Do you want to totally update your kitchen in a couple of weekends?! If so.. I’m telling you, installing a new backsplash is a game 👏🏼 changer 👏🏼. We did a full kitchen gut and remodel, but even if you just replace your existing backsplash / add a full height backsplash, it can really have a huge impact! I’ve been getting some questions about the details of our backsplash, so I thought it’d be helpful to share the DIY backsplash tutorial here.
Materials:
- Backsplash Tiles
- Grout (color we used is bright white)
- Mortar
- Tile Spacers
Tools:
- Trowel
- Bucket
- Tile Score & Snapper
- Angle Grinder with diamond blade
- Drywall Tray (for mortar & grout)
- Large Sponge
- Wall Scuffer
- Laser Level (optional)
Total Cost:
$404.44 (not including tools!)
Step 1: Prep the walls
First thing’s first – turn off the electrical breaker! Then remove the outlet covers, and pull out all the electrical outlets. You’ll be tiling around them. Depending on if your wall is painted or not, you may need to use a wall scuffer to scuff up the surface. If you’re just applying the backsplash over unfinished drywall, you don’t need to scuff it up!
Step 2: Determine your start point & mix the mortar
We wanted a tile centerline above the middle of the oven (does that make sense?!) So I placed my laser level’s vertical line at the center point of our oven. I placed my first tiles on either side of that line! It’s so important to plan things out and visualize everything before installations with these types of projects.
Follow the directions on the mortar bag to mix the mortar. Check your mortar’s set time (how fast it will get hard) and choose how much to mix accordingly. If you mix too much and can’t use it fast enough, it could harden and become unusable. I found that using a drill with a stirring attachment made mixing the mortar in the bucket much easier.
Step 3: Install the tiles and make any cuts necessary
This is pretty straight forward! I like to use a laser level here to keep my vertical lines plumb and my horizontal line level. Tile spacers are also helpful for keeping lines plumb.
A score and snap tool is an easy way to make any simple cuts at corners, edges, and cabinets. If you need to make more intricate cuts, I used an angle grinder with a diamond blade. They probably don’t need to be perfect, as the grout will help mask any imperfections. I used the diamond blade cut method at the electrical outlets (to cut out a corner) and at the crown moulding which was already installed.
Step 4: Clean tiles with a wet rag and add grout
Once the mortar is set, clean your tiles with a wet rag. Then mix up your grout (or buy pre-mixed grout) and apply it as necessary! You’ll probably want to get a grout floater for this – but we couldn’t find ours, so we just used a putty knife. Sometimes you have to get creative to avoid another trip to the hardware story, you know?!
Use a large sponge to wipe away excess grout, and have a large bowl handy to rinse it out frequently. We just kept our bowl in the kitchen sink for easy access, but I dumped the dirty water out outside to avoid clogging our sink drain.
Clean your tiles immediately to avoid “grout haze,” which causes the tiles to have a cloudy appearance. Then you’re DONE. 🙂
**Note: at the edges, you can use a tile schluter edge or a line of grout. I chose to use a line of grout, but do whatever look you prefer!
