{Tutorial} Tiling a Backsplash

The process is fairly simple and straight-forward.  Before putting on the adhesive, lay the tile onto the wall and mark the outline with a pencil.  Then using painters tape, tape the outer perimeter so you avoid any glue getting onto your wall.  Then using a putty knife or your finger (which is what I did), put a thin layer of adhesive onto the back of the tile.  Do this in stages….one tile at a time.  In my case, the tiles were adhered to a mesh bag, but I cut the mesh lining and adhered the tile in 3 row segments.  So now all the tile is up…

After the tile is completely dry, it’s time to grout.  The area that I was working in was tight and awkward, so I couldn’t use a typical grout application, using a float.  I put the grout in a Ziploc bag and snipped the corner edge off to create a 1/8″-1/4″ hole.  Then just like piping a cake, I filled the joints with the grout.

After the joints were grouted, it’s time to wash it away with water.  Using a rough sponge, go over the tile with water.  Over and Over and Over until the tile surface is clean and grit-free.  Depending on the look you want to achieve, you may want to use a sealing product on the tile BEFORE grouting. This will seal and protect the tile.  Also, when you are finished, it’s always a good idea to seal the grout lines too.  Both sealing products are available at any hardware store.