Make a Splash...

Installing a back splash scares me... 

Any home project having to do with tile seems like 

it should be left to the professionals...

But when a friend recently boasted 

of tiling her own bathroom, 

I was intrigued...

However, upon further rumination, 

I believe had I attempted the task myself, 

the end result would have looked terrible, 

there would have been a paint-curling tirade 

of swearing,

and many tears would have been shed...  

Thankfully, T$ willingly stepped up 

to do the installation...  

He is the master of precision 

and power tools...  

Watching him expertly man the diamond blade tile saw 

gave me the shivers...  

Men don't realize that doing chores for us 

is very sexy...

Ahem....we LOVE it!

And they look quite manly handling power tools...

I have wanted a back splash in my kitchen for years...  

So, in the spirit of our current
home improvement journey, 

I hit the Home Depot 

in search of affordable tiles...  

This glass mini subway tile in mint 

spoke to me... 

Arctic Ice...

It looks sleek, cool and the color somehow 

makes our tired, old, eighties laminated cabinets look whiter...

 

At $8.97 per square foot, it was affordable and rather chic...  

After flagging down a kind Home Depot employee 

who filled my cart with all the tools and mixes 

needed to complete the job, 

we were ready to get tilin'!  

This DIY video is an excellent tutorial 

on how to install a back splash... 

The number one rule we learned was

 to measure twice, 

cut once...  

The tiles are not super forgiving, 

so if you are off by 1/8th inch, it will show...  

The tile saw is fifty dollars a day to rent, 

but you must have it to cut glass tiles... 

A tile nipper or hand tile cutter is fine 

for natural or porcelain tiles, though...

  

The mortar should be mixed to the consistency of peanut butter 

or else your tiles will slide right off of the wall... 

 

Not that this happened to us or anything... 

The job took about four hours 

to tile eighteen linear feet... 

After the tile was applied, 

it must sit for twenty four hours

 before the grout can be smeared on...

I applied the grout while T$ was at work...

It was more difficult than I anticipated...

Note to self:

Get a small float to apply grout
in back splash area...

I felt like I was using a dinner plate to apply the grout...
It was a mess!

Once the grout is applied and the tiles are wiped clean,
the grout must cure for a couple of days...

Then the grout sealer is sprayed 

onto the new grout...

So, it is a four day process...

 

Total cost: Approximately $220.00

Not bad for a splashy new effect in the kitchen!

With a new paint job on the walls and wood work,
my kitchen looks fresh and bright...

Last on the kitchen to do list,
 a new top for the island...

I am sourcing low cost options as we speak...

DIY may take longer than dialing your favorite handyman,
but it's so much cheaper
and satisfying when completed!