Tile Backsplash

I worked on the kitchen shown below before Christmas.  She called me back to do the back splash now.  This was the wonderful lady who called the wrong number for a contractor to bid on her kitchen and ended up with me.  I don't think that this other guy has called her back yet even and I've had 2 jobs from her.  His loss.  She is just a peach and one of my favorite customers.


This is glass mosaic tile.  It was about $9.00 a 12" x 12" sheet plus thinset and grout.  Not really a do-it-yourself job if you don't have a diamond blade for a grinder and a grout float.  The sheet tile were pretty easy to install and were a bit forgiving on this slightly uneven wall.  

It will need to have the grout sealed in the next week or so after the grout cures.  This will help keep the grout joints looking new and make it easier to clean.  That part is a very easy DIY job and better off left to the customer.  No sense in calling me back to do this easy job.  Besides, it should be done every so often anyway.

This is a good time to replace the old dirty outlets.  We did that on this job too.  Man it looks nice.  The photos don't do it justice.  Since it is glass tile you can actually look at them and almost seem to see through them.  This is one reason to use WHITE thinset as it will reflect the light back out.  

The joint at the countertop is a caulked grout joint.  Special sanded caulk to match the grout.  This "gives" a little with any movement of the counter top due to slamming doors, dropping things on it, or movement in the floor.  

She will enjoy this for YEARS now.  Up next... BATHROOM!

Here is the kitchen prior to new cabinets.

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Here is the kitchen with new cabinets.  But we are not done just yet.

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Isn't it amazing what a mosaic tile back splash can do for a kitchen?

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