How to Install a Tile Backsplash

By: Joseph Truini, This Old House magazine

Shopping List

Supplies You Will Need

1. DECORATIVE TILE

2. LISTELLO TILE
border

3. CERAMIC FIELD TILE

4. BULLNOSE TILE

5. UNSANDED TILE GROUT

6. ACYLIC TILE MASTIC
1 gallon for every 50 to 60 square feet

7. CLEAN CLOTH

8. 80-GRIT SANDPAPER

9. CANVAS DROP CLOTHS
to protect floor and countertop

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Tools List
Tools You Will Need
- 2-foot level
- Tape measure
- Rubber grout float
- Tile nippers
- 3/16-inch V-notched trowel
- Caulking gun with tub-and-tile caulk
- Bucket and sponge
- Score-and-snap tile cutter
- Optional: Motorized wetsaw,
  rents for about $45 to $70 a day, plus blade rental, is invaluable for notches and other complex cuts
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Photo by: Shaffer Smith Photography

Introduction
Overview
Steps:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9

1. Prepare the wall

• Remove all the switch plates and outlet covers from the backsplash.
• Hand-sand the wall with 80-grit sandpaper to roughen the painted surface, then wipe off the dust with a damp rag.
• Measure and mark the exact center of the room’s visual focal point at the counter level (here, it’s the range).
• Using a sharp pencil and a 2-foot level, draw a perfectly plumb starting line through the center mark.
TIP: Lay out (dry-fit) your tile pattern on the floor first, to make sure it will fit evenly on the wall.