under the window sills. Each sliver had to be roughly half an inch tall, and the full length of the tile. Since we tried to use tiles we had messed up on earlier in the day, we had to make sure that we still had a finished edge for the visible part of the sliver. We also had a space where we needed a sliver of tile approximately one quarter inch wide for the corner. We tried cutting a piece to fit on the wet saw, but found this to be an impossible task. Miraculously we found a sliver that fit laying in the water trough! With this last piece in place we were finally finished tiling. Nine hours after starting, the tile was up and we were exhausted. 

Finishing Touches

Just because the tile was up didn’t mean we were finished with the project. We still needed to apply the grout and caulk. After breakfast on Sunday we got to work on the grout. We rewatched some YouTube videos on applying grout, read the instructions on the package, and got to work.

When standing in the tiling aisle trying to buy grout, it feels like you need a PhD in grout. There are so many options! That said, as long as you know how wide you want your grout line you’ll know what type of grout is needed. Since we were doing a one sixteenth of an inch grout line, we needed unsanded grout. The type of grout you need will have some say in the color selection as well. We decided to go with a dark gray grout to offset the white tiles, and pick up the black accents in the kitchen.

Types of Grout

  • Unsanded grout – for joints less than one eight inch wide
  • Finely sanded grout – for one eight to three eight inch wide joints
  • Quarry type grout – for three eights to one half inch wide joints
  • Epoxy grout – typically used for countertops and areas at risk of staining

Gathering all our tools, we followed the instructions for mixing the grout. It’s important to mix the right quantities and wait the indicated amount of time before using in order to ensure the grout hardens properly. It is also important to get all the grout done in a couple of hours or so as it will start to dry out as you go, making it harder to apply.

Grout Equipment

  • Grout bucket for mixing the grout in (you’ll throw this away later)
  • Grout mixer drill attachment (or something to mix the grout with)
  • Rubber grout trowel or float
  • Grout sponge
  • Caulk
  • Bucket of water
  • Rags 

Once again we started on the small wall under the microwave in order to build our confidence and technique. Load the float with a generous, but not large amount, of grout. Sweep this over a small area of tile, angling the float at a 45 degree angle to work the grout into the joints. Once this grout is worked into the joints, come back with the float at a 90 degree angle to remove all the excess grout. This is important, because if you leave too much grout on the tile surface the next step becomes a major nightmare of a mess (trust me on this…). Wait a few minutes to let the grout set a bit, then come back with a slightly damp sponge to wipe off the tiles. Don’t wipe too hard in the joints or you risk removing the grout. Work in small sections at a time until you get the hang of it.  

Here’s where our fun began. Our grout package said to wait 30 minutes before wiping the tile with the damp sponge. Wrong! As we progressed, this became increasingly difficult because the grout compound was also hardening while in the bucket. We were also applying too much grout initially, and not removing enough, which meant we ended up with black tiles. Ths required multiple passes of the sponge, wringing it out in water between each sweep. The added water from the additional passes meant we ended up with dark gray ponds of water on the new counters. In other words, a huge mess!

While I frantically tried to clean tiles and minimize ponding, Jakob continued full steam ahead with applying grout. Only now it was drying too quickly! I couldn’t keep up and I couldn’t wipe off the excess. Now we had thick, uneven, ugly grout lines. It was so bad we had to use a safety blade from our ceramic cooktop to scrape off the excess grout…in every. single. grout line. At one point I had to make a quick dash to the store to buy more scrapers. Five hours later we were done…both with the grout as well as physically. 

I wish we’d had a third person to take photos of the grout process. Unfortunately it quickly descended into chaos as we tried to finish the process and reduce the Frankenstein look of the grout. Thankfully in the end it all worked out and we now have a beautiful backsplash.

So, would we do it again? Possibly. We would definitely do things a bit differently if we were to do it again. 

Tips

  • Take notes when watching videos and interviewing experts so you can quickly refer back and not waste time finding which video you saw the tip in.
  • Rent the wet saw/tile cutter for longer than you think you’ll need it.
  • Have a buddy to help you the first time tiling and grouting. Even better, find a buddy who has done it before!
  • Work in small sections when doing grout, and complete a section at a time.
  • Start with a simple project the first time…one with very few irregular corners and angles.
  • Install spacers in the electrical boxes to accommodate the tile.
  • Turn off electricity at the breaker box to avoid electrocution when tiling around outlets.
  • Cover your counters when applying grout to catch all the excess and simplify cleanup.

Best of luck on your future projects!

-Kim

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