Thursday, October 3, 2013

Glass Tile Backsplash

January 2016 Update: Visit our new blog www.brianandkaylor.com  


Hi all!  I can't believe it is already Thursday.  This week has flown by.

I finished up our tile this week.  Tiling is a lot like painting....many stages and waiting for things to dry. I am not going to write a tutorial on tile because there are so many amazing ones out there on the blogosphere and I don't think I can write a better one.  My favorite tutorial is from Pretty Handy Girl.  She even posted a video.  Check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

I am going to tell you a few things I did that wasn't on a tutorial or I figured out as I went.  This was my first time to tile so I learned a lot!





  • Glass tile MUST have a glass certified tile blade
We rented a wet saw and I asked the guys at the store what kind of blade it had.  They all assured me it would cut glass even though it wasn't a "glass tile blade".  They had some name for the the blade I had not heard of and said it was the best.  Alrighty, I guess they know what they are talking about.  Well....they don't.  At least not with this.  We used a the sample tile to test it and the blade tried to eat my expensive tile.  Of course the rental store closed at noon on Saturdays and was closed by the time we tested the tile.  We went to HD and Lowes and neither one of them had a 10 in glass blade for the saw so we were stuck.  To make a long, dramatic story short, we ended up buying a wet saw.  It was about $50/day to rent a saw and on that day the rental was useless.  Even if we found a glass blade for it we would need it for a few more days just for the backsplash project.  A small new one at HD was $130 and they had a glass certified blade for it.  We will be tiling our bathrooms over the next year so we felt it was a good investment compared to renting.  Here is the one we bought.







It worked great!  Its small so its easy to store and move around.  If you have several tiling projects in the future, I recommend you consider buying instead of renting.  For us it was the cheaper option.


  • Tiling is messy....really messy
Everyone says its messy but they don't really say more.  I will.  It has been the messiest project so far.  Worse than sanding dust being every where.  Thin set is a wet paste and drops off the wall or tools sometimes.  If you get thin set on your hands it then gets on the tile.  Glass tiles coming off of the saw are wet and have to be wiped off or they drop dirty water through the house.  Grout is a whole new level of messy.  You wipe this stuff all over, then wipe it off with damp sponges.  I protected my countertops with plastic first.  I tape the plastic along the wall where the tile was being installed and let it fall over the cabinets to protect everything.  Then I cut up moving boxes and laid them over the plastic.  I also recommend putting plastic or cardboard on your floor.  We went through tons of rags and paper towels last week!  MESSY.  Since I had the boxes and plastic clean up was really easy but know that you will have a huge mess on your hands during tiling.

  • Thin Set
Your thin set depends on your tile so ask a pro or research about what kind you need.  When applying less is more.  Our tiles are 4 x 12 and I read in several places that since they are so big they should be back buttered (put thin set on the back of the tile).  Several tutorials said they should be back buttered and thin set put on the wall.  I did both (wall and back butter) and I think it was too much.  Thin set was wanting to push through to the grout lines and it made it hard to level and even out the tiles.  I think next time I will just back butter or go with a smaller trowel.

  • Grout
Do not mix the whole box!!!!!  I mixed a little at a time.  With grout you apply it, let it set for 10 - 20 minutes, then you start wiping off.  Keep that in mind when you start mixing your grout.  Only mix as much as you think you can work with in that time frame.  Also, you probably don't need the whole box.   I maybe used 1/4 of the box for the entire kitchen.  I sealed up the left over and stored it for a future project.  

  • Plan
Be sure you plan ahead!!!  Be sure you have enough tile.  Be sure you watch videos to know how to cut around outlets and windows.  Be sure you know how to prep your wall.  Be sure you have several days set aside for the project.  Be sure to protect your countertops and floors.  Be sure you have all supplies ready.

  • The right state of mind
This is important with any DIY project.  Know going into it that the final product will not be perfect.  Thing is, if you paid a pro to do it, it still wouldn't be perfect.  You just don't always see imperfections at first when someone else does the project.  When you DIY something, you are usually aware of every imperfection.  Every DIYer experiences this and knows its kind of a curse.  Most of the time the imperfections fade when you look at the space but sometimes they don't.  Just keep the right state of mind that you are doing your best, you are saving TONS of money, most imperfections will not be seen by people visiting your house, and you can proudly say, you installed the tile yourself.  Always remember to be patient (I struggle with this) and that there are going to be bumps in the road.


I am glad we DIYed this project.  It saved a lot of money and it was good practice for the bigger tiling projects that will happen in the bathrooms.

This can be a project you do by yourself but it is nice to have a second person cutting tiles and/or cleaning up behind you. Blittle was the designated tile cutter.  He was better at using the saw than I was.  I marked tiles to be cut and he would go back and forth from the kitchen to the saw and back.  It was a good system for us and kept things moving .

Now for the part you all are waiting for.  The pictures!

Before:  White laminate counters that flowed up the wall to make a white laminate backsplash.







