How do I tile a kitchen backsplash?

Tile a backsplash in one weekend by preparing the wall, laying out the tile from the countertop up, setting it in a combed bed of adhesive, and grouting about a day later. It is one of the more forgiving tile jobs: a small area, on a wall, at eye level. Most of the result is decided before the first tile goes up, in the cleaning and the layout.

Before you start

Daltile says tile can go over most structurally sound surfaces if they are clean, smooth, dry and free of wax, soap scum and grease.^[1] Behind a range or a sink that means scrubbing off cooking grease first, because adhesive does not bond to it. Any damaged, loose or uneven areas must be repaired, patched and leveled before tiling.^[1]

Buy more tile than the wall measures, to allow for cuts and breakage, plus the adhesive and grout the tile maker recommends for your tile, a notched trowel in the size the adhesive package calls for, spacers, a rubber grout float, a tile cutter and nipper, a level, sponges and a bucket. Wear safety glasses, and a dust mask when you cut or sand.

Plan the layout

Find the center of the wall with a level and draw a plumb line.^[1] Lay a row of loose tiles along the counter from that line, with even joints. If that leaves cut tiles smaller than half a tile at the ends, move the center line half a tile.^[1] Slivers at a corner or beside a window always look like mistakes.

Daltile says a countertop should have a tile backsplash at least 4 inches high.^[1] Begin with full tiles, working up from the countertop, so any cut tiles land at the top, under the cabinets.^[1] Those are the joints you notice least. Snap or draw level lines to keep the rows straight.

Set the tile

Mix only as much adhesive as you can use within 30 minutes, and spread no more than you can tile in 15.^[1] Spread a 1/4-inch coat with the flat of the trowel, then comb it with the notched edge at a 45-degree angle into even ridges, without covering your guide lines.^[1]

Press each tile in with a slight twisting motion rather than sliding it, and put in spacers as you go.^[1] Mix tiles from several cartons as you work, since shade variation is normal.^[1] When a section is done, tap the tiles level with a rubber mallet or a hammer and a wood block, and wipe excess adhesive out of the joints and off the face with a damp sponge.^[1] Then leave the wall alone for a day.

Straight cuts and diagonal cuts are made with a tile cutter, and curves with a nipper, nibbling away small pieces.^[1] Around an outlet, cut the tile to fit the cover plate opening with a small gap, and expect to spend more time on those cuts than on all the full tiles together.

Pause at the outlets. Turn the kitchen circuit off at the panel before you remove a cover plate, and tile up to the box without touching the outlet or its wires. The cover plate then goes back over the tile edge. If the tile leaves the outlet sunk behind the surface, an electrician should bring it forward.

Grout and finish

Daltile says to wait about 24 hours before grouting, and to follow the adhesive package.^[1] Mix only enough grout to use in about 30 minutes, press it into the joints with a rubber float held at a 45-degree angle, and scrape the excess off the face with the float's edge held upright.^[1]

Wait 15 to 20 minutes, then wipe the residue off with a damp sponge, rinsing it often.^[1] Once a haze forms on the tile, polish it with a soft cloth.^[1] Do not apply sealers for three weeks.^[1] Where the tile meets the countertop and at inside corners, use flexible caulk in a matching color rather than grout, because those joints move and rigid grout there tends to crack.

Cement grout is porous. To test whether it needs sealing, drop a little water on it: if the droplets bead up, the sealer is fine, and if the water soaks in, it is time to reseal.^[2] Behind a stove that check is worth repeating now and then.

Stop and call a pro if

• The wall is not sound. Soft drywall, crumbling plaster, mold, or a stain below the sink or around the window means a moisture problem that tile will hide, not fix.
• Outlets or switches have to move. Relocating or extending wiring is work for a licensed electrician.
• A gas range or a range hood is in the way. Do not disconnect or move a gas appliance yourself; tile up to it as it stands, or have a licensed professional move it.
• The tile is large, natural stone, glass or a tight pattern such as herringbone, or the wall is visibly out of flat. These are harder to set well and cost more to redo.
• The job grows. Virginia requires a licensed contractor for work valued at $1,000 or more,^[3] so if you are hiring out the whole kitchen, hire a licensed tile contractor.

Getting help in Virginia

If you are weighing the job, read should I tile a backsplash myself or hire a tile installer and how much tile installation costs in Virginia. Grout in a wet area has its own care: see how to keep shower grout from getting moldy. Browse tile and backsplash pros on Loclis, or read more flooring and tile answers.

To have a licensed local installer quote it, describe your backsplash.