When you are working with walls that are flat, straight, and free from obstacles, you can tile a kitchen backsplash is a pretty straightforward manner. In fact, backsplash tile installation happens to be one of the easiest DIY tiling jobs out there. In fact, you can make use of backsplashes in order to learn the process of tiling properly.
However, when there is an appliance or an outlet, the task becomes much more difficult than it otherwise would have been. Owing to the fact that the kitchen will most definitely have some appliances and stoves in it, you need to be able to work around these things.
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Preparation Needed
One of the first things that you need to do in order to get an attractive and clean installation is proper preparation.
Making Sure the Counters are Protected
When you undertake this task, make sure that you get floor protection paper. These can be found in your local home center. Make sure that you lay these papers on the countertops when you are in the process of tiling. The paper should be laid about an inch around all the edges. The edges should then be secured properly with painter’s tape.
This paper that is normally in the size of 36 inches by about 100-foot rolls will come in handy for other projects within the home as well. One of the biggest advantages of these papers is that the tiles can be arranged and rearranged on this stuff. This is done so as to get a mark up with a pencil on the paper.
If for some reason, you do not want to get floor protection paper, you may want to look into flattened boxes of tiles, sheet plastic, etc.
Tools That Will Come in Handy: Tile Spacers and Painter’s Tape
Beyond just having the ability to hold down a protective paper, painter’s tape can be an awesome way to get to define a straight edge. This is especially useful in the case that you are not using border tile. These tapes will basically act as a kind of visual guide. It will really help you make sure that the edges are straight and that you can stay within the lines. In the case of painted walls, where you may not want to mark up, painter’s tape has the huge advantage of being easily removable.
For any and all kinds of tile applications that are vertical, the tile spacers can be very valuable. This will allow you to add some space between the bottom tile row and also the countertop. You can then later fill in space with some caulk. Next, you have to make sure to space the rows as you move on to working upwards. Owing to the fact that tile spacers happen to be cross-shaped, they can also be made use of when tiling horizontally.
Tiling a Backsplash Around or Behind a Stove
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When you are in the process of tiling a backsplash or a guard for heat around or behind a stove, the ideal way to go is to get the stove away from the wall. With some of the more modern varieties of these stove-ovens, you have the ability to simply slide it and move it. When you are doing this, however, make sure that you protect your floors with the help of towels. You can also maybe slide the stove forward and move it to the side.
Appliances that are built into the countertops are obviously, as one might expect, much more difficult to get rid of from the area of work. There do happen to be some display consoles that have eased edges in the back and also in the sides. This can make it possible for you to bring the tile closer to the stove. This is all without the need for ever touching it. Small tiles that are also long, such as listellos or border tiles, can also come in handy when you have to define a border around the stove area.
Tiling a Backsplash With Electrical Outlets Around
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One question definitely needs to be answered here. Should the backsplash go up to the level of the outlet faceplate, or should it be below the faceplate? These electrical outlets really do present a unique challenge when it comes to tiling the backsplash. The main reason behind this is the fact that electrical outlets are one of the few things in a kitchen that touches upon the building code. In most cases, it will be the electrical code that has been decided upon by the community you live in, in general.