How to Work With Ceramic Blacksplash

Preparation

• 1

  Unscrew all electrical outlet covers in the areas where tile is to be installed. Take off the screws that hold the outlets to the wall, too. Set all covers and corresponding screws aside in a safe place away from the work area. With dry hands, gently pull each outlet a few inches away from the wall. A bit of electrical wiring may be slightly exposed. Never grasp both sides of an outlet at the same time, because you will get shocked. Instead, hold onto either the top or bottom metal plate that extends from the outlet where the screw holes are located.

• 2

  Mark the boundaries of the backsplash. Draw pencil lines from the bottom corners of your upper cabinets to the surface of your countertop, using a small level for accuracy.

• 3

  Attach newspaper or a drop cloth to your countertop using painter's tape to protect the surface's finish.

Installation

• 4

  Spread the mastic on the wall with a notched trowel. Hold the trowel at an angle and apply the mastic firmly, evenly and completely over two square foot sections at a time. A general rule of thumb when choosing a tile trowel is: the larger the tile, the larger notch required. An 1/8-inch v-notched trowel may suffice for 4- by 4-inch tiles, but larger tiles require 1/4-inch or wider notches.

• 5

  Install the ceramic tiles. Press each tile evenly onto the wet mastic. Start with a full tile or bullnose piece at the pencil line and work your way inward toward the wall corner. On center walls where both ends of the backsplash are confined by corners, begin with a full tile in the center of the wall. Apply three tiles in a row at a time along the surface of the counter and stack additional tiles on top of those until you reach the bottom edge of the upper cabinets.

• 6

  Insert spacers in the center of each butt joint to create even grout lines. There are several sizes available, but 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch spacers are standard for ceramic backsplashes.

• 7

  Measure your cuts. Occasionally a full tile fits in the space under the upper cabinets, but this is rare. Measure the open space and mark the tile with a pencil. Use a tile scorer to make the cut. Most ceramic tiles score easily with a tile cutter, but you may need to use the circular tile saw for dense or heavy varieties.

• 8

  Use the circular tile saw to make cuts that fit around oddly shaped obstacles. When measuring tile to fit around an electrical outlet, make precise marks that allow the tile to slide under the outlet's extended metal tabs.

• 9

  Allow the tile to set overnight. Twenty-four hours is generally plenty of time for mastic to dry, but temperature and other environmental factors can affect the length of time needed. Test one piece of tile by pressing on it gently and attempting to twist it slightly.

• 10

  Remove the spacers once you have confirmed that the mastic is completely cured.

Grouting

• 11

  Mix grout with water according to package instructions. Use a margin trowel to combine the mixture evenly in a small bucket until the consistency resembles that of a thick milkshake.

• 12

  Fill the grout lines with grout. Swipe a tile float across the tile to press the grout firmly into the joints. Work with small sections of just a few square feet at a time.

• 13

  Wipe each section with a large sponge. Dip the sponge in a large bucket of water and wring it out almost completely. Swipe the front of the sponge diagonally across the tile once, flip it over, and repeat. After two swipes wring out the sponge again. This process is slow but effective and reduces the relocation of excess grout across the face of the tile.

• 14

  Allow the grout to dry. A light, sandy grout haze will likely appear across the surface of the tile. Simply wipe the backsplash with a clean sponge and clean water and repeat until the haze is gone and does not reappear.

• 15

  Remove the painter's tape and protective covering once all grouting tasks are complete.

• 16

  Reattach the electrical outlets. Depending on the thickness of the tile, you may need to replace the outlet's original screws with longer drywall screws. Reattach each outlet cover with its original screws.