Sexy, isn’t it?
One of our summer projects this year was tiling the kitchen backsplash. And when I say “our” I mean “I ate twizzlers while A. grouted things.” We are a great team.
Because I spent most of the time snapping pictures, keeping the dog away from the mess, and, yes, eating twizzlers, A. has graciously agreed to write this post for me. Except, because I am an editor and probably a little uptight, I will be reading over his shoulder and most likely adding punctuation.
Take it away, my love! 
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Hi, I’m A. Nice to meet you.
When starting to pick out tile, we considered many different choices. First we started with a rough cut stone tile, then we moved on to glass tile, which we really liked except it was in the neighborhood of 18-30 dollars a square foot. So we found this hexagonal type at Home Depot. It was about 2 dollars a square foot.
I started by cutting holes in the wall to run the wires for the lights. I do suggest having an electrician do this step for safety. I installed 2 switches by the stove, one for the rope lights above the cabinet, and one for the undercab lights. I drilled a hole under each cabinet, leaving the wires in the void space to later be covered. When the rough wiring was finished, I replaced the drywall that was removed. There is no need to re-mud the sheet rock because it will be covered later.
To begin the tiling process you will need a few things.
1. Tile, usually comes in 1′ square sections
2. Thin set, premixed or dry
3. Grout of your color choice
4. A tiling trowel, flat on one side and teeth on the other
5. Bucket
6. Sponge
7. A two-foot level
8. Pencil
9. Tile saw
10. Grouting trowel, with a foam pad on it
I started by taking a level and pencil-marking out my first few square feet. I then started installing the tile behind the stove. I recommend starting in the middle of the wall – that way you only have to cut tile in the corners. We bought pre-mixed thin set which is the adhesive for the tile. You can also buy it dry and mix it yourself.
Start by spreading the thinset with the flat blade of the trowel on a few feet of the wall. Never spread more than you can set in 30 min. so that it will not start to dry. After spreading the thin set, take the tooth side of the trowel and blade it across the thinset. It will look like stripes of mortar when you are done. After this, take a sheet of tile and press it firmly into place, noting your lines on the wall. Be sure that the spacing between the tiles are even and that all are held tightly in place. Be sure to remove any extra mortar between the tiles. This will make it easier later on. Continue the process, working your way around the wall.
Soon you start running into some obstacles. This will require some cutting. You can rent a wet tile saw at most equipment rental stores. Or, the alternative is a scorer. Because of the odd shape of the tile there was a lot of cutting involved for me. As you work your way around these, be sure that the spacing between all the tiles remains equal. AND BE SURE TO TURN OFF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER BEFORE STARTING THIS PROCESS!!! There is nothing like a sudden jolt of electricity to make you start shouting expletives. Be sure that the tiles are maintaining level as you work down the wall.
Be careful. He will for sure try to eat any dust or crumbs that he can get.
Here is an example of where I had to cut the hexagonal tiles with scorer to fit the narrow wall by the sink. See that I cracked one? It’s okay. The wall plate will cover it.
When the tiling is done, be sure to give it at least 48 hours of dry time just to be sure. If you start grouting too early, it will seal in the moisture, leading to molding issues down the road. Trust me – you might want a little time away after you finish this step anyways.
Before the grout is applied, be sure to use a utility knife and clean out all mortar that may have made its way out between the tiles. After this, take your sponge and bucket. Fill the bucket with a mixture of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar (a tip I learned from Ask This Old House). This will clean the surface thoroughly. Then, go back over with fresh water to be sure all of the vinegar is removed. Allow the surface to air dry.
Now it is time to grout the tile. When choosing your grout, be mindful of the amount of space between the tiles. If it is less than 1/4″ you will want to get grout that does not have sand in it. Take your grouting trowel and spread the grout at a 45 degree angle, being sure to work it into all of the cracks. Work your way around the entire wall letting the grout set up for 20 to 30 min.
Once all of the cracks are for sure full of grout, go back to where you started with a clean sponge and water and begin to clean the surface of the tile. Wipe just across the top. The grout should be set up enough to not pull out of the cracks. You may have to do this 3-4 times to be sure to remove all of the residue. Once this is finished, get a beer from the fridge and drink it. Stand back and admire what you have just accomplished.
And for the next step…The under cabinet light. Find your favorite local carpenter to come over and do the cabinet work. There were for sure much fewer swear words this way.
We skinned the bottom of the cabinet with a 1/4-inch maple plywood. I cut a 2 3/8″ hole in the middle of each one where the lights would go. We nailed the plywood to the bottom of cabinet, then 1″x 1″ stock maple (that was run through a router to give it a fancy finish) completed the rough edges. Just a side note: most friendly carpenters accept payment in the form of a six pack and supper.
I then installed the lights in the hole of each cabinet and put a rope light above the cabinets. Below is the completed look. In all, this project ran us around 400 dollars. Let’s break it down;
Tile, thin set, grout – $150
Tools for the job – $75 – $100
4 lights plus transformer and wiring – $150 (More to hire an electrician.)
Wood for under cabinets – $100
Not bad at all. Have fun, call in some favors, heck you can even call me….for a fee……..
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Any questions about the tiling adventure? Leave a comment and I will have A. promptly reply
Happy tile shopping!
Wow–thanks for all the details about the project! I have to confess…I thought all the hexagonal tiles were separate and that A. had to set each one in place because I didn’t realize they came in 1′ squares. But, I still think that A. is skilled enough to complete the project the way I imagined it had to be done! Good work!
He is so talented! It is so gorgeous!
gorgeous!
It looks fabulous!!!! And that doggy-to die for!