How to Lay Splash Tile on a Wall

Roughen the wall with 100-grit sandpaper. You don’t need to remove all the paint, just roughen up the surface so that the adhesive more easily sticks to the wall.

Pattern the tile to your liking. Before installing the tile, know how you want it to look. Place a few pieces on the wall first without any adhesive. For a backsplash, you may want a trim along the bottom, and standard 6-by-6-inch tile along the walls’ remainder.

Measure and cut the tile to your desired pattern. For a thin trim along the wall’s bottom or edges, decide on the trim size. Cut the tile to the recorded measurement with a tile cutter.

Apply the tile adhesive to the wall with a notched trowel. Many different tile adhesive types exist, some with mortar and some without. Read the manufacturer’s directions to determine whether you need to mix the adhesive before applying. Brush the wall in a 45-degree angle with the notched trowel. Don’t apply an excessive amount, as it covers the grout lines. Apply the adhesive to small areas of the wall. Once you place the tile on the adhesive, move on and apply the adhesive to another small area.

Place the tile on the wall. Start by placing one piece of tile in either bottom corner of the wall. Line up the tile’s bottom with the wall’s bottom and the counter’s edge ensuring that the tile is placed on level. Continue placing another piece of tile next to the existing tile. Repeat this process until the wall is covered. Always placing the next tile beside or directly above an existing tile makes sure the wall turns out even.

Cut tile with a tile saw to fit around accessories and outlets. A tile saw uses a diamond cutting blade and cold water ensuring that the blade stays cool and the tile cuts smoothly.

Place spacers between each tile as you lay the tile. Spacers allow forming even grout lines. Insert a space at each tile corner. Some tile comes with prebuilt spacers and does not require using plastic spacers.

Let the adhesive dry. Read the manufacturer’s directions for drying time, as every adhesive is different. Remove the spacers once the adhesive dries.

Apply grout to the tile with a grout float. Hold the grout float at a 45-degree angle and brush the grout along the tile, applying the grout into the grout lines. A glob of grout goes a long way as long, as you make brush the grout along at a 45-degree angle and scrape the excess over to unfilled grout lines.

Dip a sponge in cold water and ring it out. Brush it over the excess grout on the tile, and then brush it along the grout lines. Use your finger to apply a bit of pressure when going over the grout lines. If leftover grout appears on the tile an hour after cleaning it with a sponge, use another damp sponge and go over the tile again.