Home 6


D


by Mark Donovan Contributing Writer


One way to improve the beauty of your kitchen is to tile behind the kitchen backsplash area. Tiling a kitchen backsplash is the perfect diy project, howev- er you need the right tools to achieve a professional job. Most importantly I highly recommend buy- ing or renting a tile saw. A tile wet saw can dramati- cally speed up a kitchen backsplash tiling project and ensure you get perfect cuts every time. In addi- tion to the tile saw, you’ll also need a level, hammer, tiling trowel with 1/8 inch grooves, tape measure, straight edge, rag, paper towels, sandpaper, pencil, and square.


Materials Required For Tiling A


Kitchen Backsplash Of course you’ll need


tile. For my project I used 4”x4” Travertine tiles, along with a mesh strip of small glass tiles of as-


Sand the surface of the drywall backsplash area with coarse sandpaper to rough it up. This will help ensure a strong bond between the tile adhesive and backsplash area.


sorted natural colors. I also used a tile adhesive versus a tile thinset mor- tar since the backsplash area doesn’t get wet, par- ticularly since in my situ- ation I had a 4 inch gran- ite backsplash sitting on top of the granite counter- tops. Also, make sure to buy 1/8 inch spacers and


wedges to help keep the tile straight while the ad- hesive cures. In addition, grab some newspaper and masking tape.


Preparing The Kitchen Backsplash For Tiling First remove everything


from the kitchen counter- top and turn off power to


THE WEIRS TIMES 2011 FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT GUIDE TILING A KITCHEN BACKSPLASH


the electrical boxes that sit above the countertops. Next, remove the electrical box cover plates and at- tach electrical box extend- ers over the electrical box- es. This will ensure that the electrical outlets and switches are flush with the finished tile surface after installing the tiles. Finally, lay newspaper all over the kitchen counter- tops and tape them down where necessary. Next, using coarse grit sandpaper, sand the sur- face of the drywall back- splash area. You don’t need to remove the paint. You’re simply roughing up the surface so that the tile adhesive will bond well to the drywall surface. Make sure to wipe down the backsplash area with a lightly damp rag after sanding it to remove any of the loose grit from the walls. After preparing the back-


splash surface for tile, find the center of your tile area using a tape measure and then use a level and a straight edge to form parallel and perpendicu- lar lines. Alternatively you may want to use a chalk line. These lines will act as reference lines for in- stalling the tiles. Whenever possible try


to design your tile layout pattern so that any cut See BACKSPLASH on 7


Belknap Landscape Company, Inc.


Trees in your landscape provide shade, windbreaks, wildlife habitat and a distinctive New England ambiance. Belknap Landscape Company’s Arboriculture Division is dedicated to preserving the health and vigor of one of most valued landscape features on your property.


160 Lily Pond Road, Gilford, NH 03249 • (603) 737-0015 www.belknaplandscape.com


“We turn Dreamscapes into Landscapes” T ree Removal T ree Transplant Trees for Sale Crane Service


D


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12