How to Install Cryntel DecoStone as a Backsplash

Lay out the tiles on the counter in front of the backsplash to determine the pattern you will install them in. Cut the tiles to fit or into smaller shapes and sizes with a utility knife. Score the top of the tile with the knife and snap the tile into pieces.

Spread the recommended Cryntel adhesive onto the backsplash wall with a trowel. Key the adhesive with the grooved edge of the trowel until it is an even depth. Allow the adhesive to dry completely to the touch. It will change color from opaque to clear. The tiles can be installed anytime after it is dry until two hours after it has fully dried.

Install the tiles in the same pattern you determined on the counter. Press the tiles into the dried adhesive firmly, smoothing them into place with your hand. If you plan on grouting the tiles, insert spacers between the tiles to keep the rows straight. Use two to three spacers per side of each tile. Press the spacers in firmly, adjusting the position of each tile to butt up against them on either side. If not grouting the tiles, lay them side by side.

Use the rolling pin to exert as much pressure as possible against the tiles, rolling them into the adhesive. Pressure is what helps the tiles set up. On a floor, a 300-pound floor roller is recommended, so the backsplash will need as much body weight behind the rolling pin as possible to adhere the tiles.

Grout the tiles if applicable with Cryntel acrylic grout. Spread the grout with a hard, epoxy float only over the joints, not the entire tile. Vinyl tile joints are shallow; take care not to scrape the grout out again as you work. Let the grout set up for a few minutes, then carefully clean up the tiles, shaping the grout joints with a damp sponge.