Brightening up the Kitchen with Subway Tile!

Happy New Years everyone!  

Now that we are back from some time off with the hubby, I will be blogging more often.  In this post I will give you a step by step guide to the process of our back splash.  This was a project that for little money (compared to what it could have been), made a HUGE difference in the overall feel of the space.  I have been looking at ideas for the past year trying to make sure I knew exactly what I wanted.  I knew once this puppy was up, it was never coming down.  I loved a lot of the recycled glass looking tiles, but for some reason I kept coming back to the simple white subway tile.  The one thing that's a plus is its neutral, classic and pretty much timeless for most people. It actually made the kitchen feel bigger because the white now extends from the counter to the ceiling.  All the white could seem very sterile and cold, but I think in this case, it did the complete opposite.  It feels bright, airy, fresh, and super happy.  Now onto the good stuff.   We made sure we set aside an entire weekend for this process because there were several steps along the way and we encountered a couple hurdles.  We sent the boy off with the grandparents and tiled the weekend away!

Materials Needed:

• Cement board (for those who are tiling over a painted surface.  This was recommended by the associate at Lowes.  We used 2 pieces, around $10 each).
• Subway Tile (comes in a box for $22 and we used 2 boxes.  There are 100 tiles per box at 22 cents each.  We had a few to spare at the end even after some mess ups.)
• Wet tile cutter (thankfully we have one of these thanks to Nate's dad, but I believe you can rent them at one of the big box stores.  This was totally Nate's doing because me and saws don't mix well.)
• Floor and Wall Adhesive (we used the Tec Invision white adhesive in a big tub that was already mixed.  all you have to do is spread it on.  This product was $11.97 at Lowe's.)
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• Grout (Make sure when grouting over shiny tile that you use a grout that is smooth without texture (unsanded) because the granuals in some grouts will scratch the surface of the tile when applying.  We used a Laticrete product in a bright white because we didn't want any contrast.  We wanted it all to blend.  We bought a small box that you mix with water and we still have some left over.  I believe it was between $10 and $15.00).
• Tool to apply the adhesive and grout.  We already had these on hand from a previous project. 
• Large sponge for wiping tiles after grouting and bucket for water during this step of the process.
• A level, permanent marker to mark the measurements on back of tile, and measuring tape.
• If changing out electrical, like in our case, we did this before tiling.  We had cream outlets and covers and wanted to change it all to white to match the back splash.  We bought 2 surge protectors that were around $12.00 a piece (for by the sink) and 3 regular ones that were $1.00 a piece.  We bought 3 outlet plate covers and 2 outlet/light switch combo plates.  These were all around $1.00 a piece because we bought the basic ones for now. 

Application Process: 

If changing out electrical outlets because of color, do this first.  Make sure you turn off the electric before tackling this step so you will want to do this when you have daylight.  Thankfully Nate had done this before so he knew what he was doing.  If you question this step, you can always watch a video on you tube or have someone help you.  I was his assistant and helped pull out the wires and hold it while he rewired.  Teamwork makes this whole project much easier! 

If working on top of a painted surface, we were told to use cement board because adhesive and tile doesn't adhere well to a painted surface.  We knew the extra money in the long run would be worth it.  The cement board is quite heavy and cutting it is a job. This step does not need to be perfect because it will not show once the tile is on.  You just want to make sure your wall surface is covered.  When cutting it, make sure you take into account that you will have to have cutouts for the outlets as well.  Adhere this to the wall with drywall/cement screws.

Now the fun begins.  This is when the tile starts to go up and you have to go quickly in small sections as the adhesive dries pretty quick. We started in the center of the wall and worked our way out on both sides.  The hubby and I got into a groove where I applied the adhesive and tiles while he cut and measured for the most part.  I encourage you to use a level along the way to make sure your lines are straight and even, we failed to do this in a couple spots and up close you can tell.  Once it is complete its hard to see, but it never hurts to be overly cautious as you go.  We also used 1/8 spacers in between each tile so all the spaces would be exactly the same.  This made it much easier.  Once the tile was complete (about a 6 hour process for us) we let it sit for 24 hours before applying the grout.

Mix your grout up and apply.  Nate applied the grout.  You will want to follow instructions on your product to see how long it says to sit before wiping it with sponge.  I believe ours was 15 to 30 minutes, so I worked in sections and removed the grout residue.  I did this about 3 times throughout the kitchen.  You will see that the film will slowly recede as you continue to wipe.  I would wipe a small section, wring out sponge in a bucket of warm water and proceed.  I changed my water several times because it gets gross.

 
Put outlet plate covers on.  We had to use a product that helped to pop the outlets out from the wall, since they are no longer flush with the wall because tile is much thicker.  They have 2 options.  We used the green plastic tabs that you fold to the thickness you need.  You can ask an associate at Lowe's or Home Depot and they will direct you to them.





Seal your tile from staining.  This step we have yet to do but we will do it soon.  I believe many tutorials encourage you to wait on this step to let the tiles and grout settle completely.  

If you had to use cement board, you will notice the edges of where your tile stopped is out from the wall by at least a 1/4 of an inch.  We plan to buy a thin trim piece of wood, cut it to fit and paint white to match the cabinetry.






 


Sit back and admire your handy work !  I love how shiny the tiles are.  I hope to get some lighting underneath the cabinets and it would make them glisten that much more.  This area to the left is a small space by the fridge.  We decided to tile the space to make it feel finished even though its off to the side by itself.

Total cost of project = Around $100 for the back splash itself.  Ours was a little more because of changing out the electrical outlets.  Also, if you don't have to use cement board, than your cost will be cut as well.  The subway tile is a great choice if you are trying to do a back splash on a budget.  I was looking at some glass tiles and they were around $13 a square foot.  If we had gone this route, it would have been very expensive.  I am pleased with the result and would encourage anyone to use subway tile if they are in doubt.  And remember subway tile comes in all different colors so you don't have to stick with white!  

If you have any more detailed questions on the project, feel free to connect with me and I'll try my best to help you out.  My hubby and I are no pros and we are definitely learning as we go, but that's the fun of it, right? :)  Any of you out there planning to do a back splash soon or have you done one recently?  Love to hear if you have any tips!