By Tim Anderson, eHow Contributor
Natural stone tile backsplashes are rapidly becoming one of the most popular types of backslashes installed in kitchens around the nation because of their rugged beauty. The natural defects in porous stones such as tumbled marble and travertine create an aesthetic that man-made products cannot compare to, but the stones' rough texture and imperfections require additional forethought and planning in the installation process.
Things You'll Need
- Tile wet saw
- Mastic adhesive
- Notched trowel
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Tile spacers
- Tile wedges
- Tile sponge
- Bucket (3 gallon or larger)
Instructions
- File the outside edges of the backsplash as well as against the counter top and leave any cuts against the underside of the cabinets and in the corners. The easiest way is to install the entire bottom row from the outside starting point into the corner and then work your way up from there, stacking the tiles into the bottom edge underneath the cabinet.
- Spread an even layer of mastic adhesive with the notched trowel, only smearing enough mastic for a few tiles at the time to avoid giving the mastic time to “tack” up and thus ruin the stickiness of the adhesive. Place a piece of the porous, natural stone into the mastic and apply pressure. This process may be repeated for each additional piece of natural stone.
- Use a combination of tile spacers and tile wedges to provide the space for grout joints between each piece of tile. While a tile spacer may be enough for some pieces, the imperfections within the natural stone can often create pieces that are slightly different in terms of dimensions, and the tile wedges can be used to help work around these slight imperfections and create roughly even-sized grout joints.
- Fill the bucket with warm water and then dampen your sponge to remove any excess mastic that will bleed through the porous holes in the natural stone. This is done to prevent any mastic from showing through the holes once the installation has been completed. Clean the surface of each installed tile within 10 minutes at most of installation; otherwise, the mastic can set up and make it significantly more difficult to clean.
- Use the tile wet saw to make any necessary cuts against the bottom edge of the cabinets and into the corners where the backsplashes meet (if necessary), as well as around any electrical outlets. The tape measure and pencil can be used to measure and mark any cuts prior to cutting on the saw.
- Allow a minimum of 24 hours before sealing and grouting the natural stone tile backsplash.
Tips & Warnings
- A typical 12-by-12 tile requires a 3/8-inch notched trowel. Larger tiles will require a larger notch, and smaller tiles a smaller notch.
- Tile spacers come in a variety of widths depending upon the personal preference of the owner relating to the size of grout joints. Tile wedges are spacers that allow for minimal adjustments in the case of natural stone, since pieces can vary in size and thus require additional manipulation.
- All materials and tools can be purchased or rented from your local home improvement store.
- Be sure to turn off all electrical current to the outlets in the backsplash before installing the tile. Always be sure to wear protective gear when working with a tile wet saw, such as safety glasses and earplugs.
Source: www.eHow.com
