Backsplash Part 2: The Nitty-Gritty

See part 1 of the madness here.

BACKSPLASH TILE INSTALLATION - STILL DAY 1

Step 1: Grab your mortar.  If using glass tile, make sure to choose the appropriate mortar so that it doesn't show through.  This is the one we used:

Step 2: Mix up the mortar with water according to the package directions.  We highly recommend using a drill attachment for this.  Mostly because it's fun, partly because we don't have muscles like these guys.

Step 3: Use the flat side of your trowel to spread the mortar over the wall, and apply pressure with the grooved side to even it and take off the excess.  This step was kind of like working with really thick frosting or peanut butter, so it's helpful to imagine you're frosting a really big, flat, cupcake - just kidding, it's not really that helpful. Work in big sections of the wall at a time, so you won't have to worry about spreading mortar around tiles already up on the wall. 

 Step 4: Apply the tile to the mortar, and press evenly across the whole area with a clean grout float. Adjust as needed.  Ignore weird bendy eye-trick caused by the random tile pattern - or is that just me?

Step 5: Keep going. 

Step 6: When all your tiles are in place, let the mortar set overnight.  Figure out the best way to dispose of the excess mortar and clean the bucket and then please let me know what that is.

DAY 2 - THE GROUT PARTY

Step 7: Invite friends over for dinner/hanging out with the assumption that you'll be finished grouting in about half an hour (...).

Step 8: Mix up your grout in a bucket with the mixer attachment, just like the mortar.  If using glass tile, be sure to use non-sanded grout as the sanded kind can scratch the tiles

Step 9: Apply the grout to the wall, pushing it in between every tile with the grout float.

Step 10: Keep going until all cracks are full, you are covered in grout, and your friends who arrived almost 2 hours ago are very hungry.

Step 11 (optional): Order a pizza.

Step 12: Wipe off excess grout.  Realistically, this is done in sections as you finish applying the grout so that it does not dry on the tile.  With each wipe, the sponge much be clean.  Here's the process:

-wring out sponge in bucket of clean water

-wipe once over tiles

-turn sponge over and wipe again with clean side

-wring out sponge in bucket

-repeat (changing the bucket water very frequently) for longer than you can possibly imagine

Bonus Tip: For pete's sake, save yourself some serious discomfort, and WEAR GLOVES. Literally, my nail beds were swollen and painful from all the wringing, and my skin and nails were incrusted with fine grout particles for almost a week. Take off your rings too, that's just some common sense I don't have.

When you can't handle the endless wiping anymore, thank your friends profusely for their patience and help, and call it a night.

Step 13: Let your grout dry for the instructed length of time.  If I remember correctly, ours was at least 48 hours.

There's one last installment of the gritty (grouty?) details coming up, and then the madness is over.  Yay, right?