Kitchen tile back splashes are one of the typical features of all modern-day residences and live-in quarters. Actually, kitchens in most contemporary constructions occupy so central position that it becomes one of the most frequented areas of your home – a fact that calls for the need to keep the kitchen clean, tidied and (if possible) beautified.
It is precisely for this reason that kitchen backsplash tiling becomes as essential as equipping the kitchen with useful countertops and cabinets! A tiled kitchen backsplash helps hide all the mess that go together with cooking activities. The right choice of kitchen tile back splash, in addition, enhances the aesthetic worth of your kitchen manifold times.
- Your Kitchen Tile Back splash Options -
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Kitchen tile back splash essentially happens to be an eye-catching addition to your home décor and you will indeed be spoilt for choices with regard to materials, designs and color combinations.
As for materials, you may select among ceramic, glass, porcelain, stainless steel and stone tiles.
These days you get kitchen tiles in countless shapes; as regards colors, with different hues and shades available in back splash tiles; you will have enough choices to realize your dreams.
Use of designer or decorative tiles such as accents, ceramic murals and hand-painted tiles give a rather artistic look to your abode’s culinary zone. You can also try innovating with colored glass and mirrors.
- Tips For Buying Kitchen Tile Back splash -
• Although you are offered with plethora of choices, you would do better if you stick to kiln baked, glazed tiles. You will hardly have any staining problems with them. The colors being permanently sealed in, they will not wash away and last you your lifetime.
• The best tiles for kitchen back splash are the square 4-by-4 or 6-by-6 inches tiles. You may also go for 3-by-6 inches subway tiles.
• Lighter shades will best illuminate your kitchen and make it look clean and well arranged. Dark colors are only suitable for large, open kitchens. Murals and decorative tiles used as backsplash tiles do liven up your kitchen, but then you need to arrange special accents/border tiles, etc. to highlight them.
- Installing Kitchen Tile Back splash -
Kitchen tile back splash accentuates the beauty of your kitchen hundred times. It is neither a time-consuming, nor a pricey affair. The tiling job in reality is so interesting that you might be tempted to set about it on your own.
Some simple supplies like tape measure, level, sand paper, tile-cutter, tile-saw, serrated trowel, mastic adhesive, grout and a little dedication are all that you will require to accomplish the tiling job.
Before you go ahead with it, turn off the power-supply to the area and remove electrical outlet covers. Roughen the wall/surface with the help of sand paper and dust/wash the area with warm water.
Once the groundwork is done, spread a thin layer of the mastic adhesive at the base-center of the backsplash and place the first tile. Check level for accuracy.
Thereafter place the spacers in the corners after checking and crosschecking with level and measuring tape for flawless tile-placement, even cutting tiles (marking them with tile-cutters and cutting them with tile-saw) to match the desired tile-level.
With the baseline ready, you will have your reference line ready. You will hardly experience any difficulty rounding off the tile-fixing job. Just go on spreading adhesive, cut the tile to required shape and size and fix it. Remove every trace of extra adhesive with a damp cloth.
The next step is all about applying grout between the tiles. You can apply grout with a rubber float, wiping away excess grout with a damp cloth and smoothen the grout joints with a round-stick.
This brings your kitchen back splash tiling program to an end. Pick up a dry, clean cloth and polish-off the tiled area to reveal the kitchen tile back splash in all its glamour.
by Manuel Kupka
