How To Install A Tile Backsplash (courtesy of Lowes.com)

Are you looking for a contemporary, clean update for your kitchen, that won’t bust your budget? Why not install a ceramic and glass tiled back splash? Glass tiles are beautiful, and they come in a wide variety of colors to match any décor. They’re also easy to install!

Start with a clean surface that’s free of dust and grime. Protect your countertops and your appliances by covering them with paper.

To determine the amount of tiles that you need, simply multiply the width by the height. I always like to buy a little extra, so I don’t run out before I finish the project!

Now, comes the fun part – the layout of our design! We selected the beautiful, white subway tile, which makes a statement on its own. But, by adding this aqua glass tile, it’s really gonna make it pop. Now, your glass tiles are typically sold in a sheet, like a 12 x 12 sheet, and they’re all attached with this net backing. And, this is really nice because you can just cut it apart with scissors. And you can either leave it in strips, or, you can cut them out individually, depending on your design. We’re gonna use it in the strip…and, just add a row, just like that. Isn’t that great? It just really makes that pop. Nice, sleek, modern look to it.

Now, to attach our tiles to our wall, we’re using a pre-mixed adhesive and a trowel. We’re just gonna this up with our putty knife. You do want to make sure that you read your manufacture’s instructions before using your adhesive. Get a nice, fair amount on your trowel, because this trowel is really going to work for us.

You can see I’ve already started this on my wall. We’re gonna go right up against our other pieces, and just gently pull our adhesive away. Now, I’m working in 12 inch sections, and this is great, because it’s a nice, manageable section for us. We don’t want everything to set up on us before we’re ready for it!

We’re gonna turn our trowel around, and, see this combed edge here? This is what’s gonna make sure that we have the proper amount of adhesive. See how that just pulls some of that off for us? And we’re gonna work from the bottom up. And the reason why we’re doing that is ’cause we’re using the top of our countertop to keep everything nice and level.

We’re gonna put this in place, push it down to the top of our counter. We’re ready for our next piece…we’re gonna do the same thing. And, we don’t need to worry about the spacing in between, because we’re going to use these handy little discs, which are called spacers. And they just slide right in to help us keep our spacing nice and even.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to cut a piece of tile, maybe around an outlet or at the top of your cabinet, all you need to do is use a tile cutter. Let me show you how easy that is to use!

This right here is our tile cutter. Lay your piece down inside the cutter. And this part right here is actually our cutting wheel, and we’re going to push that across our tile. And listen for that score sound – here that sound? Let the feet come back down, apply a little bit of pressure and there we go. We’ve got a perfect cut! So, this is really a handy tool, especially for this job!

Allow the tiles to set completely, before you start the grouting process. Now, we’ve been working with a 3 part epoxy grout today. You don’t mix it with water, so be sure you follow the manufacture’s instructions and the safety information.

We’ve been applying our grout with a rubber grout float, and this is a really handy tool. We just put our medium right on to the float. We’re gonna go straight to our wall, and begin smoothing this on with our float. The float is something that you’ll get comfortable using. You can apply pressure, you can tilt it, and it really helps you to just get that grout into all of your spaces. Make sure that you don’t have any air bubbles. This also helps to remove some of the excess grout, as well.

It’s a good idea to work in a small, manageable space, like a 1 foot section at a time. During the process of applying your grout, you do want to come back through with a damp sponge and wipe away some of your excess grout.

We’re gonna allow our grout to set up for 15 minutes, depending on the temperature and the humidity of the room. Then, use a clean, dry sponge to remove any remaining grout residue off the surface of the tile.

You will want to apply caulk to the base, and along any exposed edges. The secret to getting a smooth caulk line is to apply a thin strip of caulk, and then smooth the line by running a wet fingertip over the caulk.

What an amazing transformation! This is an easy, affordable way to add real style to your kitchen backsplash. If you need more home improvement projects and information, visit us at LowesCreativeIdeas.com.

For additional similar how-to videos check out our archives in
Around the House, Home Improvement