 During:

This is what it looked like behind the laminate backsplash.




I cleaned off any extra glue and bumps off the wall then primed wall.  I primed to keep any previous paint color or glue from seeping through and staining the back of my tile.  






New window stool and trim added.  Tile laid out and ready for install.



 My grout supplies.



Post grout.  Pre caulk.


Pull tape before the caulk dries.






After:
























Click here to see all the before and after pictures of the kitchen.



41 comments:

  1. Can't wait to see the whole kitchen. I told Nate that we needed to just ambush y'all one weekend :)

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    1. Y'all are welcome anytime! Once my dining room table is done we plan on having people over. Y'all are on the list ;) We still need to come see your beautiful home!

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  2. Wow...This is amazing! What a transformation!

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  3. Looks lovely and the contrast with the new wood counters is great. I'm reading every post I can on backsplash installs cause it is top of our to do list right after we get the granite that's currently on the backsplash off. You'll mention where you bought your 4x12 tiles and the brand / color in your full reveal? ... I'm also still searching for tile, want a "subway" shape but the standard 3 x 6 is too small for our area.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. I also think the 3 x 6 tile is too small and my friend that tiles professionally says it is actually harder to work with than the bigger tiles. I will be posting details about our kitchen products in my reveal but can tell you about the tile now. I originally was going to get it from http://www.glasstilestore.com but there was a 15 week wait for what I wanted...yikes. That wait might be ok for you if you are planning that far a head. I found a store near my parents that could get a similar tile for me in 3 weeks. The company is SOHO Studio (http://www.sohostudiocorp.com). Tile color is Crystal Natural White Polished and size is 4 x 12. You have to find a dealer to order from. Just go to the SOHO site and email them for a dealer close to you. I hope that helps. Come back later this week to see the kitchen reveal! Thanks.

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  4. This looks beautiful! Great job on the entire kitchen!! I'd love if you'd link up to The DIY'ers. http://homecomingmn.blogspot.com/2013/10/diyers-32-and-marathon-weekend.html

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! Just linked up and started following you. Love your blog and congrats on the marathon finish.

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    2. Wanted you to know I loved this so much, it's been featured on The DIY'ers today! http://homecomingmn.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-diyers-33.html

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  5. I love your blog. This is a cool site and I wanted to post a little note to tell you, good job! Best wishes!!! glass backsplash tile

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  7. I am in love with that back splash but I see you didn't mention anywhere the manufacturer or style of the back splash. Could you please let us know? I'd love to add it to my holiday wish list. :)

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    1. Hi, Kristin. All the products and manufacturers are listed at the bottom of the final kitchen post. Here is the link: http://fishermanswifefurniture.blogspot.com/2014/05/kitchen-reveal-update.html

      Thanks for visiting!

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  8. Hello. I was wondering how long you have had the product and how well it is holding up? (Butcher block and wood floors) Would you recommend Lumber Liquidators?

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    1. Hi, Shawn. The butcher block has been great. It is 18 months old and the finish has held up really well. I use my kitchen daily (cook every meal) so it has definitely been tested. There are a few dents (not scratches) around the sink where heavy cast iron pots have been dropped or set down too hard but you can barely see them. I didn't really work with Lumber Liquidators. I just ordered the butcher block from them then picked it up from the store. Our flooring was purchased from Floor for Living here in the Houston/Galveston area. My flooring is a luxury vinyl plank, not hardwood, and it is amazing. I definitely recommend it. Easy to clean and install. Most people do not realize it is a vinyl until we say something. Thanks for visiting!

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  9. To start with it is vital is always to recognize the difference among ceramic as well as porcelain floor best tile saws on the market . Even though these are really identical in the way that they look even so the occurrence of porcelain floor tiles is quite a bit a lot more doing them a extended long lasting and so are a appropriate tile for your out-of-doors as well as places that are going to provide a great deal.

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  10. Ooohh my Gosh. what a wonderful job. your kitchen is bright with style. love it love it love it.

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  11. Wow. I think this is stunning. I love the tile and the fixtures but the counter tops make my heart flutter. Beautiful job! Kitchen remodeling Austin

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  12. Amazing work!! Just curious you have had the counter tops for awhile. Would you do it again?

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  13. I love it! I don't even think I can count as high as how many of these redos/renos/upgrades I have looked at over the past yr (in prep for my own) but yours is my favorite. All of your choices and the overall look is right up my alley. And, I am still really diggin' on those countertops!

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  15. Not a diyer yet but how did you remove the laminate from the wall? Previous owners ran one big sheet with sink etc cut out up the walls and behind the stove. We're afraid the sheetrock behind will rip and we'll have to replace it all.

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  16. Love to read it,Waiting For More new Update and I Already Read your Recent Post its Great Thanks.
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  18. Thank you for sharing useful guides in your post. Really i appreciate.
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  19. That SOHO website does not have that specific tile listed online anyway. Would you say the tile you have is more green or blue? Looking at American olean moonlight or vintage mint as being very similar to what you have.

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