A popular new trend in kitchen décor over the years is the addition of a ceramic tile backsplash. A tile backsplash is tile that is mounted along the wall behind the kitchen sink, countertop, and stove areas. It is both decorative and functional as it can help protect your walls from water, grease, and other dirt. The kitchen is one of the busiest areas of your home and if you cook often, you know how easy it is for food and water to splash on your walls.
Cleaning your kitchen walls can be difficult and hot grease can easily soak into the paint leaving stains that you can't remove. It can also eventually cause damage to your walls leading to eventual replacement. A quick and easy solution to this problem is to install a ceramic tile backsplash to these areas.
Ceramic tiles are easy to clean and maintain. To clean the tile, just wipe it down with a damp cloth or cleaning solution and they'll maintain the original shine and luster for a long time, keeping your kitchen looking like new. You really can't go wrong with adding tiles to your kitchen walls. In addition, it is a relatively easy DIY project for the weekend.
Begin by measuring the space along the walls where you want to place the ceramic tiles. Pick tile colors that go with the existing theme of your kitchen. If you want to make sure that the colors you select will match your present décor, take a paint sample with you when you go to select your tiles.
If you're going to take the DIY approach, make sure you gather all of the tools you will need before starting the task. In addition to the tile, you will need tile cutting saw (wet saw), trowel, hand tile cutters, adhesive, tile spacers, grout and a level. To insure your safety don't forget to wear gloves during this process so you don't accidentally cut your hands. Safety glasses are an absolute must for cutting tile.
Always dry fit the tiles before permanently cementing them into position so that you can be sure everything will fit the way it should and look great. Cut any tiles that you need to prior to starting so you will have all of the pieces on hand to complete the job.
Prepare the mounting surface by making sure that it is flat and clean before you apply the adhesive to ensure that the tiles will permanently adhere and won't fall off over time. After positioning the tiles, allow the adhesive to set for 12 to 24 hours. Check the tiles to see if there are any lose ones you need to fix.
Installing your own ceramic tile backsplash is a pretty easy DIY home improvement project to do. You'll find that your kitchen will look fabulous and you'll marvel at how quick and easy it is to clean the tiles. The time you save by no longer having to scrub your walls is worth the expense of installing a ceramic tile backsplash.