How to make a decorative tile backsplash for the kitchen: Tools and tips

Install your own decorative ceramic tile kitchen backsplash.

For anyone who wants to add some “Zing!” to the kitchen, there is no better way than to install a ceramic tile backsplash. For the do-it-yourselfer it is inexpensive to install. It is also one of the more useful, as well as, durable things you can do to the kitchen. With just a few tools, some elbow grease, and some imagination you can have a beautiful, scrubbable, backsplash that will last for many years.

Ceramic tile is available in just about any color you can imagine. The tiles are available in mosaic (many small pieces adhered to a sheet of plastic grid), 1 x 1, 2 x 2, 4 x 4, 6 x 6 and larger. There are also irregular shapes that can be worked into a pattern. There are ‘sizzle strips’ of contrasting colors and in many decorative designs, and painted or etched tiles of various colors to add pizzazz to your backsplash. If you are on a budget keep in mind the simpler the design the less expensive the finished product will be. Finishes on the tiles can be shiny, matte, painted, embossed, and gold or silver leafed, etc. Marble and slate will need to be ‘sealed’ every six months. Porous tiles, while they look great on an entry floor, will be harder to keep clean in the kitchen.

Because ceramic tile is more easily installed than removed, careful consideration is prudent when making the decision on color and style. If you are matching it to your counter top or flooring, how long do you expect to keep the current one? Even if your favorite color is red, will you tire of it in the near future, or decide to re-decorate the rest of the kitchen in a Southwest motif, perhaps? Or Country French? Darker colors show every fingerprint and splash of water. Take a good look at all the styles and colors at the home center or tile store before making your final decision.
Many vinyl floors have decorative diamonds in the pattern, which are easily replicated in your tile design. Or perhaps you’ll decide white is the way to go with a few painted accent tiles or solid tiles of another color here and there, or in a distinct pattern. I’ve actually installed one that had roses cut out of the tile to match a stained glass piece in the window above the sink. It was beautiful, but cutting out the tiny pieces was time intensive and very expensive for the homeowner!

After you have made your decision on color, design, etc., the next step is to measure the area to be tiled. Typically the tile will go up from the current counter top to the bottom of the upper cabinet. Take into consideration how you plan to address any windows; will you be tiling higher than the rest of the backsplash, for instance?

As an example, if your kitchen is the typical “U” shape with the sink in the middle of the “U”, a window above the sink, and upper cabinets all the way around except for where the window is, measure the distance from one end of the “U” leg to the other end of the “U” leg, and convert that measurement to inches (example: 20 feet 8 inches would be 20 x 12 + 8 = 248 inches). Now measure from the countertop to the bottom of the upper cabinet and convert the number to inches. Multiply the total length of the “U” by the distance between the countertop and the upper cabinet (example: 248 inches x 16 inches). Divide the total square inches by 144 to get the number of square feet needed.

Note: Any edges that will not abut a cabinet or countertop will need “bull-nose” pieces, which are tiles of the same type chosen but with one or more edges rounded over. If you need a corner piece to give a finished appearance you will need a tile with 2 adjacent bull-nosed edges.

Purchase 5 percent more tiles than are needed for the project to ensure there will be enough, even if some breakage occurs or a cut is made in error. This will save you at least one trip back to the home center or tile supplier!

MASTIC: Tile being adhered to a vertical surface, as in the case of the backsplash, will be glued to the wall using tile mastic. It is applied with a notched trowel. Always use the notch size recommended by the mastic manufacturer. Both the mastic and the trowel should be available at the same place you are purchasing the tile.

INSTALLING TILE: Before applying mastic to the walls with the trowel, lay the tiles against the wall to ensure any small pieces will be in a corner or directly under the bottom of the countertop. These pieces must be cut to fit. Tiles must also be cut to fit around any electrical outlets. Leave a gap between each tile to allow for grout installation. See “GROUT” below for the correct size of gap between each tile. Rubber tile spacers are available in many sizes for ease of installation and to ensure the gap is even around each tile.

Apply mastic to an area approximately 3 feet long and to about 3 inches under the wall cabinet. Set the first bull-nosed (or regular piece if a finished edge is not necessary) into the mastic on the wall. Press firmly to secure the tile to the wall. Install the next piece adjacent to the first and place a spacer at the top between the two pieces of tile. Continue until you have several tiles placed along the countertop. Next, place a tile directly above the first one and continue with this second course of tiles, placing the spacers as needed. You may wish to use a short bubble level to ensure placement is plumb and square. Continue until full tile pieces will no longer fit.

CUTTING TILE: There are a number of ways to cut ceramic tile. The method used is directly dependent on the type of tile used in your project. For standard 4 x 4 ceramic tiles, you can rent or purchase a manual tile cutter that is used to score and then break the piece. These are available at the home center or tile supplier. For curved cuts, marble, slate, quarry, porcelain and many other types of tile it will be necessary to rent a ‘wet’ saw used exclusively for this purpose. (The use of water with the saw blade prevents ((usually)) the marble/slate/quarry/porcelain or other thicker tile from becoming overheated and breaking). Follow the directions given with the tile cutter for best results.

Note: It may be necessary to “back butter” smaller tile pieces to firmly adhere them to the wall. Using a small spatula or putty knife, apply the mastic to the back of the tile piece and apply it to the wall. Normally, tiles cut to fit smaller voids are made so the cut edge faces into the corner or towards the bottom of the cabinet.

Remove any excess mastic protruding from the gap or on the tile as soon as possible. Ignoring this step will make the grouting and cleaning process much more difficult.

GROUTING: Grouting the tile will cover a multitude of ‘sins’ made in the installation process. Grout is available in many colors to either match or contrast with the tile and will either be ‘sanded’ or ‘un-sanded’. The choice to use one or the other is determined by the size of the gap between the tiles. For 1/8th inch gaps it is acceptable to use un-sanded grout. For gaps larger than 1/8th inch (or in high traffic areas such as a bathroom floor), sanded grout is the better choice.

In a pail with about 1½ cups of water, add the chosen grout a little at a time. Stir, adding more dry grout as needed, until it is about the consistency of creamy peanut butter. When there are no lumps let the mix ‘slake’ for about 15 minutes. ‘Slake’ means to just leave it alone.

Apply the grout to the wall tile with a grout float (again, available at the home center or tile supplier) and work it into the gaps between the tiles. Wipe away excess grout with the float and let it set for about 15 minutes.

With another pail of water and a large sponge, wipe across the grouted tiles to remove any excess grout and to clean the tiles. Clean your sponge often. Gently wipe the grout lines until they are smooth and even. If you wipe away too much, apply more with the float and repeat the process.

With clean water and a clean sponge, continue wiping the tiles until all excess grout is cleaned away. After the tiles are dry, wipe with a clean dry cloth to gently polish the tiles.

Let the grout dry for 24 hours before applying a grout sealer. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for this process.

YOUR BACKSPLASH IS NOW COMPLETE! Enjoy it for many years to come!