How to handle installing granite backsplash on bowed wall
georgep
| Posted in General Discussion on
I am installing a granite backsplash on a vanity. The wall is bowed at the middle of the vanity creating a gap between the ends of the backsplash and the wall. The attached photos show what the gap looks like if I push the ends in and if I try and split the difference.
Any suggestions on the correct way to handle this? The only things I can of are to split the gap difference and use caulk, which seems like a hack to me and won’t look to great, or, shave the bow out of the wall behind the backsplash so the ends sit tight to the wall. I would still run a bead of caulk around the top of the backsplash but it would be a small uniform bead. Not one that was narrow in the middle and wide at the ends.
Thanks
Replies
Well if you shave the wall to get an even caulk joint you will have uneven backsplash exposed. From how the pic looks to me I'd go with an uneven caulk joint and learn to like it.
Need to cut the drywall back so backsplash will slide back or caulk as suggested, but from pic it looks to be 1/4” or more gap. That’s a very large caulk joint and will look bad. You can also cover the gap with vanity mirror. Have the glass or frame of glass sit on top of the backsplash.
Maybe a little of both, shave the drywall a bit, fudge the caulk a bit?
You can buy caulk that is tinted to match your wall color. If you use that, and strike the caulk flush with the top of the granite the joint will be fairly unnoticeable. In the photo it looks as if the bathroom cabinet above the sink will help draw attention away from any close look at the backsplash. All the better if there is a mirror.
Good grief. These previous suggestions are just so amateurish. The only correct way is to skim the wall with drywall compound. I've done it several times, the first being 40 years ago for my mother-in-law who didn't like the job my FIL had done in a bathroom. Did the job while he was away one weekend. Even yesterday I was reading a book on trim carpentry which specified this technique if the window jamb extensions stick out beyond the drywall. --usually when a window isn't parallel to the wall. The jamb extensions can only be planed to a small extent before the trim won't sit flat.--so the wall should be skimmed beyond that.
The backsplash positioned as in picture number 3 obviously fits best. Use this position to skim the wall in the corner.
It's probably easiest to remove the counter, but definitely the backsplash. Get a long drywall trowel or make a long trowel from a board that is about 12-18 inches. If a thin (the same thickness as the gap) tapered board in fastened on the wall below the top of the backsplash, it can act as a guide along which you can run your trowel. Even shimming one end of any thin material would work.
Of course a pro drywaller could float the mud on the wall without the guide. I've used a fan to speed up the drying myself, but I'd recommend the use of a quick setting compounds to others. I don't think that the quick setting compound shrinks as much as the regular drying stuff.--won't require as many coats.
I've done it the way Suburbanguy (see above) suggested when a plumber decided to go ahead and glue-mount my combo counter top/backsplash 5/8ths away from the wall. I couldn't move the whole vanity closer to the wall so I skimmed the wall. I did this many years ago. At that time I was concerned about the thickness of all that drywall mud so I buried a piece of nylon window screen in it as I built up the layers. In hind site I don't believe I needed to use that screen. I'd start with 90 minute mud for the base coat. It's easier to handle than the shorter time compounds. I'd finish with regular all purpose mud because it's easier to sand.