Backsplash Bonanza

By: Scott Gibson and Leslie Plummer Clagett (Page 2 of 8)

Photo: Roger Turk

Ceramic-tile murals are custom-made or come in preassembled kits. They highlight specific areas of the room.

Meredith Art Tile

Rotating tiles degrees produces a diamond pattern -- an easy way to add motion to a static area.

Roger Turk, Northlight Photography

Mixing tile shapes and sizes is another way to add interest to this relatively small area

Walker Zanger

Stone is available in standard-size tiles as well as slabs, which are cut to order. Slabs are more expensive than tiles, but their hefty, timesless appearance can't be matched.

Wilsonart

In conjunction with counters of the same material, solid-surface backsplashes have an appealing seamless appearance. They also lend themselves to more decorative treatments, with inlays and sandblasted details.

Tria Giovan

Glass-block lets natural light in while providing privacy. Its strongly geometrical patterns make it most suitable for forward-looking kitchens.

Tria Giovan

Plate-glass panels can be effectively used with any style room.

Tria Giovan

The protective panels can be removed -- carefully -- to repaint the walls

Tim Austin

Spread the mastic on the wall with a notched trowel, and apply the adhesive to low spots on the back of any uneven tiles.

Tim Austin

Heavy tiles can slip before the mastic cures unless they are supported from below. Small screws driven into the drywall are enough to hold these 8x8-in. tiles in place.

Tim Austin

Plan on cutting the last row of tile beneath the upper cabinets for a full-height backsplash.

Tim Austin

A wet saw makes short work of cuts in stone and ceramic tile. This saw is small enough to sit right on the kitchen counter.

Tim Austin

A polymer-fortified grout makes a durable joint between tiles. Porous stone tile is often sealed before grout is applied.

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How to Work with Glass Tile

In this how-to video, This Old House tile contractor Joe Ferrante tiles a kitchen backsplash with translucent glass tile

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Ceramic Tile

By virtue of its sheer variety in color, shape and size, ceramic tile is undoubtedly the most versatile backsplash material. Even simple tricks— turning square tiles on point, varying and combining standard shapes, adding the occasional accent tile—can spice up your kitchen without emptying your wallet.

How the tile is set depends on where you live. In the West, installers often set tile in thinset adhesive over a "floated" mortar bed usually about 1/2 in. thick. This traditional construction technique is not recommended for novice tile setters. But when a pro does it right, it's virtually bombproof.

In the East, you might get a blank stare from your tile installer if you ask him if he intends to float a mortar bed for your backsplash. He'll likely use cement backerboard as a substrate—1/4- or 1/2-in.-thick sheets screwed to the wall. Either method is okay. Prices start at $2 per square foot for 4-in. machine-made tiles and can easily top $20 per square foot for handmade tile. Mesh-backed mosaic tiles in a 151- or 152-ft. sheet start at $5 or less per square foot; their glass counterparts are considerably more, starting at $25 per square foot. Mass-produced tile murals may cost as little as $45 for a six-tile pattern of, say, flowers or vegetables. But you can also spend thousands of dollars for hand-painted murals designed by an artist who creates original designs.

Labor rates for setting tile vary by region as well as by the complexity of the job. Robert Daniels, of the Tile Council of America, says labor rates average from about $2.50 per square foot to $8.50 per square foot. But prices are higher in some local markets. One tile contractor in the San Francisco area, for example, calculates labor at $9.50 per square foot for setting standard-grade tile (more for mosaics, stone tile and custom installations). In other parts of the country, like Florida, setting rates are less than $2 per square foot. But wherever you are, look for established tile contractors. One trade-group executive warns that tile work is too often backed by only a "taillight guarantee." That is, it's good only as long as you can see the installer's taillights. When he's gone, it's gone.

Most wall tiles require little maintenance (porous stone and clay tiles must be sealed periodically). However grout between tiles should be sealed so it won't stain or absorb water. Epoxy grout, says Chip O'Rear, assistant executive director of the National Tile Contractors Association, is water- and stainproof, but it is harder to install and may yellow over time. O'Rear says a strong solvent will remove the yellowing. Just remember, you have to use this type of solvent with caution and adequate ventilation.