SWMBO wants a tiled backsplash (no backsplash in place yet) on kitchen counter top. Can tile be satisfactorily used with thin set or? Is it advisable to use caulk to seat it to countertop? How does one avoid ruining the paint finish at top? Any comments and/or tips are appreciated.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Skim-coating with joint compound covers texture, renews old drywall and plaster, and leaves smooth surfaces ready to paint.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
My guy does it all the time. Yes, I would certainly caulk at the countertop intersection.
Just becareful around the paint. You may have a little touch up but remember the thinset will wipe away easily when its still wet.
I'll take a stab at this until a real tile guy/gal can give you a better answer:
I would use masking tape at top to protect paint and I would stick the tiles with mastic rather than thinset and I would use color matched caulk (to match grout) where tiles meet counter.
I would use mastic-much easier to apply and cleanup as you go along.
And, I would first take a thin rip to set on the countertop and set the tile on that to start. Be sure you can get it out after the adhesive has set-don't wanna be pulling tiles loose. Depending on the size of the tile-an 8th or 3/16th would be plenty.
B/4 grouting, color match caulk that void. This caulked space now lets you remove the counter w/o necessarily ruining your splash job. You can cut it out down the road. If laminate or corian (like) I would definitely do it. If stone-highly unlikely you'll be changing out the top w/o removing the splash too.
Grout as normal-even grouting that void you filled if you wish. If you think it looks "cleaner" with a nice caulk joint-use you finger to clean out (most) of that grout-tape and caulk when you're done.
No tile guy, just a dumb carpenter.
A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Use a good quality modified thinset. Put masking tape on the wall where you want the thinset to stop, put on the thinset and comb it out, then pull the tape and set the tile. Use tile spikes at the bottom to get the gap you want between the countertop and the bottom course of tile.
Mastic may be OK, but definitely not with porcelain. There's no reason not to use thinset.
I do this all the time. I don't use masking tape but what I do is draw a line about 1/4" inside the tile area and spread my mastic/thinset to that line. When grouting I wipe it clean from the wall, then wipe it again a couple more time with clean water. Then I dry it with a rag to make absolutely sure no residue is left behind. Wiping it in this manner is also a good way to get a good straight grout line against the wall.
Masking tape just get's in my way.
--------------------------------------------------------
Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.net
See some of my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Edited 6/30/2008 11:23 pm by Ted W.
Use a laser level to shoot a line for the top of the backsplash, then staple a tile moulding to the line before you lay on any thinset. A wiring stapler (T-18 or T-25) works best for this.
Once the moulding is stapled in place, use a margin trowel to fill the web on the moulding, then either back-butter the tiles or comb out the thinset from the inside edge of the moulding down the wall below the counter.
You shouldn't need to mask the wall before tiling, but you should definitely protect the paintwork above the moulding before you start grouting. The colour dyes in grout stain paintwork or wood irretrievably.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
Thank you, and everyone else, for the response. Pardon my ignorance but what is tile moulding?
Unless you finish your job with special tiles with one quarter-round edge (if you can find them to match your field tiles), the top row of tile on your backsplash will show an unfinished edge, where the glazing and colour sort of half-cover the exposed tile edge. This is not particularly beauteous to gaze upon, as Nathan Detroit might say.
A tile moulding is designed to cover that edge. They are available in plastic or metal, in various colours, and can be had for most standard tile thicknesses. Here's a close-up photo of a plastic tile moulding stapled in place before the application of the tiles for the top of a shower curb. For that job, I cut part of the web out so I could bend it around the 45º corner.
View Image
You glue the tiles right over the web, set up against the inside of the edge. The outside of the edge is your finish trim.
Schluter brand tile moulding has a small plastic spline inside the edge designed to hold the tile far enough off the inside edge to permit a uniform line of grout to be squeezed in between the moulding and the tile. Some tilesetters like that line of grout; others don't.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....